Google, why does toothpaste punish my taste buds?
There is a reason that any food or drink tastes yuck after brushing your teeth and it is not just that minty fresh flavoring. Toothpaste contains a chemical called sodium lauryl ether sulfate or sodium lauryl sulfate (depending on your brand) an additive that generates the foaming sensation, making it easier to polish your pearlies. These chemicals happen to have two sneaky side effects and are responsible for making it impossible to enjoy a post-brush glass of OJ. These agents start by suppressing the receptors in our palate that register sweetness, making everything taste bitter. As if that weren’t enough to make you pucker, they also breakdown the phospholipids on our tongues (molecules that help to monitor our taste buds and intercede when a bitter taste seems overwhelming) therefore breaking down our natural shun for harsh flavors. I feel violated. Now, they DO make toothpaste without these chemicals (the all-natural brands) but, as for me, the foaming sensation is a very important part of the tooth brushing experience so I suppose I will be enduring the side effects to the bitter end.
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