what gland influences taste buds
The researchers add that stress is also known to increase intake of salty foods. But in this study, the team did not find any GC receptors in taste buds associated with salty and sour tastes. Parker says this may be because stress could have an influence on salt taste processing in the brain. Taste buds are not only found on the tongue; they are also present in the gut and pancreas.
Now, researchers from the Monell Chemical Senses Center in Philadelphia, PA, may have discovered why this is. In a new study, the investigators identified receptors for stress-activated hormones located in oral taste buds responsible for detecting sweet, savory and bitter tastes.