Music can change the way you taste food
Scientists have discovered that what you're listening to could influence how your dinner tastes, and the findings could help people struggling with their appetite.
Ever noticed how a meal seems to taste better when you're sitting in a lovely restaurant with some relaxing music playing in the background?
Well, it turns out there might be a scientific explanation for that, and it's got very little to do with the chef.
Researchers in Copenhagen have found that music can influence how our brains experience flavour, suggesting that the soundtrack to your dinner could be almost as important as what's on your plate.
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While the idea of making food taste sweeter simply by changing the music sounds a little far-fetched, scientists believe the discovery could eventually help older people struggling with their appetite, as well as fussy eaters.
We tend to think of taste as something that happens entirely in our mouths, but our brains are doing plenty of work behind the scenes.
The Copenhagen research adds to evidence that sound and flavour are more closely connected than we might expect, with brain scans revealing activity in regions involved in processing taste when people listen to music.
Alberte Baggesgaard Seeberg, first author and postdoctoral researcher from the food science department, explained why the findings are particularly interesting.
"Our research shows that music can influence how our brains process flavour, opening up exciting possibilities for making the experience of food more enjoyable without changing the food itself. In the future, we hope this could help older adults with reduced appetites or children who are reluctant to try new foods."
It's an intriguing possibility, particularly when you consider how difficult it can be to encourage someone to eat when they've lost interest in food.
But before you start playing Mozart over your microwave meal, there's a little more to the science.
Why certain sounds make food seem sweeter
The relationship between sound and taste isn't an entirely new discovery.
Professor Charles Spence and researchers at Oxford University have previously explored something called 'sonic seasoning', where different sounds can subtly influence how we perceive flavours.
Higher-pitched sounds tend to be associated with sweetness, while deeper tones can bring bitter flavours to mind.
Charleene Closshey, a frequency researcher and classically trained composer completing a PhD in natural medicine, says the distinction matters.
"Music doesn't change the food. It changes the listener. Higher, brighter sounds nudge us toward 'sweet'; low, rumbling ones toward 'bitter'; and a slower tempo keeps people at the table longer — which, for someone at risk of malnutrition, may matter more than what's on the plate."
Importantly, this doesn't mean music physically changes your taste buds.
The effects are relatively modest and appear to involve the brain's expectations and attention, rather than any direct alteration to the food itself.
Still, the implications could go beyond making a chocolate pudding taste slightly more indulgent.
Could slower music help people eat more?
According to Closshey, the speed of the music might actually be more useful than its pitch, particularly for people at risk of malnutrition.
Research has suggested that slower music encourages diners to spend longer eating.
In one restaurant study involving approximately 280 tables, customers listening to slower music spent around 80 minutes at their tables, compared with 57 minutes when faster music was playing.
Interestingly, simply increasing the volume didn't have the same effect.
That doesn't necessarily mean people ate more, but Closshey believes creating a relaxed environment could be valuable for those who find mealtimes difficult.
She also points out that familiar music might be more comforting than choosing a particular genre.
Someone who has spent their life listening to heavy metal, for example, might feel far more relaxed hearing their favourite band than an unfamiliar classical composition.
As Closshey puts it: "Think of it like this: music you love, loves you back."
Sound could also affect your gut
There's another interesting part of the story, and it concerns what happens after you've swallowed your food.
Closshey became particularly interested in the relationship between sound and digestion after being invited to speak at a gut health summit.
She points to a small study in which exposure to hospital and traffic noise disrupted the stomach's normal electrical rhythm by approximately 12 to 14 percent.
Although that doesn't establish whether relaxing music could improve digestion, it raises questions about how our bodies respond to the sounds around us.
"Sound impacts our gut more than we think," she says.
For Closshey, the Copenhagen findings could help shift attention towards creating more comfortable eating environments, particularly in hospitals and care homes.
However, larger studies would be needed before music could be recommended as a reliable way of improving appetite or nutritional intake.
So what should you listen to at dinner?
There's no definitive playlist guaranteed to make your Sunday roast taste better.
Research suggests that tempo, pitch, volume and familiarity may all matter, but individual preferences are important too.
A slower, gentler soundtrack might encourage a more leisurely meal, while higher-pitched music could subtly influence how sweet something seems.
And if your favourite dinner soundtrack happens to be Metallica rather than Mozart, there's no need to change it.
For now, the research offers an interesting excuse to put your favourite album on while you're cooking.
Your dinner won't change, but your experience of eating it just might.
Jen Thomas