Do not get overly involved in taking iced drinks if you do not want to become a victim of diabetes or obesity. Such beverages reduce the sensitivity of taste receptors, and it makes us eat too much sweet food.
The researchers from the University of Arkansas in the U.S. found another hidden risk factor of obesity, and consequently of diabetes, which nobody could predict. They discovered that if you put ice into any non-alcoholic drinks, this can significantly reduce the sensitivity of the taste receptors. In this respect, iced water is also dangerous.
A group of volunteers drank both ice water, which contained no calories, and other beverages. Some of the volunteers got drinks with a higher temperature. Then everyone was given chocolates or cheddar cheese to eat. Moreover, the amount of the eaten snacks was not limited.
It turned out that the volunteers, who had drunk iced water, ate more chocolate. Besides, it seemed less sweet to them than to those who drank something warmer. The temperature of the drinks had no effect on the volume and taste sensation of the cheese, eaten as a snack. The authors of the research suggest that cold drinks affect the sensitivity of taste receptors.
The researchers say that frequent consumption of iced water or soda reduces the sensitivity of taste receptors for sweet foods. This makes a person eat more sweets, which in turn can lead to weight gain and diabetes.
