This is a season when becteria sinus infections run rampant, but some people are better able to ward off that malady. And they can be identified by their taste buds, because those of us who can better detect bitter flavors may also be better equipped to fight off upper respiratory tract infections. The finding is in the Journal of Clinical Investigation. 

   

  It turns out that those bitter taste receptors aren’t just in our mouths. They are also in our noses. Being better able to sense bitterness may be a first line of defense against becteria. That’s because those becteria actually tastes bitter to us. So when taste receptors in our airways sense a bitter  flavor, they rolled out the defenses. 

   

  Cilia lining our sinuses beat faster, to sweep away germs. And becteria killing nitric oxide, gets released into our nasal cavities. Better bitter sensing, means a bigger response. It’s one reason researchers at the Monell Chemical Sense Center are trying to come up with a universal taste test, a standardised measurement of how well we sense flavours. Because one key to living healthier, could be on the tip of your tongue.