Taste It Before It Gets Old!

Caryn Zaruba
Engineering Design and
Development
The physical teture of the food! its
resistance to che"ing! the sound of
it being che"ed! its temperature and
its smell! all fuse "ith taste into a
complete sensory eperience!
referred to simply as taste#
The physical teture of the food! its
resistance to che"ing! the sound of
it being che"ed! its temperature and
its smell! all fuse "ith taste into a
complete sensory eperience!
referred to simply as taste#
Introduction

$cross the "orld! diet%related chronic disease

rates are escalating! threatening the public health
leading to a multifarious amount of health issues#
Throughout a lifetime! humans "ill eperience
negative sensory changes "here taste and smell
deteriorate#
&roblem

$s humans age! the sense of taste depreciates! and

diet%related problems occur "here over flavoring and
over salting leads to health problems "hich leads to
malnutrition and further damage taste buds#
'istory

()*+ , miracle berry

Tom al"ays feels hunger "hen fed through a tube

&eople "ith sensitive taste buds tend to eat less "hile people
"ith less receptive taste buds eat more

-indful eating over counting calories

Effects

Grocery shopping selections

&oor food preparation choices

Difficulty ensuring a properly balanced diet

&rotein and calorie loss

-alnourishment

Other health issues. high blood pressure! diabetes! respiratory complications!

osteoarthritis! some cancers! hypertension! obsesity! and heart disease#

Decrease in fluids
/ustification

'ealth

Education
0tudent 0olution

Create a tablet for the elderly to use before they consume a

meal so that they en1oy their meal and benefit by ac2uiring the
protein and calories they need# $lso be approved by 3D$#

Copper and 4inc are both essential minerals you need for
survival# Copper contributes to s5in and hair by helping you
ma5e melanin! the bro"n%blac5 pigment that helps protect your
s5in from the sun6s harmful rays# Zinc helps cells in your body
communicate "ith each other! aiding in nerve communication
and hormone regulation# Zinc and copper "or5 together and
separately to control metabolism %% the series of chemical
reactions that support your body6s function#

Zinc activates more than (77 en4ymes %% the class of proteins

that carry out chemical reactions! such as those that drive your
metabolism# Getting enough 4inc helps you ma5e protein by
ta5ing the amino acids obtained from your diet and then
assembling those amino acids into ne" proteins that contribute
to tissue function# Zinc also affects your cells6 metabolism by
helping your cells regulate gene activity# This allo"s your cells
to activate genes re2uired for metabolic chemical reactions and
then turn those genes bac5 off "hen they6re no longer needed#

Zinc plays many diverse roles in enabling healthy gro"th and

development and in promoting good health in general# The body
needs it to.
8 enable the activity of more than 977 biological en4ymes
8 help manufacture proteins and genetic material
8 achieve normal gro"th and s5eletal development
8 stimulate hair gro"th
8 develop taste perception
8 assist in hormonal activity! reproduction and lactation
8 carry out immune functions! such as protecting against
infection and cancer
$s you might surmise from this list! a deficiency of 4inc can
result in problems such as poor gro"th! difficulty in "ound
healing! loss of appetite! undesirable s5in changes! and
adverse effects on immune%system components#
Top Ten 'ighest in Zinc by Common
0erving 0i4e Zinc in (77g
Current &ercent Daily
:alue
0eafood ;Coo5ed Oysters< =+#*mg >9?@
Beef and Aamb ;Coo5ed Aean Beef
0hort ribs< (9#Bmg +9@
Cheat Germ ;Toasted< (*#=mg (((@
0pinach 7#+mg >@
&ump5in and 02uash 0eeds (7#Bmg *)@
Cashe" Duts >#*mg B=@
Cocoa &o"der and Chocolate *#+mg ?>@
&or5 E Chic5en ;Coo5ed Aean &or5
0houlder< >mg BB@
Coo5ed -ung Beans 7#>mg B@
Coo5ed Chite -ushrooms 7#)mg *@

