Do you know why do obese people have less sensitive taste buds?
New York: Inflammation, driven by obesity, may reduce the number of taste buds on the tongue by 25 per cent, while affecting a person's sensitivity to the taste of food, researchers have found.
Obesity is known to be associated with a chronic state of low-grade inflammation in the adipose tissue that stores energy in the form of fat.
The adipose tissue further produces pro-inflammatory cytokines -- molecules that serve as signals between cells -- including one called TNF-alpha.
Researchers noted that a high-fat diet increases the level of TNF-alpha surrounding the taste buds, making them less sensitive to the taste of food.
"Our findings suggest that gross adiposity stemming from chronic exposure to a high-fat diet is associated with a low-grade inflammatory response causing a disruption in the balancing mechanisms of taste bud maintenance and renewal," said Robin Dando, Assistant Professor at the Cornell University in the US.
A taste bud comprises of approximately 50 to 100 cells of three major types, each with different roles in sensing the five primary tastes (salt, sweet, bitter, sour, and umami). Taste bud cells turn over quickly, with an average lifespan of just 10 days.
The turnover of taste bud cells normally arises from a balanced combination of programmed cell death (a process known as apoptosis) and generation of new cells from special progenitor cells.
The study, published in the journal PLOS Biology, observed that the rate of apoptosis increased in obese mice, whereas the number of taste bud progenitor cells in the tongue declined, likely explaining the net decline in the number of taste buds.
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Mystery man posing as AC mechanic to rob residents held in Delhi; linked to viral armed attacks
New Delhi (PTI): A 55-year-old man who allegedly posed as an AC and RO mechanic to rob residents in northwest Delhi's Keshav Puram and Pitampura areas has been arrested, police said on Wednesday.
The accused, identified as Ajay Bagga alias Vijay Bagga, was apprehended following an extensive manhunt involving CCTV analysis, technical surveillance and local enquiries, they said.
According to police, Bagga used to roam through residential colonies posing as a mechanic and ring doorbells to identify potential targets.
"The moment a resident opened the door, he would forcibly enter the house, launch a sudden attack and rob the occupants," a police officer said.
The accused had sent locals into panic after CCTV footage of him roaming in residential areas holding a plastic blue bag and hiding a 'gandasa' (machete) surfaced online, triggering a police hunt.
"A special team was formed to nab the accused after multiple incidents with a similar modus operandi were reported," Deputy Commissioner of Police (Northwest) Akanksha Yadav said in a statement.
She further said that using technical surveillance, CCTV footage analysis and human intelligence inputs, police tracked down and arrested Bagga near Gurudwara Nanak Pyau in Model Town.
Police said Bagga has been linked to two separate FIRs registered at Maurya Enclave and Keshav Puram police stations.
"In the first case, the complainant Sahil Kukreja alleged that Bagga, who was known to him for the past eight to nine years, came to his residence in Pitampura on April 21 on the pretext of meeting his father," the officer said.
After entering the house and asking for water, the accused allegedly attacked Kukreja with a large knife, locally referred to as a "chapad", injuring his left forearm.
The accused then allegedly confined the complainant, demanded money and fled with around Rs 4 lakh in cash and gold jewellery from the house.
In the second incident, in Keshav Puram, Bagga allegedly entered the residence of a woman posing as an RO mechanic on May 8. The complainant told police that the accused threatened her with an iron 'gandasa' after entering the house.
However, the woman resisted and raised an alarm, forcing Bagga to flee after throwing the weapon in a nearby park, police said. The weapon was later recovered and seized by the police team.
"During an investigation, police teams scanned footage from several CCTV cameras, conducted searches at over 50 hotels and interrogated multiple suspects before zeroing in on Bagga. On interrogation, the accused confessed to his involvement in the two incidents," Yadav said.
Police are further investigating Bagga to ascertain his possible involvement in other similar robbery and house trespass cases reported in the city and to identify whether he had any accomplices.
