Filed under: In the news
If you struggle to get excited by a plate of salad, you might want to try staring at a picture of pizza as you eat.
That's because scientists at the Nestle Research Centre in Switzerland have found that people who looked at pictures of high-carb food like pizza or pastry say that their food tastes better than those who look at images of healthy foods like watermelon or grapes.
The Daily Mail reports that this happens because vision plays a major role in our perception of food - and if something looks good we're more like to enjoy it and think that it tastes good.
In a study, 14 volunteers were shown quick images of either high-carb or low-carb food.
They were then given an electric taste test, which is a pulse which stimulates the tongue but has a neutral flavour, before being asked to rate the taste on pleasantness and intensity.
They found that those who had seen the high-carb pictures enjoyed the taste more than those who had seen the low-carb images.
Dr Johannes le Coutre, who led the research, said: "The results provide evidence that high calorie food cues enhance the hedonistic evaluation of subsequently presented tastes.
"The study provides novel insights into cross-modal sensory interactions underlying taste and probably food evaluation and consumption."
Researchers also studied brain images taken during the experiment and now believe that the study could, in future, help to treat appetite disorders.
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