What IS a "Super Taster"? What Makes One a "Super Taster?"

I tried a google, for some reason it's one word. This might help, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Supertaster, I wouldn't qualify....too much paint and whiskey.

Thanks. Good link. But it leads one to wonder what change in the body causes an increase in the particular papillae that are involved? Why those? Why that person? AND, are they really the answer??

I've wondered how, and if, it might be related to differences in blood chemistry. And if so, could one suddenly (or gradually, so as not to limit the field) become a supertaster. We do know that people can lose their sense of taste, and in some cases it has been gradual, rather than the sudden response we might expect in cases of trauma.

And what about those who never regain it? Is there an opposite response (couldn't taste, became a supertaster, or was a "normal taster", became a supertaster) and do those who have the ability sometimes lose it?

I don't know. My mother in law lost her sense of taste. I've always thought that taste and smell are linked somehow.

This is a little off topic, but I've been watching a show on The History Channel, Stan Lee is on a quest to find super humans. It's a pretty cool show.

It's about humans that have abilities that are far beyond normal and would kill most other people. Haven't seen an episode about supertasters yet.

From what I'm seeing, even the experts don't know exactly what causes someone to be a supertaster.

Back from the beach, I see.

My mother in law lost her sense of taste.

Since when did in-laws have any taste to begin with?

It's about humans that have abilities that are far beyond normal and would kill most other people.

OK. Why would these abilities in some humans kill most other people? That statement just seems wierd.

Yeah, the beach was great, solid week of fishing, swimming, crabbing, _{a little drinking....}

On one of the episodes they had a guy in India that could run electricity straight through his body and power up a light bulb, blender, even a hot plate.

On another one, a guy jumped off a platform either 30 or 40 feet in the air and landed in a kiddy pool with about 2 feet of water in it, either on of those things would probably kill me.

Here's the link, it's more interesting than most of the garbage on TV. http://www.history.com/shows/stan-lees-superhumans

I found this with a search: "Interaction of smell and taste"

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Olfaction

There was a very recent blog article about this by Jaxy: http://cr4.globalspec.com/blogentry/13032#comment630019

My answer here is as it was there!