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EFFECTS OF ALCOHOL ON TASTE & SMELL.
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Defines alcohol & analyzes its impact on two senses.... More...
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Paper Abstract:
Defines alcohol & analyzes its impact on two senses.
Paper Introduction:
EFFECTS OF ALCOHOL ON TASTE AND SMELL
Introduction
The purpose of this paper is to examine the effects of alcohol on people’s perception of taste and smell. The paper begins with a brief description of the impacting factor (alcohol) and how it operates. It then goes on to discuss the affects of alcohol at the first and second levels of perception of taste and smell. The final section of the paper presents a several conclusions formulated on the basis of the reviewed literature.
The Impacting Factor: Alcohol
Definition and Operation
Alcohol is the term used to refer to any class of organic compounds characterized by one or more hydroxyl (OH) groups attached to a
Text of the Paper:
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Furthermore, itis now believed that taste-mediated behavior in both rats and humans may berelated to the prevalence of taste buds (Bolles, 1991). Healthy human subjects differ by 1 -fold inthe numbers of taste buds on their tongue tips, and the subjects with thehighest taste bud densities are the most sensitive tasters. H., Pardo, P.J . Factorsaffecting the absorption rate can include: the amount of alcohol consumed,the amount and type of food in the stomach, and the person's body weight. The final section of the paper presents aseveral conclusions formulated on the basis of the reviewed literature. X., Zoumas-Morse, C., Dietz, J., Goldberg, S., Holz, M.,Heck, E. The limbic projection is thought tobe involved in the emotional response to smells including alcohol; memoryof a smell is also associated with the limbic projection. Duka, T., Stephens, D.N., Russell, C. While in theamygdala-pyriform area, the olfactory pathway divides into two pathways.One pathway projects to the limbic system and the other projects to theorbitofrontal cortex by way of the medial dorsal nuclei. Hair cells on the olfactory epithelium pass thesignal down the nasal passage to mitral cells in the olfactory bulb whichleads straight into the olfactory tract; this tract (cranial nerve I) thentransmits the signals to areas of the brain such as the olfactory cortex,hippocampus, amygdala, pyriform cortex, and hypothalamus (Duka, Stephens,Russell & Tasker, 1998) . The paper begins with a briefdescription of the impacting factor (alcohol) and how it operates. & Tasker, R. & Silver, W.L. Also, odors in general are now believed to provide the best memorycues because some of our oldest and most emotionally-laden memories areassociated with odors (Guinard, Zouman-Morese, Dietz, Goldberg, Holtz, Heck& Amoros, 1996). Thus,the smell of alcohol is likely to be either perceived as positive ornegative. The Impacting Factor: Alcohol Definition and Operation Alcohol is the term used to refer to any class of organic compoundscharacterized by one or more hydroxyl (OH) groups attached to a carbon atomof an alkyl group (hydrocarbon chain). Does Consumption of Beer, Alcohol, and BitterSubstances Affect Bitterness Perception? Finger, T.E. The Hedonics of Taste. Taste: Much a Matter of Smell. Because of its effects on body andbehavior, people often drink beverages containing ethyl alcohol which isproduced by distilling the fermented juice of fruits or grains. Thus in terms of the affectsof alcohol on people's taste and olfactory perceptions, there is alikelihood that there is going to be some combinatory or interactiveeffects on perception coming from both sensory modes. How Alcohol Affects Olfactory Perception In general, alcohol odor (in the form of chemicals) stimulates nervecells upon entering the nose and getting dissolved in a membrane called theolfactory epithelium. (199 ). (1996). V. On theother hand, tingling, burning, or itching in association with a drink canlead the individual to perceive himself as having a bad experience. Followingthe consumption of ethyl alcohol, the alcohol goes to the stomach where itis absorbed into the bloodstream by the walls of the intestines. Neurobiology of Taste and Smell.NY: Krieger. Zald, D. Taste budson papillae increase in number during adolescence and diminish in numberduring later life. Kendall, P. Document available:www.colostate.edu/Depts/CoopExt/. (1997). Nerve supply, blood supply, epithelia and connective tissues allcontribute to variations among papillae. The burn of salsa, the fizz of a carbonated drink, and thecoolness of a mouthwash add enjoyment and value to such products. (1996). Guinard, J. It thengoes on to discuss the affects of alcohol at the first and second levels ofperception of taste and smell. These two pathwaysare thought to have distinct functions. If alcohol isconsumed faster than the rate at which it is metabolized, it will haveeffects on the central nervous system that can lead to difficultiescontrolling motor responses and psychoemotional behavior. Physiological Behavior, 59(4-5),625-631. Documentavailable: www.psych.umn.edu. And the degree to which people