NORMAN, OKLA. - Christian Lemon, Ph.D., an associate professor in the School of Biological Sciences at the University of Oklahoma, often thinks about temperature sensation and the brain when eating a chilled mint cookie. Now, research from his lab examining oral temperature perception has been published in The Journal of Neuroscience.
In their research, Lemon's team investigates how cold receptors in the mouth are activated by cooling temperatures, how those signals are transmitted to the brain and how those transmissions are generated into a cooling sensation.
"These receptors are designed to respond to cooling temperatures but are also activated by menthol from mint plants. This feature is why the flavor of a mint cookie can appear enhanced when eaten cold," he said. "While sometimes called a cold and menthol receptor, it's technically known as TRPM8. These receptors begin to activate when temperature falls a few steps below your core body temperature."
