Our perception of taste is not just based on what touches our tastebuds. It involves multiple parts of your senses, such as what we see, hear, touch, and smell. Aside from multi-sensory input, taste can also be determined through your expectations Many flavors are associated with colors, particularly the color of the fruit. For example, we expect an orange colored candy to taste like oranges or a red colored candy to taste like cherries or strawberries. Similarly to the effects of visual perception, a study was done exploring the auditory senses influence on taste. Rosenblum describes that a louder, crisper chewing sound can make a potato chip taste fresher and more appealing, even when its texture of it has not changed. Even temperature can impact our enjoyment of a meal. Think about it, would you eat warmed up and soggy cereal? I personally wouldn't, but to each their own!
While many individuals are able to process their sensory environment unrestrictively, for some it can become even more pronounced. Individuals with the condition of Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder (ARFID) often experience sensory over-responsivity. As explained by Viamar Health, those with ARFID may have a heightened reactions to particular food textures, aromas, sounds, or visual appearances, leading to severe dietary restrictions. For most people, the color of their meal or the crunchiness/lack of it can subtly shift their perception. However, for someone with ARFID, those aspects can become overstimulating and possibly intolerable. In Chapter 5 of See What I'm Saying: The Extraordinary Powers of Our Five, sensory specialist, Linda Blade, is able to detect the "warmed-over" flavor of reheated meat but it does not strongly impact her perception of the food. For a person with ARFID, the scent of it being warmed could become heightened and seem extremely triggering an avoidance of it. Learning about the way our senses impact our taste immediately made me think og ARFID. I believe that there is not enough awareness of it since it is often seen as pickiness. It is fundamental that we not only consider the research done on multi-sensory perception, but also work to learn more about how heightened sensory sensitivity can severely impact individuals.
Understanding how our senses interact to alter taste gives us important information into understanding the challenges faced by those with ARFID. While there are experts like Steven Poe, a sommelier that trained his senses to become heightened and uses it for the enjoyment of wine, there are also individuals with ARFID that involuntarily live with heightened awareness. The fact that it is involuntary is what can make eating a distressing experience. Going back to the example of soggy and warm cereal- I would not enjoy eating it, but I would probably be able to take a bite. However, for someone struggling with ARFID, the visual aspect could be enough to create an extreme aversion. Our perspectives and our perception can be so unique in comparison to someone else, therefore it is important to learn about how it can and deter judgment as well.
What do you think each colored candy would taste like?
Sources:
ViaMar Health (2024). Arfid and Sensory Processing: Understanding the Connection. ViaMar Health. https://viamarhealth.com/blog/arfid-and-sensory-processing-understanding-the-connection/
Rosenblum, L. D. (2011). See what I’m saying: The extraordinary powers of our five senses. W.W. Norton.
I found this to be one of the most interesting and enjoyable chapters to read about. The concept of multisensory absolutely applies to the eating experience. It is so important to be able to identify and understand each of our senses to understand ourselves better, our brains, and our health outcomes. I had never heard of AFRID before reading this chapter; it was interesting to learn that there is a name for the unfortunate sensory over-responsivity experience some people face when consuming various food textures, aromas, sounds, etc.
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