Why does water have such a neutral taste?
In: Chemistry
The phenomenon you’re asking about is an example of *sensory adaptation.* It’s a decrease in sensitivity to a stimulus over time as a result of constant exposure to that stimulus. This can occur across all sensory modalities. One example that I like to use is tactile pressure sensation. When you put a ball-cap on your head you will feel that slight banded, constricted sensation of the hat exerting force upon pressure receptors located in your skin. As the seconds turn in to minutes and the minutes turn in to hours, your nervous system adapts to the stimulus. The pressure sensation will gradually decrease, and will often extinguish altogether.
This is also the case for the taste of water. There is a substance secreted in to your mouth constantly: You saliva. And, of course, it’s mostly water. Yes, it has a mineral and enzyme concentration, and these solutes can produce a “taste”. But it’s mostly water, and you are constantly exposed to this taste stimulus. But due to sensory adaptation, your sensitivity to the “taste” of water decreases.
The mechanism, as it relates to the water we drink, tends to be just a tiny bit more complex, but the underlying phenomenon is the same.
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