I came across this article from the Institute of Food Technologists. It discusses the flavors that food experts predict consumers will seek in the upcoming year. Gone are the days of cookie sandwiches and granola bars. Many of us are trying to reduce our sugar intake, so it’s forecasted that consumers will make a shift from sweet foods to bitter-tasting foods. With antioxidant-rich foods and drinks such as brussels sprouts, broccoli, coffee and green tea having bitterness as their most prominent taste, this shift might be great for population health. From my research, eating bitter food is generally good for you.
Most people dislike bitter foods
There are genes that influence a person’s ability to detect certain bitter compounds. Based on genetics, 75% of the population is able to taste the bitterness of a compound called PTC, while only 25% cannot taste this bitterness. People who are able to taste the bitterness in PTC tend to dislike foods such as dark chocolate and broccoli, since the bitter flavor is very strong and unpleasant to them. Meanwhile, “nontasters” of bitterness are more able to tolerate these sorts of things. I fall into the “nontaster” category, so unsurprisingly, I enjoy boatloads of black coffee every morning.
Is eating bitter food good for you?
Are bitter foods good for you? Here’s a list of commonly known bitter foods and you tell me: 1) cranberries, 2) coffee, 3) broccoli, 4) brussels sprouts, 5) cabbage, 6) kale, 7) green tea. As you can see, foods that are naturally bitter tend to be plant-derived, rich in antioxidants and fiber. A high consumption of these sorts of plant foods is associated with a reduced risk of cancer, cardiovascular disease and Type 2 Diabetes (Wang et al., 2023).
Furthermore, eating bitter foods may help you lose weight. Rezaie and colleagues (2021) reviewed the research into the effects of bitter substances on GI tract functioning and food intake. The research suggests that bitter substances may slow gastric emptying and increase the activity of gut hormones like CCK, GLP-1 and ghrelin. Slowed gastric emptying has been found to suppress appetite and reduce food intake, which would prevent weight gain. Meanwhile, heightened activity of those hormones can lower blood glucose levels and be protective against Type 2 Diabetes and insulin resistance.