© Pint of Science, 2024. All rights reserved.
Learn about the breakthroughs in taste sensation and how these may lead to the development of food that combines metabolic needs with individual taste preferences. We will also hear about the search for anti-inflammatory herbal medicines and see how research helps tackling the fast-changing global health needs.
Taste - the Metabolic Sense
Dr Johannes Le Coutre
(Professor in Investigative Medicine)
Significant progress has been made over the past years in the identification of the molecular basics for taste perception, mainly with the discovery of a number of different receptors on the tongue.
Moreover, most gustatory signal transduction elements as well as those for spices, irritation or temperature are found not only on the tongue but also in the gut and even in the brain. Equipped with this insight we are beginning to understand how different nutrients interact with the entire body to modulate behaviour and health.
Moreover, most gustatory signal transduction elements as well as those for spices, irritation or temperature are found not only on the tongue but also in the gut and even in the brain. Equipped with this insight we are beginning to understand how different nutrients interact with the entire body to modulate behaviour and health.
A pint of ethnopharmacology: Why hops and all these medicinal plants matter
Professor Michael Heinrich
(Professor of Pharmacognosy (Medicinal Plant research) at University College London)
Reading the title, you might think: I have hops in my beer but is it really a medicine? And the answer is yes: the plant is used in preparation traditionally to relieve mild symptoms of stress and to aid sleep.
On the matter of herbal medicines, the NHS advises us (https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/herbal-medicines/) ‘Herbal medicines […] can be potentially harmful if not used correctly.’
Thus, distinguishing them from food supplements is very important. So, what happens to us while drinking our evening pint? Come and learn more about the world of ethnopharmacology .
On the matter of herbal medicines, the NHS advises us (https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/herbal-medicines/) ‘Herbal medicines […] can be potentially harmful if not used correctly.’
Thus, distinguishing them from food supplements is very important. So, what happens to us while drinking our evening pint? Come and learn more about the world of ethnopharmacology .
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