Copper helps drive your metabolism by helping your cells

produce energy# Four cells rely on a constant supply of energy
to function! since the millions of chemical reactions occurring in
your cells re2uire some energy input# Copper helps you create
adenosine triphosphate! or $T&! a molecule your cells use as
fuel# Copper helps your body metaboli4e and use iron and also
helps your brain metaboli4e neurotransmitters! "hich are the
chemicals your brain cells use to communicate "ith each other#
Top Ten 3oods 'ighest in Copper Copper in (77g
Current &ercent Daily
:alue
0eafood ;Coo5ed Oysters< >#=(mg
9+>@
Gale (#>mg
=>@
Coo5ed 0hiita5e -ushrooms 7#)mg
?>@
0esame 0eeds ?#7+mg
97?@
Cashe" Duts 9#99mg
(((@
&ulses ;Coo5ed Chic5peas< 7#B>mg
(+@
Dried &runes 7#*(mg
B(@
$vocadoes 7#()mg
(7@
0oft Goat Cheese 7#=Bmg
B=@
3ermented 0oy 3oods ;Tempeh< 7#>*mg
9+@
Combined Antioxidant Effect

Copper and 4inc also "or5 together to support your metabolism#

Both minerals help to activate the en4yme copper%4inc
superoide dismutase! also called CuZn0OD# This en4yme
serves as an antioidant! "hich means that it protects your cells
from harmful reactive oygen species! a group of chemicals that
form as a natural byproduct of your cells6 metabolism# 0ince
your cells constantly produce ne" reactive oygen species!
they rely on antioidants to continually neutrali4e the
compounds and prevent cell damage# Getting enough copper
and 4inc helps ensure that you can effectively clear a"ay
reactive oygen species! so that your cells can continue to
function properly#

-en and "omen men respectively need (( and + milligrams of

4inc daily! according to the Ainus &auling Institute! and all adults
need )77 micrograms of copper# Oysters! meat! poultry! and
nuts %% such as almonds! peanuts and cashe"s %% provide
sources of both copper and 4inc# :itamin supplements also help
ensure you get enough of both minerals# 'o"ever! ta5e caution
if you opt to ta5e mineral supplements %% very large doses of
4inc interfere "ith copper absorption! potentially putting you at
ris5 for a deficiency# Tal5 to your doctor to learn about a safe
4inc and copper supplement dosage#
Engineering ConceptsH

The "ays that this applies to 0TE- are numerous in the sense
that this idea may incorporate many different points from the
fields that 0TE- collaborates "ith# The idea in itself is not
fla"less because it6s only an idea and "hile it can be t"ea5ed
and "or5ed "ith it still is not yet ready to be put into an absolute
test of determining if it is plausible or not# 3iing and enhancing
taste is something that! "hile seemingly simple! is actually a
very complicated sub1ect that re2uires the epertise of several
different fields#

If "e "ere able to discover a "ay to create an additive that

could help our foods taste more vivid "hile having less harmful
effects on our health# 3inding a "ay to ma5e sure that it does
not damage us "ould be a "ay to incorporate different forms of
bio%chemistry in order to see ho" it "ould affect individual
humans# The different aspects of discovering ho" to ma5e this
"or5 "ould re2uire etensive testing and hypothesi4ing on the
sub1ect 0TE- really applies "ith this because in order to
determine to applicability the idea! there must be research done
on ho" useful it "ould be if "e succeeded#Fou have to do a lot
of critical thin5ing on the idea and thin5 about all the different
factors that play into the construction of your prototype#

The practices of 0TE- are often also utili4ed because as

mentioned before! this prototype "ould re2uire aspects from all
parts of 0TE-# It "ould re2uire a higher form of them that in
turn "ould re2uire etensive critical thin5ing and testing to find
out "hether or not it is harmonious "ill all aspects of 0TE- and
if it could "or5 "ell enough to be devoted to as a pro1ect that
could potentially give a revolutionaryIlasting benefit to a real
problem that persists in the "orld#
Epert concepts and parameters

What research is being done?

