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The Scientific Reason Some People Can’t Stand Vegetables
And what it takes to overcome an aversion to bitter greens
Bitterness is nature’s way of warning us about harmful things we shouldn’t eat, like cyanide. But several very healthy foods, including broccoli and cauliflower, are bitter, too — which makes them disgustingly inedible to some people, but not to others. You haters can blame your genes, studies show. And while you can’t change your genes, you might be able to overcome your distaste if you’re willing to try, try again. After all, it works with coffee. (And beer.)
Scientists have known for many years that some people have a genetic aversion to bitter vegetables. One in five find them unbearable, says Clare Collins, PhD, a professor in nutrition and dietetics at the University of Newcastle in Australia. These are what researchers call super-tasters. If you inherited super-taster genes, then those flowering cruciferous vegetables, which also include bok choy and Brussels sprouts, “will taste disgusting,” Collins explains.
Cruciferous vegetables are loaded with nutrients, from beta-carotene to vitamins C, E, and K, and they’re a good fiber source. But they’re also packed with glucosinolate, which produces a bitter oil when cut, chewed, or cooked.
