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Subscribe to RSSMom's lasagna. Homemade chocolate chip cookies straight from the oven. Steak sizzling on the grill. Roasted turkey and stuffing. Flame-broiled hamburgers. Good-quality dark chocolate.
Is your mouth watering at the very thought of some of these foods? Sorry to break it to you, but a recent study found that humans are not able to salivate at the thought of food.
"We are not like dogs -- in particular, we're not like Pavlov's dogs -- and don't have conditioned salivary reflexes," says lead author Guy Carpenter.
In the small study, published in the Journal of Texture Studies, British researchers tried to determine if a mouthwatering sensation exists in humans at the suggestion of food. They rounded up 5 healthy people and first showed them pictures of different foods -- from pizza and Thai curry to grilled chicken and baked pasta.
Using cotton pads inside the cheeks and suction devices under the tongue, scientists collected saliva samples from participants as they viewed this visual feast.
Looking at photographs, which simulates thinking about food in real life, didn't increase the amount of saliva flowing from any of the major salivary glands, before or after eating a meal. In other words, a "mouthwatering sensation" wasn't seen in the participants whether they were hungry or not.
Although food advertisers may want consumers to believe that pictures of food can have a mouthwatering influence, this study found it wasn't the case.
In another experiment, researchers observed how much moisture the mouth produced when volunteers could see and smell a bowl of hot noodles. And a third test, gathered saliva samples before, during, and after participants ate their lunch.
Smelling food's aromas increased saliva secretions more so than holding food or looking at pictures of it. But the largest quantities of spit flowed when participants actually tasted and chewed food.
"This study reinforces the idea that merely thinking of food doesn't cause a faster rate of saliva into the mouth," says Carpenter, a senior lecturer in oral and mucosal biology at King's College London Dental Institute.
Mouthwatering, he says, is not a true salivary reflex, meaning a stimuli that can increase saliva secretion for prolonged periods. Instead Carpenter proposes the mouthwatering sensation "is due to small squirts of saliva entering the mouth when facial muscles squeeze on dilated salivary ducts."
Carpenter says "to increase the anticipation and mouthwatering aspect" of a meal, "increase the smells."
Readers, tell us what are the food smells that always make your mouth water?
Related:
Can eating too much make your stomach burst?
Myth or fact: The 5-second rule
Can eating too much spicy food kill you?
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Leave a Comment:
Is it because I'm much more aware of the saliva and lack of food in my mouth when thinking about Mom's meatloaf and mashed potatoes? Because it always feels like I'm producing more when I'm thinking about good food. Interesting study.
Try lemons as a catalyst for salivary action!!!! OMG!!!!!!!!!
Using cotton pads inside the cheeks and suction devices under the tongue, scientists collected saliva samples from participants as they viewed this visual feast.
Do you think that maybe the discomfort of having devices stuffed in the subject's mouth might distract from the thoughts of an enjoyable flavor?
five people make a study these days?
More junk science brought to you by MSNBC
Interesting study, but I must say, the mere thought of pickles makes my mouth water significantly. I should have been in your study!
I'd say bacon can make a vegetarians mouth water.
My mouth doens't water at the thought of food but it sure does at the sight of food. It waters so much I start choking on the saliva!
It may not make my mouth water in the literal sense, but it sure gives me an appetite and may even make my stomach growl if I hear about, think about, or smell a delicious meal. Doesn't that count???
Well this story is obviously bunk. The reason "mouth watering" is such a cliche is BECAUSE it is true. I do a lot of cooking and even thinking about my Chicken Tikka Masala or Hot and Sour Soup makes my mouth water. It isn't even close, it is quite obvious. Some of my wife's dishes do the same, and don't even get me started on Thanksgiving!
I absolutely salivate at the thought of certain foods. In fact, when eating out and trying to choose between several meals, I'll pick the one that makes my mouth water when I read the menu!! Once again, money spent on a stupid study with dubious results!!
Do people salivate at the thought of food or are they thinking more about the saliva alraeady in their mouth at the thought of food? I would wager the latter.
Li Hing Mui - Hawaiians everywhere will salivate at reading that.
The talk back has solved the question! It is not pictures of food that make our mouth water it is thinking about food that does it. And yes having cotton and a suction tube in my mouth would take the desire for food away to be replaced by my fear of Dentist.
They are full of it...I have proof, as soon as I seen Hot-In-Miami's profile pic I started salivating and it was running down my chin...seriously, only 5 people to test with crap in their mouths?...gimme a break, what a waste of pixels. :)
There are a lot of different foods that DOES make my mouth water like a faucet...butterscotch malt for one...dangit ...now i have to go buy one from Dairy Queen...see what you people caused...lol
Thanks for the heads-up. I blew right by Hot-In-Miami's pic and only read what she wrote; I almost missed out.
That study makes as much sense to me as saying that Bermuda grass doesn't really make your skin itch. I know what I know about myself. Never read anything any dumber in my life. Have nearly choked myself before with the thought of certain foods. Am a danger to menus when I'm hungry. Total bunk.
"Death is caused by swallowing small amounts of saliva over a long period of time."
The late George Carlin
(RIP, George)
This is absolute complete BS... Try water-fasting for a week or month at a time and try to tell me your mouth doesn't water when you think about food.. Yes, I've done it. I water fast several times a year an average of 21 days at a time - up to 40 days
It's just an expression, y'all.
I'm sorry to say but these people are very, very wrong. I know for a fact that my mouth waters for certain foods. (period) Could it be that with the cotton balls & suction device in the subjects mouth that this alone could have botched the experiment. I do believe so. It is unatural to have such things like these in your mouth. In a dentist office? Yes; but not in the manner of deciding whether or not someone salivates over food. People salivate. Sorry to burst your, "dry mouthed" bubble, but it is the way it is. Just out of curiosity, I am wondering how much money was waisted on this, "no brainer" experiment, as this one was?
I believe the experiment was flawed. Perhaps they did not present food that the subjects wanted to eat. They didn't ask which were their most favorite foods. They simply showed them foods that might be appetizing to the subjects but not specifically appealing to any of them. I know for a fact that my mouth waters when I think of eating pickles but not baked chicken or pizza, although I enjoy eating all the things on the test list. Test the testers...maybe they aren't so smart!