Carbohydrates are one of the main sources of energy for the body. Carbohydrates, especially simple sugars, taste sweet on your tongue. Sweet tastes are generally pleasurable, which encourages the consumption of foods rich in carbohydrates. The sweetness of carbohydrates is based on their chemical structure and substances that are similar in structure may also taste sweet.
Taste Receptors and Sweets
There are five basic tastes that the human body can detect, Colorado State University explains. These tastes are sweet, umami, sour, salty and bitter. Taste receptors, special cells located in the taste buds, respond to different types of chemicals, including carbohydrates. When a carbohydrate binds to a taste receptor, it sends a signal through special nerves to the brain, which interprets the signal as a sweet taste.
Carbohydrates
Not all carbohydrates can generate a sweet taste. Carbohydrates come in two main forms: simple and complex. Simple carbohydrates are also known as sugars, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention notes. These carbohydrates, which include sucrose, fructose and glucose, are usually made of one or two sugar molecules linked together. Simple carbohydrates produce a sweet taste when consumed. Complex carbohydrates, such as starch, are made of many sugar molecules linked together and do not taste sweet.
Complex Carbohydrates and Amylase
Complex carbohydrates do not normally taste sweet but can generate a sweet sensation as they are broken down. Larger carbohydrate molecules have to be broken down by specialized proteins, known as enzymes, into smaller sugar molecules so they can be absorbed. The enzyme needed to break down starch is known as amylase, the Protein Data Bank states. Amylase is produced by your salivary glands and by your pancreas. Thus, if you let starch stay in your mouth for an extended period of time, it will begin to break down into sugars and will taste sweet.
Artificial Sweeteners
Because taste receptors respond to the chemical structure of carbohydrates, substances that are not carbohydrates but have a structure similar to sugars may also taste sweet. Artificial sweeteners, such as aspartame, can be synthesized to generate the same sensation of sweetness, Michigan State University explains. However, because these substances are not made of carbohydrates, they cannot be broken down and absorbed by the digestive tract, which means they do not add any calories to the diet.
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