Taste differences between cigarette smokers and nonsmokers.

In a series of taste tests, cigarette smokers allowed to smoke, cigarette smokers not allowed to smoke, and nonsmokers, rated the pleasantness and intensity of sugar, salt, and quinine solutions. One taste test was performed before, and three tests were completed after, ingestion of a glucose load. Before the glucose load, there were no significant differences between the groups in rating test solutions. After the glucose load, the smokers allowed to smoke significantly decreased their ratings of the pleasantness of very sweet solutions. In contrast, nonsmokers and smokers-not-smoking did not significantly decrease their ratings of the pleasantness of sweet tastes. None of the subjects significantly changed their intensity ratings after the glucose load, nor did they change their pleasantness and intensity ratings of salt and quinine solutions.