Anyone who has taken a long plane trip knows that the food on board is different from the taste. Therefore, it is not entirely surprising that the same thing happens in space, multiplied by a thousand. In fact, some astronautsWhich Peggy Whitsonadmitted that they had a bad time during their stay in international space stationchecking that a taste of some of your favorite foods it was unbearable. Is it because the products themselves have changed or because there have been changes in sense of taste space travelers?
This is something that is not known for sure. There are several suspicions that point in both directions. On the one hand, it is believed that the taste of food can change throughout the process. time in stock. But, on the other hand, this may be due to congestion caused by accumulation of fluid in the head due to microgravity. The result will be similar to that of a stuffy nose when we catch a cold and, in fact, our sense of taste goes on vacation.
I wonder if it would be easy to solve this loss of taste in food. But the truth is, there is no definitive answer. And this is something that, first of all, this is something that does not happen to all astronauts equally. Some people think that their favorite food has bad taste, others enjoy food they never liked, but those who belong to the last group do not experience any difference. Deciding what seems so personal is not easy, although some projects are already up and running to try.
Change of taste or change of taste?
A good way to find out why the sense of taste in a space changes is to compare the situation with what happens on planes
First, it is known that very intense and continuous noises can affect the sense of taste. While our brains can adapt to engine noise after a while, it’s undeniable that it’s quite loud and annoying. This is why there are changes in our way of tasting food. This includes the suppression of certain tastes and the stimulation of others, especially those associated with umami. That’s why airplane menus tend to be rife with monosodium glutamate, a substance that’s specifically associated with this newly discovered taste.
On the other hand, low temperatures in the cabin they can make us overwhelmed. When we are overwhelmed, we don’t perceive tastes in the same way, so we also feel that food tastes different.
Does the same thing happen in international space station? Well, the truth is that the ambient sound is quite intense there too. Just look at the footage taken by astronaut Chris Hadfield in 2012.
As for the temperature, it is usually kept around 20°C or a little higher. It’s not too low and it’s not hot. It can be considered cute. But there is something that overloads the astronauts. And the fact is that due to microgravity, body fluids tend to concentrate in upper body. I mean in my head. This creates a cold-like overload that can affect taste perception.
food exchange between astronauts
As a rule, astronauts determine their menu in advance. before flying to the International Space Station. Most people tend to choose their favorite foods so they don’t forget about them all the time they are away from home.
This is exactly what Peggy Whitson did by choosing generous and regular portions on her menu. shrimp. On Earth, he loves these crustaceans. However, when she tasted them in space, she found that they tasted, at least to her, completely different. What will he do with all those he ordered to leave?
Fortunately, according to NASA, some of the astronauts who traveled with her loved these crustaceans as much as they knew them on the International Space Station. That’s why, They exchanged food with her.
This is a good option. However, it is also true that NASA has been trying for some time to improve the taste of food eaten in space. For this reason, he launched projects such as “Green Kitchen”, a program designed for high school students who, together with scientists from Kennedy Space Center, worked on growing plants whose fruits had a richer taste. They did it in collaboration with Fairchild Tropical Botanical Gardenfrom Florida, where they grew their plants using the same protocols as in space.
This happened in 2017 and it was a very stimulating experience for the students. Although astronauts are still waiting for the perfect option. True, the growing conditions have been improved, which allowed some products, such as hot peppers, to be obtained right here. They would have the advantage of not being cultivated for a long time. In addition, its intense taste will overcome the barriers set by the taste buds of some astronauts. But there are still problems. There’s still room for surprises when one of these space travelers tastes their favorite food outside of Earth for the first time. It’s a strange feeling. However, given how inhospitable space can be, these aren’t too disturbing surprises.
Source: Hiper Textual
