Sharp Tastes, Sharp Brain?

Yesterday, we wrote about the worst kind of candy for teeth—it’s sour candies, because they combine sugar with acidity, which are the last things your teeth want.

You can read about it in full here: More Than A Sour Taste In Your Mouth

We noted there:

❝If (like this writer) you love sour foods: naturally sour foods like pickles, sauerkraut, and kombucha can benefit gut health, and unlike sour candies, they aren’t sugary, and thus are much less harmful to your teeth. You should still drink plenty of water with them though, as a) it rinses the acid b) fermented foods are often a bit high in salt, so hydration keeps things balanced.❞

And for a deep-dive on that, check out: Ferment: The Life-Changing Power of Microbes – by Dr. Tim Spector

But, what’s this about sharper tastes leading to a sharper brain?

It’s about more than just antioxidants

Polyphenols are well-known (to 10almonds readers, at least) as an excellent source of antioxidants. A good general rule of thumb for “does this food contain a lot of healthy polyphenols?” is: “is this (edible) plant bitter/astringent/pungent”?

If it is, it’s probably rich in polyphenols; see: Deciphering the role of bitter and astringent polyphenols in promoting well-being

…which is why it’s no surprise that black coffee and bitter chocolate score highly, as do hot peppers and even garlic.

See also: Our Top 5 Spices: How Much Is Enough For Benefits?

And for that matter: The Bitter Truth About Coffee (or is it?)

Even fruits, generally considered something sweet to eat, often contain more polyphenols when they are bitter—many berries are great examples of this, for example: Goji Berries: Which Benefits Do They Really Have?

Last year (at time of writing), it was hypothesized that the taste itself may actually make a difference (i.e., you won’t get the same benefits just from supplements without the taste, and you may get some benefits just from the taste alone):

❝As most of polyphenols have a bitter taste, migrate from the oral cavity to the gastrointestinal tract and interact with intestinal secretory cells, they likely regulate sugar metabolism or feeding via the T2Rs.

On the other hand, if we consider the effects of astringent polyphenols on the circulatory system, metabolism and brain function, their effects have a great deal in common with the benefits of exercise. Astringency, a stressor, elicits a hormetic response in sympathetic nerve overactivity and is considered to have beneficial effects in moderate doses.

Research on the bio-modulation of polyphenols with taste, which has not received much attention to date, may provide a solution to the polyphenol paradox, in which polyphenols exert bio-regulatory effects despite their extremely low bioavailability.❞

You can read more about the science of this here: Sensory Nutrition and Bitterness and Astringency of Polyphenols

Which brings us to the latest news…

The same researchers (Dr. Naomi Osakabe et al.) have discovered there is indeed more to the story. Specifically, that the astringent taste of flavanols—plant polyphenols found in cocoa, red wine, and berries—can directly stimulate the brain and nervous system, improving alertness, memory, and stress regulation.

This, Dr. Osakabe explains, is because the sensation of astringency itself acts as a neural signal: sensory nerves transmit this stimulus to the brain, activating corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH) neurons in the hypothalamus and noradrenaline pathways in the locus coeruleus.

Those are some big words, so let’s break down the process:

1. Noradrenaline transmission from the locus coeruleus to the preoptic area (relevant parts of the brain) promotes wakefulness.
2. Noradrenaline and dopamine activates the hippocampus and improves learning and memory.
3. Noradrenaline signals to the brainstem and stimulates sympathetic nervous system activity, circulation, and metabolism.

Here’s the paper in full: Astringent flavanol fires the locus-noradrenergic system, regulating neurobehavior and autonomic nerves

All in all, this makes for a very strong extra reason to make sure: Are You Getting The Right Kinds Of Flavonoids? ← flavonols are a subcategory of flavonoid, and they’re very important, and the source matters, and the research we shared today underlines how really, getting these things from your diet (including tea and coffee, as well as berries and other kinds of food) is much better than getting them in supplement form!

What if I don’t like those tastes?

If you do not have a medical condition that proscribes them (do check with your doctor if unsure), the best advice is to simply eat them anyway, and your tastes will adapt.

It will also help if you avoid sweet foods (though this too is also a good general rule of thumb!), as this will move the balance of where your brain’s “set range” is for “good taste”.

Bonus tip: dark chocolate (80%+ cocoa if possible, 95% if you can get it) and chilli peppers go great with each other. Here’s an example of a chilli chocolate product on Amazon; it’s 70% cocoa (which is not bad, but could be better). You might be able to get a higher percentage locally, especially if you ask your local chocolatière, or make it yourself!

Enjoy!