According to Forskning.no, carbonation is not a taste like sweet or sour.
When CO₂ bubbles are released in the mouth, they stimulate the trigeminal nerve. This is a nerve that normally responds to heat, cold, and spicy food.
Consumer researcher Valérie Lengard Almli from Nofima explains to Forskning.no that carbonation feels like a physical touch in the mouth.
It gives the drink an additional sensory experience that plain water or juice does not have.
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Not for everyone
The reaction, however, is not the same for everyone.
Taste researcher Tom Finger from the University of Colorado School of Medicine writes in an email to Forskning.no that some people experience carbonation as unpleasant and sour.
According to him, the difference lies in how the brain interprets the signals from the nerve.
The body reacts as if something might be wrong, but the brain knows it is not dangerous. For some, this tension becomes positive while for others, it does not.
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Caffeine
According to Valérie Lengard Almli, high consumption of soft drinks is also linked to caffeine, which is found especially in cola.
This may explain why sparkling water is not sold in the same quantities.
However, a study published in Oxford Medical Case Reports in 2018 shows how important carbonation is.
A man almost completely stopped drinking soft drinks after he was given medication that removed the sensation of carbonation.
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Only then did the craving disappear, and he experienced weight loss.
Sources: Forskning.no, and Oxford Medical Case Reports.
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