Some flavors strike you as overpowering, while others find them too bitter or, conversely, very sweet. This difference isn't just about eating habits. It's also explained by how your body perceives tastes. And it's estimated that about one in four people experiences a particularly intense taste sensation.<\/p>\n
If broccoli tastes delicious to you while a loved one finds it too bitter, you're not just having a simple culinary debate. You're exploring two different sensory realities. Taste isn't a single, fixed truth: it depends on each individual's sensitivity, their receptors, and also their biological makeup. Thus, when faced with the same food, your brain can receive a completely different message from the person sitting next to you.<\/p>\n
In the 1990s, researcher Linda Bartoshuk<\/a> popularized the term "supertaster". According to her work, the population would be divided into three profiles: approximately 25% of people who are very sensitive to tastes, 50% with average sensitivity and 25% with low sensitivity.<\/p>\n Supertasters perceive certain flavors, particularly bitterness, with a much greater intensity than average. Where a coffee might seem pleasant and balanced to some, it can be experienced as extremely strong, even difficult to appreciate, by others. This is neither a flaw nor an absolute advantage, but a natural variation in perception.<\/p>\n This heightened sensitivity is partly explained by two factors. First, the density of taste buds: these small structures on the tongue are thought to be more numerous in supertasters, making the sensations more intense.<\/p>\n Next, genetics plays a key role. The TAS2R38 gene influences the perception of certain bitter molecules such as PTC and PROP. Depending on the inherited version of this gene, bitterness can be perceived as mild, moderate, or very pronounced. Research also indicates that women are, on average, slightly more affected by this taste hypersensitivity.<\/p>\n This sensitivity has concrete effects on your daily life. Supertasters often tend to avoid foods considered too bitter: some green vegetables, strong coffee, or even certain citrus fruits may seem too intense to them.<\/p>\n Conversely, less sensitive individuals perceive these same foods in a milder, more neutral way. These differences can sometimes give the impression of opposing food preferences, when in fact they are simply distinct perceptions. In all cases, this is a normal variation in human functioning, comparable to differences in visual or auditory perception.<\/p>\n Even though the concept of the "supertaster" is widely used, research continues to refine<\/a> this classification. The number of taste buds alone is not always enough to explain the actual perception of taste, and other factors come into play, such as smell and other taste receptors. Taste thus appears as a complex experience, constructed by several biological mechanisms that are still being explored. Scientists agree on one point: there is not just one way to taste, but a great diversity of perceptions.<\/p>\n In conclusion, your perception of food is unique, shaped by your biology as much as by your experiences. While approximately one in four people experiences flavors with a particular intensity, this reminds us of a simple and positive truth: at the table, everyone discovers the same dish in their own way, and all of these ways are perfectly valid.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Some flavors strike you as overpowering, while others find them too bitter or, conversely, very sweet. This difference...","protected":false},"author":8385,"featured_media":443351,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"disable_msn":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[6145],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-443350","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-nutrition"],"image":{"medium":["https:\/\/www.ma-grande-taille.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Une-personne-sur-quatre-ne-percevrait-pas-le-gout-des-aliments-comme-les-autres-200x113.jpg",200,113,true],"large":["https:\/\/www.ma-grande-taille.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Une-personne-sur-quatre-ne-percevrait-pas-le-gout-des-aliments-comme-les-autres-500x281.jpg",500,281,true]},"custom":{"td_video":"","featured_image":"https:\/\/www.ma-grande-taille.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Une-personne-sur-quatre-ne-percevrait-pas-le-gout-des-aliments-comme-les-autres.jpg","author":{"name":"Julia Perez","avatar":"https:\/\/www.ma-grande-taille.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/cropped-julia_perez-96x96.jpg"},"categories":[{"term_id":6145,"name":"Nutrition","slug":"nutrition","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":6317,"taxonomy":"category","description":" The Nutrition section of The Body Optimist helps you make sense of food without diets or guilt: foods and trends decoded, hunger and fullness, your relationship with food and balanced eating day to day. Our articles are for all women, whatever their body type, with an approach built on the pleasure of eating<\/strong> and listening to yourself rather than on restriction.<\/p>\n Balanced eating means varying what you eat over several days, not following strict rules at every meal. A satisfying meal usually combines vegetables or fruit, a starch (bread, rice, pasta, potatoes, legumes), a source of protein and a little fat. Eating at fairly regular times keeps you from arriving ravenous at the next meal. Sit down to eat, ideally away from screens, and take time to enjoy your food: fullness signals take a while to kick in. No food is off-limits: chocolate, fries and pastries all have a place in a varied diet. For general benchmarks, the health authorities in your country publish official dietary guidelines that don\u2019t require following any diet.<\/p>\n Our editorial team rejects diet culture: no weight-loss diets, no calorie counting, no \u201cforbidden\u201d foods and no promises of physical transformation. We believe health can\u2019t be read on a scale and that every body has its own needs. When we share a study or an expert\u2019s view, it\u2019s to inform your choices, not to tell you what to eat. Our articles provide general information and don\u2019t replace advice from a health professional: for any personal question, talk to your doctor or a registered dietitian.