The Dational Institute on Deafness and Other Communication

Disorders ;DIDCD< supports basic and clinical investigations of
taste and smell disorders at institutions across the nation# 0ome
of these studies are conducted at chemosensory research
centers! "here scientists "or5 together to uncover ho" our
gustatory system "or5s#

0ome of the most recent research in this area focuses on

identifying the 5ey receptors epressed by our taste cells and
understanding ho" they "or5# 0o far! researchers have
identified the taste cells and receptors for detecting sour! s"eet!
bitter! and umami tastes# Jesearchers are also "or5ing to
develop a better understanding of ho" s"eet and bitter
substances attach to their targeted receptors# The goal is to
develop non%caloric artificial s"eeteners and bitter bloc5ers!
substances that bloc5 the bitter taste of some foods or
medicines#

$ recent DIDCD%funded study has sho"n that small variations

in our genetic code can raise or lo"er our sensitivity to s"eet
tastes! "hich might influence a personKs desire for s"eets#
0cientists have also made progress in understanding ho" our
sense of taste changes as "e age# Older adults often decide
"hat to eat based on ho" much they li5e or disli5e certain
tastes# 0cientists are loo5ing at ho" and "hy this happens in
order to develop more effective "ays to help older people cope
better "ith taste problems#

0cientists are also "or5ing to find out "hy some medications

and medical procedures can have a harmful effect on our
senses of taste and smell# They hope to develop treatments to
help restore the sense of taste to people "ho have lost it#

0cientists are gaining a better understanding of "hy the same

receptor that helps our tongue detect s"eet taste can also be
found in the human gut# Jecent research has sho"n that the
s"eet receptor helps the intestine to sense and absorb sugar
and turn up the production of blood sugar%regulation hormones!
including the hormone that regulates insulin release# 3urther
research may help scientists develop drugs targeting the gut
taste receptors to treat obesity and diabetes#

3inally! taste cellsLas "ell as sensory cells that help us smellL

are the only sensory cells in the human body that are regularly
replaced throughout life# Jesearchers are eploring ho" and
"hy this happens in order that they might find "ays to replace
other damaged sensory cells#

DIDCD%supported research in the chemosensory sciences

include studies to.

&romote the regeneration of sensory and nerve cells#

&revent the effects of aging#

Develop ne" diagnostic tests#

Mnderstand associations among chemosensory disorders!

altered food inta5e and diet! and ma1or health ris5 factors ;e#g#!
obesity and cardiovascular disease<#

Improve treatment methods and rehabilitation strategies#

&rototype

Originally "ith 4inc and shellfish ingredients

$nd then I made it "ith some miracle berry shit and added 4inc!
I thought it tasted better as "ell as the neighbors and my family

CouldnKt buy chemicals as they "ere dangerous and violated

some health regulations and crevi#
Test planI&rocedure

3igure out the ratio of ingredientsIchemicals to use for the tablet

Ground it into po"der

Then frea5ing ma5e it into a tablet

Tesing and modiciation cycles
Data collected
Information presentation and alaysis
#Ichart
Jesults

There "ere significant results! hec5a yeah

-iracle berry stuff is ama4ing

Conclusion

Cith more research and observations and eperimentation on

ho" much each person should ta5e bmi chart
Closing statement! 2uestions! ob1ections#

0ome "ays to help enhance ability to taste food may include.

%Ta5ing a "al5 or eercising! inhaling and ehaling after

eercising has been 5no"n increase smell sensitivity "hich can
help the sense taste#

%Drin5ing "ater hydrates you and 5eeps your mouth moist

"hich "ill in turn 5eep taste buds alive and healthier longer#

%Obtaining Zinc supplements from vitamins or different shellfish

can help strengthen taste buds#

%Dot smo5ing can help respiratory system and taste buds#

%Dot eating "hen one is not hungry#

%Eating socially has been found to ma5e food taste better than
"hen one is eating alone#

%Jemaining in a humidified environment ;especially during the

"inter<#

%$void foul smelling things#

%$dd spices to your food#

%Don6t drin5 as much alcohol! it raises blood pressure "hich can

directly correlate to ho" food tastes#

%Che" slo"er and allo" for full taste#