AN OVERVIEW ON TASTE PHYSIOLOGY AND MASKING OF BITTER DRUGS

Taste drives appetite and protects us from poisons. So, we like the taste of sugar because we have an absolute requirement for carbohydrates (sugars etc.). We get cravings for salt because we must have sodium chloride (common salt) in our diet. Bitter and sour cause aversive, avoidance reactions because most poisons are bitter (most bitter substances are bad for you certainly in excess) and off food goes sour (acidic).