Eli5: Do our tastebuds actually “change” as we get older? Who do kids dislike a certain food, then start liking it as an adult?

Question

When I was a kid, I did not like spicy food. Now an adult, I love it.

In: 2025

Answer 1

Kids taste bitter much more because most plant toxins taste bitter. In kids, they would do more damage, and the person affected would have to live longer with any lasting damage.

Hot food appears to inhibit inflammations. Many people, predominantly adults, are suffering from painful inflammations. It also probably takes people some time to realize what’s going on.