Foods that trick your brain

Yogurt hampers chocolate

Yogurt has an acidic pH (4), and when basic chocolate compounds enter this acidic environment, they dissolve and lose their characteristic flavor. The same loss in taste occurs if you bite into chocolate after eating yogurt — though your saliva’s pH slightly buffers the effect.

Salt blocks grapefruit’s tartness

It may sound unpalatable, but salting grapefruit sweetens it. The fruit has both bitter and sweet compounds. Salt blocks the bitter compounds, allowing sweet flavors to be more detectable.

Mint tastes cold

A chemical in mint known as menthol tricks the brain into thinking that it is cold; even though, in fact, it is the same as before. Menthol binds with the cold sensitive receptors and gives a cooling sensation.

Pepper Tastes Hot

The heat sensation in peppers is caused due to a chemical known as capsaicin. This chemical binds with the sensory neurons and tricks the body into thinking that it’s experiencing a lot of heat, even though no actual burning is taking place.