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  Life   Health  21 Mar 2018  Study finds obesity robs the tongue of taste buds in mice

Study finds obesity robs the tongue of taste buds in mice

AP
Published : Mar 21, 2018, 1:30 pm IST
Updated : Mar 21, 2018, 1:30 pm IST

Scientists say if the findings pan out, they could lead to new ways to treat obesity.

The culprit appears to be obesity-related inflammation, which can interrupt the normal regeneration of taste buds. (Photo: Pixabay)
 The culprit appears to be obesity-related inflammation, which can interrupt the normal regeneration of taste buds. (Photo: Pixabay)

Packing on pounds seems to dull people's sense of taste, and researchers turned to mice to figure out why: Obesity, they found, can rob the tongue of taste buds.

Cornell University researchers wondered why some earlier studies showed obese people often taste flavors less intensely than lean people. So they fed lab mice a high-fat diet that caused rapid weight gain and then took a close look at their taste buds.

They reported Tuesday that obese mice had 25 percent fewer taste buds than lean mice fed a normal diet. They said the culprit appears to be obesity-related inflammation, which can interrupt the normal regeneration of taste buds.

Scientists say if Tuesday's findings pan out, they could lead to new ways to treat obesity.

The research was reported in PLOS Biology.

Tags: obesity, tongue, tastebuds, cornell university, plos biology, unhealthy, fat