A study published in Chemosensory Perception suggests that smoking does long lasting damage to our tongues, undermining the taste buds’ ability to pick up on the renowned bitter flavours of coffee.

It’s long been established that tobacco reduces a smokers’ sense of taste but the new study has discovered that it is bitter flavours in particular that are significantly affected.

451 staff from the Pitié-Salpêtrière Hospital in France were tested for their ability to recognise sweet, sour, bitter and salty flavours. The staff were divided into groups of smokers, people who had previously quit smoking, and non-smokers.

The study found that 19.8% of smokers couldn’t recognise bitter flavours, where as 26.5% of former smokes failed to notice that they were tasting something with a bitter flavour. All but 13.4% of non-smokers however were able to correctly identify the bitter sample.

“The recognition of salty, sweet and sour tastes was not influenced by smoking status,” the paper reads. “Bitter taste recognition was wrong among 13.4, 19.8 and 26.5% of non-smokers, current smokers and former smokers, respectively.”

The paper also added that the results stand in contrast to the “well-known relationship between smoking and coffee drinking.”

Fresco Gourmet Coffee is a popular coffee seller in the UK. They often comment on industry news and have said that they aren’t surprised by the findings of the study.

“While many in the past may have romanticised the image of sitting down and having a cup of coffee with a cigarette, the reality is that it’s long been established that smoking dulls the tastebuds. If you don’t smoke you’re certainly going to be able to appreciate the more subtle notes when drinking roasted coffee beans – especially high quality beans that taste like actual coffee!

“If you want to fully appreciate the best roasted and green coffee beans in the UK we would definitely recommend not smoking when you drink products bought from Fresco Gourmet Coffee. However, our coffee tastes great in general and we have thousands of loyal customers, and even members of staff, who smoke cigarettes and love the coffee that we sell!”

Fresco Gourmet Coffee is one of the UK’s largest sellers of coffee beans and coffee making equipment. Visit their website at www.frescogourmetcoffee.co.uk to shop for quality products today.

For quotes contact Wayne Smith on 01482890010