may experience pleasure ordiscomfort with the smell of an alcoholic beverage is going to be, to atleast some extent, dependent upon the hedonistic nature of the sensorysystem, their past experiences with alcohol and their expectations of howthe alcohol will affect them. In terms of the olfactory system, any detectable odor associated withthe alcohol will fade over time; however, it is important to note thatpeople's perception of any odor is also shaped by expectations and pre-existing attitudes about thatodor; moreover, odors in general tend to be processes along a certainhedonistic dimension, providing the individual with either strong feelingsof pleasantness or strong feelings of unpleasantness (Bolles, 1991). In general, the rate at which the body metabolizes alcohol is aboutthree-fourths of an ounce to one ounce of whiskey per hour. For example, pungency, warmth, cooling and tingle,are sometimes considered desirable in certain foods, beverages or personalproducts. Taken together, the smell and taste of alcohol are likely to be eitherstrongly pleasant or strongly unpleasant sensations. Variations in Human Taste BudDensity and Taste Intensity Perception. How Alcohol Affects Taste Perception According to Miller and Reedy (199 ) the first level of perception,there is the taste bud which is a microscopic receptor organ which respondsquickly to chemicals that contact the tongue and palate. Neural activityfrom taste buds permits a variety of recognitions such as theidentification of essential nutrients and/or the realization that certainsubstances are to be avoided. & Pardo, J. References Bolles, R.C. Physiology and Behavior 47(6), 1213-1219. & Reedy, F.E. They can operate toproduce past images, thoughts and strong feelings depending upon suchfactors as: our beliefs about alcohol, our expectations as to its affects;individualdifferences in the structure of our taste and olfactory systems; our pastemotional experiences with alcohol, and the surroundings in which thealcohol is being drunk. Once in the bloodstream, the alcohol is metabolized, mostly by theliver. Thus, it is quite possible that upon drinking alcohol,it's smell still experienced will set off a series of certain veryemotional memories in a given individual, stirring up past images, pastthoughts, a remembered mood, and so forth. As it relates to perception, it is important tounderstand that taste and smell work together to produce a given experienceassociated with food or drink (Kendall, 1997). The olfaction is the only sense that doesn't synapse in the thalamusbefore relaying its information to the cerebral cortex. EFFECTS OF ALCOHOL ON TASTE AND SMELL Introduction The purpose of this paper is to examine the effects of alcohol onpeople's perception of taste and smell. & Amoros, A. In terms of perception, the taste of alcohol can itself affect the individual's perception of his or her experience. Colorado StateUniversity: Food Science and Human Nutrition. Summary and Conclusions This study explored alcohol as an impacting factor on olfactory andtaste perceptions. Miller, I.J. However, cognitive factors play a role here.Studies have shown that particular, beliefs about both the odor and thecontext in which odors is experienced are important determinants of howodors affect performance, mood, and behavior (Finger & Silver, 1991).Therefore, the extent to which an individual's mood and behavior will beaffected by the smell of alcohol is going to depend upon where he isdrinking and his existing beliefs about how the alcohol is going to affecthim. The total number of papillae isprobably set during fetal development and are present at birth. People with higher taste bud densities rate taste intensitiesas higher, and they have lower taste thresholds than people with few tastebuds. The thalamic -orbitofrontal projection is thought to be involved in the consciousperception of smell (Zald, Pardo & Pardo, 1996). (1998).Discriminative Stimulus Properties of Low Doses of Ethanol in Humans.Psychopharmacology, 136(4), 379-389. Olfactory StimulationLeft Orbitofrontal Activation During Aversive Chemical Stimulation.Minneapolis, MN: Cognitive Neuroimaging Unit, Psychiatry Service, VAMedical Center, and the Division of Neuroscience Research, Department ofPsychiatry. The taste pore is the part of the taste bud that opens onto thesurface of the tongue (Bolles, 1991). According to Bolles (1991), thereappears to be a direct connection between taste perception and taste poreprevalence. (1991). Forexample, there are certain tastes that are pleasant and others thatirritate (Bolles, 1991). Further, alcohol is commonly served as part of amixed drink and the texture and quality of the drink (fizz, burning,sparkling, etc.) can also contribute to our sense of whether we feelpleasant or irritated. One of the more interesting findings concerning odor is that it canaffect motor performance and it is well known that alcohol, if drunk inquantities greater than the body metabolizes can impair motor performance(Finger & Silver, 1991). Lingual taste buds are located exclusively on papillae, and papillaediffer in number and form among human subjects. (1991). New York: Erlbaum.
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