Yah--why should we eat greens?  the rawists say "because all of nature
is
green."  But what does that have to do with anything!?  I've never had
a
taste for them either, unless smothered in butter or dressing
----- Original Message -----
From: Carol S <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Sunday, May 21, 2000 11:39 AM
Subject: greens

> A friend of mine claims never to taste the bitterness of certain salad
> greens which are always unbearable to me.  I'm wondering if this dramatic
> difference between us could be related to the hereditary trait tested for
in
> many high school biology classes when students find out whether they can
> taste PTC paper or not.  People either taste this PTC stuff or they don't;
> there's nothing in between.  I was a taster, and the awful bitterness of
> that paper, to me, is not unlike that of some greens.
>
> If there is this link between being PTC tasting and non-tasting and how
one
> tastes those greens, would the instincto interpretation be that the
> physiology of tasters is unable to handle PTC (or whatever key part of the
> molecule produces the taste) and that they are therefore being protected
> from it by getting that horrible taste?  Or could non-tasters be eating
> things they shouldn't because of some.. mutation?  (No dig at non-tasters
> intended. :D)  Just thought it was interesting.
>
> Carol
>