Rachael Ray: Rachael's Daytime Talkshow

Could You Be a Supertaster?

Aired on: June 21, 2011, January 25, 2011

Do you find that certain foods taste bitter to you, while other people appear to enjoy them without a second thought? Then it's possible that you're part of the 25 percent of the population that are considered "supertasters," according to Dr. Mike Dow, host of TLC's Freaky Eaters. "You have more taste buds on your tongue," he explains, "and that will actually predict the kind of food and flavors you're going to like. In particular, supertasters really don't like bitter, and they can taste bitter really, really well."

According to Dr. Dow, supertasters could be avoiding certain healthy foods that help fight cancer, putting them at a higher risk to the disease. "If you avoid a couple of foods, who cares," he tells Rachael, "but if you know that you or your children are at a greater risk of cancer, that's something to really take into consideration, and say, 'Wow, if I'm a supertaster or my kid is, I have to work even harder to introduce those healthier foods and incorporate better foods into my diet.'"

Dr. Dow adds that you can change the preference of your taste buds with frequent exposure to different foods — not just one or two exposures, but ten to 15 — and that you can do it in a fun way. He suggests mixing mac and cheese with broccoli. "You don't have to go straight to the raw broccoli," Dr. Dow says. "You can actually begin to expose your kids and yourself to healthy foods in that baby-step way."

To find out what kind of taster you are, check out the Supertaster Test here.