World-1st study reveals loneliness affects astronauts’ taste in space

Food options in space are limited. Astronauts mostly eat pre-packaged food in bags. These meals are freeze dried, dehydrated or heat treated for long shelf life. Astronauts simply add water to a hot or cold meal.

However, these meals taste bland and astronauts often struggle to eat enough during their stay on the International Space Station (ISS).

Now, a first-of-its-kind study from RMIT University has suggested that the smell of food could be the key to understanding why astronauts struggle to enjoy their meals. The study found that the environment itself can change the way people perceive smells and tastes.

“A greater sense of loneliness and isolation may also play a role, and there are implications from this study about how isolated people smell and taste food,” said lead researcher Julia Low.

Aroma of vanilla, almond, lemon

We all know that aroma is a big part of taste. But what does vanilla, almond and lemon smell like in space? To find out, researchers tested 54 participants.

This unique study used virtual reality (VR) to see how the perception of common food smells changes in space. VR was used to simulate the ISS for the participants.

The researchers found that the aroma of vanilla and almond turned out to be “more intense” on the simulated space station. However, the lemon flavor “remained unchanged.”

The culprit behind the stronger vanilla and almond flavor may be a sweet chemical called benzaldehyde. This, combined with individual sensitivity to odors, may explain differences in perception.

“One of the long-term goals of the research is to create foods better suited for astronauts, as well as other people who are in isolated environments, to increase their nutritional intake close to 100%,” said Low.

The science behind it

Loneliness and isolation may also play a role in how astronauts experience food. This study is the first to explore the perception of smell and taste in large groups (54 people) under isolated conditions.

The lack of gravity pulls fluids from the lower body to the upper body. This can cause facial swelling and nasal congestion, similar to a bad head cold. As a result, astronauts’ sense of smell and taste become less sensitive.

However, these effects are usually temporary, fading within a few weeks on the space station.

“Astronauts are still not enjoying their food even after the effects of fluid displacement have worn off, suggesting there is something more to it,” Low said in the press release.

With missions like Artemis going to the Moon, astronauts will be in space for a longer time. Proper nutrition is crucial to their health. The new findings suggest that future space food may need adjustments to account for this.

“What we’re going to see in the future with Artemis missions are much longer missions, years long, especially when we go to Mars, so we really need to understand the issues with diet and food and how the crew interacts with food Theirs. ”, said Gail Iles, former astronaut instructor and co-researcher from RMIT.

On Earth, this research holds promise for improving the diets of people facing isolation nursing homes and other isolated facilities.

The findings were published in International Journal of Food Science and Technology.