37 Supertasters

Supertasters are people with a genetic difference that means they have an extra kind of taste cell in their taste buds, one which signals a bitter sensation in response to PROP (6-n-propylthiouracil) or PTC (Phenylthiocarbamide).

A supertaster is a person who is able to taste things to a more extreme level. This is a result from the extra number of fungiform papillae on the tongue. With this extra amount of papillae, the individual is able to taste things better and more potently. A non-taster would be a person with much less fungiform papillae on their tongue, resulting in a lesser sense of taste. A taster is what is considered to be in between a non-taster and a supertaster.

In the 1960’s Roland Fischer was the first to link the ability to taste PTC to food preference and body type. Today, PROP has replaced PTC in taste research because of a faint sulfurous odor and safety concerns with PTC. Most estimates suggest that 25% of the population are nontasters, 50% are medium tasters, and 25% are supertasters. Women are more likely to be supertasters, as are people from Asia, South America, and Africa. Female supertasters tend to have a lower body mass index and better cardiovascular health. This may be due to the fact that supertasters do not have a high predilection for sweet or high-fat foods.

At-home Supertaster Testing Using Blue Food Dye:

Step 1: Place 3 to 4 drops of blue or green food dye on your tongue. Spread the dye out and make sure you cover the entire tip of your tongue.

Step 2: Place a hole-punch reinforcement sticker on the front end of your tongue. If you do not have a reinforcement sticker, you can use a small strip of paper with a hole punch in it.

Step 3: Use a flashlight and magnifying glass to view the papillae better.After setting up in front of a mirror, make sure you can see the individual papillae on your tongue.

Step 4: Count the number of the papillae on the inside of the circle. A regular taster has about 15 to 30 papillae in that area, so if you have 30 or more, you are most likely a supertaster!