<\/p>\n Intuitive eating is an approach developed by American dietitians Evelyn Tribole and Elyse Resch. It encourages you to reject the diet mentality, listen to your hunger and fullness cues and make peace with all foods. Its goal isn\u2019t weight loss but a calmer, more flexible relationship with food.<\/p>\n No food needs to be banned from a varied diet unless you have an allergy, an intolerance or a medical reason to avoid it. Very sugary, very fatty or highly processed foods can be enjoyed without guilt, just less often than everyday staples. Labeling foods as \u201cgood\u201d or \u201cbad\u201d can actually fuel frustration and bingeing.<\/p>\n Several signs should raise a flag: thinking about food constantly, feeling guilty after meals, cycling between restriction and binges, making yourself throw up or avoiding eating in front of others. Eating disorders, such as anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa or binge eating disorder, can affect people of any weight. Talk to your doctor, who can refer you to appropriate care, or reach out to an eating disorder support organization in your country.<\/p>\n Keep exploring: put it into practice with our easy, delicious recipes<\/a>, find all our content in the Food<\/a> section and take care of yourself every day with the Well-being<\/a> section.<\/p>","parent":6143,"count":230,"filter":"raw","cat_ID":6145,"category_count":230,"category_description":" The Nutrition section of The Body Optimist helps you make sense of food without diets or guilt: foods and trends decoded, hunger and fullness, your relationship with food and balanced eating day to day. Our articles are for all women, whatever their body type, with an approach built on the pleasure of eating<\/strong> and listening to yourself rather than on restriction.<\/p>\n Balanced eating means varying what you eat over several days, not following strict rules at every meal. A satisfying meal usually combines vegetables or fruit, a starch (bread, rice, pasta, potatoes, legumes), a source of protein and a little fat. Eating at fairly regular times keeps you from arriving ravenous at the next meal. Sit down to eat, ideally away from screens, and take time to enjoy your food: fullness signals take a while to kick in. No food is off-limits: chocolate, fries and pastries all have a place in a varied diet. For general benchmarks, the health authorities in your country publish official dietary guidelines that don\u2019t require following any diet.<\/p>\n Our editorial team rejects diet culture: no weight-loss diets, no calorie counting, no \u201cforbidden\u201d foods and no promises of physical transformation. We believe health can\u2019t be read on a scale and that every body has its own needs. When we share a study or an expert\u2019s view, it\u2019s to inform your choices, not to tell you what to eat. Our articles provide general information and don\u2019t replace advice from a health professional: for any personal question, talk to your doctor or a registered dietitian.<\/p>\n Intuitive eating is an approach developed by American dietitians Evelyn Tribole and Elyse Resch. It encourages you to reject the diet mentality, listen to your hunger and fullness cues and make peace with all foods. Its goal isn\u2019t weight loss but a calmer, more flexible relationship with food.<\/p>\n No food needs to be banned from a varied diet unless you have an allergy, an intolerance or a medical reason to avoid it. Very sugary, very fatty or highly processed foods can be enjoyed without guilt, just less often than everyday staples. Labeling foods as \u201cgood\u201d or \u201cbad\u201d can actually fuel frustration and bingeing.<\/p>\n Several signs should raise a flag: thinking about food constantly, feeling guilty after meals, cycling between restriction and binges, making yourself throw up or avoiding eating in front of others. Eating disorders, such as anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa or binge eating disorder, can affect people of any weight. Talk to your doctor, who can refer you to appropriate care, or reach out to an eating disorder support organization in your country.<\/p>\n Keep exploring: put it into practice with our easy, delicious recipes<\/a>, find all our content in the Food<\/a> section and take care of yourself every day with the Well-being<\/a> section.<\/p>","cat_name":"Nutrition","category_nicename":"nutrition","category_parent":6143}]},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ma-grande-taille.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/443350","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ma-grande-taille.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ma-grande-taille.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ma-grande-taille.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/8385"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ma-grande-taille.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=443350"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/www.ma-grande-taille.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/443350\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":443900,"href":"https:\/\/www.ma-grande-taille.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/443350\/revisions\/443900"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ma-grande-taille.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/443351"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ma-grande-taille.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=443350"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ma-grande-taille.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=443350"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ma-grande-taille.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=443350"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}} Taste buds and genetic inheritance<\/h2>\n
Very personal food preferences<\/h2>\n
A science still in motion<\/h2>\n
What you\u2019ll find in the Nutrition section<\/h2>\n
\n
How do you eat a balanced diet without depriving yourself?<\/h2>\n
Our approach<\/h2>\n
Our articles to get you started<\/h2>\n
\n
Frequently asked questions<\/h2>\n
What is intuitive eating?<\/h3>\n
Are there foods you should cut out completely?<\/h3>\n
How do you know if you have an eating disorder?<\/h3>\n
What you\u2019ll find in the Nutrition section<\/h2>\n
\n
How do you eat a balanced diet without depriving yourself?<\/h2>\n
Our approach<\/h2>\n
Our articles to get you started<\/h2>\n
\n
Frequently asked questions<\/h2>\n
What is intuitive eating?<\/h3>\n
Are there foods you should cut out completely?<\/h3>\n
How do you know if you have an eating disorder?<\/h3>\n