News
Could bitter foods be better for your health? Beth and Phil discuss this and teach you some useful new vocabulary.
How many different basic flavours can humans taste?
a) 4?b) 5?c) 6?
Listen to the programme to hear the answer.
microbiomethe collection of microorganisms found in a specific part of the body
suppressstop something from happening or operating
tastebudsflavour receptors found on the tongue and in the mouth
undesirable traitan unwanted negative characteristic
mainstreamsomething that the majority of people would use or like
a degree ofa small but significant amount of something
TRANSCRIPT
Note: This is not a word-for-word transcript.
PhilHello. This is 6 Minute English from BBC Learning English. I’m Phil.
BethAnd I’m Beth. Phil, I'm going to start this episode with grapefruit - I've got some here - do you want some?
PhilEr, I'm not that keen on grapefruit - they're too bitter for me.
BethOh, that's a shame, because this episode is all about bitter food. It has actually been linked to a number of health benefits. So maybe you should take my grapefruit.
PhilI might not like it that much, but in this programme, we’ll be finding out how bitter foods can benefit our health. And, of course, we’ll be learning some useful new vocabulary.
BethThat should give you a taste of what's coming up, but before that, if you want to learn vocabulary to talk about world events - search for our News Review podcast - we look at vocabulary about a major news story every week. But, back to this episode - I have a question for you, Phil. How many different basic flavours can humans taste? Is it:
a) 4?b) 5? or,c) 6?
PhilHmmm, I can think of bitter, sweet, salty and sour - so I'm going to go with four. I think we can taste 4 basic flavours.
BethOK, Phil, I’ll reveal the correct answer later. Leyla Kazim presents 'The Food Programme' on BBC Radio 4. Here she is talking about some of the possible benefits of bitter food.
Leyla KazimNew research has found a remarkable link between bitter foods and our health. It seems they have an incredible ability to interact with our gut microbiome, suppress feelings of hunger, control glucose release and even counter chronic inflammation in the body. Could bitter be the answer at the tip of our tastebuds?
BethBitter foods can interact with our gut microbiome. A microbiome is a collection of microorganisms that can be found in a particular part of the body. It includes fungi, bacteria and viruses. Microorganisms in our gut play an important role in the digestive process - they are our gut microbiome.
PhilIf we suppress something then we stop it from happening or operating. We heard that bitter foods can suppress hunger feelings. This means that they stop people feeling hungry. If we try to suppress a feeling, we are trying to stop it.
BethLeyla asks if bitter foods are the answer at the tip of our tastebuds. Normally we'd say that something that we can't quite is on tip of our tongue. Here we have tastebuds, which are the receptors on our tongue and inside our mouths that can detect flavours, like bitterness.
PhilSo, it seems that bitter foods could be very beneficial, but they are not always the easiest foods to love. In BBC Radio 4's 'The Food Programme', presenter Leyla Kazim spoke to chef Alexina Anatole, who points out that we might be consuming more bitter food than we realise:
Alexina AnatoleI think it's a real perception issue with it. I think people are exposed to bitters way more than they think they are, but there's this perception of bitter and negativity, both in of emotions and food, right? Bitterness is generally an undesirable trait, but there are so many very very mainstream bitter things.
Leyla KazimSuch as?
Alexina AnatoleChocolate, coffee, alcohol, any alcohol has a degree of bitterness to it.
BethAlexina says that many people see bitterness as an undesirable trait. A trait is a characteristic, so an undesirable trait is a characteristic that people don't want. We often see bitterness as a bad thing. We also often use undesirable traits to refer to negative aspects of people's personalities.
PhilAlexina points out that there are a number of mainstream things that have a bitter flavour. If something is mainstream, then it means it's ordinary and part of what most people consume - she listed chocolate and coffee as mainstream things.
BethThe other mainstream thing mentioned was alcohol - we heard that it has a degree of bitterness. If something has a degree of something, then it has at least a small, but noticeable amount of it.
PhilOK, now I think it's time to hear to the answer to your question.
BethRight, I asked how many basic flavours humans can taste.
PhilAnd I guessed it was four.
BethWhich, unfortunately was not the right answer. The answer is in fact five. The flavour that you missed is umami, which comes from a Japanese word and refers to a savoury flavour often found in grilled meats or broths.
PhilOK, let’s recap the vocabulary we’ve learned, starting with, microbiome, the collection of microorganisms found in a specific part of the body.
BethSuppress means prevent from operating or happening.
PhilTastebuds are the receptors found on in the tongue and in the mouth that sense flavours.
BethAn undesirable trait is a negative characteristic that we don't want.
PhilIf something is mainstream, then it is something that most people would use. It's not unusual.
BethAnd finally, a degree of something is a small, but noticeable amount of something. Once again, our six minutes are up! to us again next time for more topical discussion and useful vocabulary, here at 6 Minute English. Goodbye for now!
PhilBye!
Have you ever been embarrassed to go to the doctor?
Have you ever phoned up a company and had your call held in a queue? Could AI make this less painful?
Is making new ‘mum friends’ the positive experience it’s often described as?
Are DNA ancestry tests a reliable way to trace your ancestry?
What do babies need to learn to do to be able to talk?
How can we stay healthy in old age?
Are the stereotypes about older and younger sisters true?
What is acne and how can it affect someone's confidence?
Why is it so important to get a good night's sleep?
How is divorce talked about in different countries?
Technology is always changing! Or is it...?
Did Taylor Swift move the Earth?
What makes us like the flavours we like?
Would you find it different to adapt to a new food culture?
How do farmers in the driest place on Earth manage to grow crops? With this solution!
Should we stop under 14s having phones?
Why do we need to reduce our salt intake?
Would you like to be a chocolate maker, like Roald Dahl's Willy Wonka?
Warning! This episode might make you very hungry...
What are young people's thoughts on climate change?
Do you your childhood birthday cakes?
What's really happening in our brain when we fall in love?
Could AI reduce the need for animal testing?
Why is it better to read from a book than a screen?
What happens when you put the kids in charge of the school?
Learn to speak to yourself in the way that toddlers do!
How can literacy change people's lives?
How can buildings made from wood help our mental health?
Could our name have painful baggage?
Could E-rickshaws give us cleaner air?
Is it OK to be older parents?
How was bubble tea invented?
Is it always negative to keep a secret?
Could bitter foods be better for your health?
What do you talk about while having dinner?
Is it OK to eat unhealthy food during pregnancy?
Do you love to dance?
Are nudges good or bad?
Could sitting be damaging to our health?
Could it be best to be the underdog?
Learn about the people who are making it easier for disabled musicians and music fans to perform and see live music
What makes a library a library?
Period poverty affects over 500 million people worldwide. How can a volunteer project help?
Plastics can be difficult to recycle. Could a recently discovered enzyme help?
Food is fuel for our brains. So, what should we be eating?
Having a baby is exhausting! What do mothers need to eat after giving birth?
Hear how a project in the Netherlands is helping in the fight against loneliness
Is AI going to take away your job?
Why is the language used on menus important?
Is it ever OK to be greedy?
Are we addicted to sugar?
Are you a dog or a cat person?
For a better experience please enable Javascript in your browser
