The American Chemical Society (ACS) has released a video that explains why toothpaste transforms the sweet flavor of orange juice into something bitter.
The animated video explains that the culprit is sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS), one of the main ingredients in toothpaste, the ACS noted in a press release. During toothbrushing, SLS produces the foamy suds and gives toothpaste its distinct mouth-feel. It also influences the way a person's chemical sensor tastes food.
Oral sensors have 10,000 individual taste buds, each consisting of scores of receptor cells that respond to the basic tastes, the ACS noted.
