it can be difficult to stick to a diet, whether it be cutting out carbs, going vegetarian, or lowering salt intake. but s
cientists from meiji university in tokyo may have found a way.
together with
japanese food company kirin, researchers have developed the electric chopsticks that
simulate saltiness by transmitting ions from food through the stick itself into the mouth.
“”electric taste sensation” uses very weak electricity — not enough to affect the human body — to adjust the function of ions such as sodium chloride and sodium glutamate, to change the perception of taste by making food seem to taste stronger or weaker,” kirin said in a
statement
.
the chopsticks work in tandem with a device worn on the wrist, which contains a small computer to help with the ion transfer process.
“in clinical trials with people who follow a low-sodium diet, the use of the chopstick device enhanced the salty taste perceived when eating low-sodium foods by about 1.5 times,” kirin writes. “the result of salty taste enhancement via electrical stimulation is a world first.”
the product is still a prototype, but researchers are hopeful that it will be available to the public as early as next year. researchers expect the production model will cost 100,000 yen, or the equivalent of about $975 cad.
‘electric taste sensation’ could be an important health tool
the chopsticks could prove to be an important health tool in its home country, where the average person eats roughly double the amount of salt recommended by the world health organization each day, according to
the guardian
.
who members pledged to cut salt consumption by 30 per cent in
2013
, with the aim of saving an estimated 2.5 million lives each year.