Being an astronaut is no walk in the park. It comes with ramifications that have to be catered on a daily basis in the space. For instance, do you know that astronauts get stuffed up when they are in space? That’s because of the fact that the bodily fluids stay concentrate in your feet thanks to gravity and end up stuffing the astronaut. The food situation is complicated too, the NASA food scientists are always working to ensure that astronauts are provided with healthy and fortifying meals while keeping their comfort and enjoyment in mind.
However, these two seemingly different situations are inter-linked because when astronauts swell thanks to the body fluids, their taste buds are affected. Astronaut Mike Massimino, now a professor of mechanical engineering at Columbia University said, “Your sense of taste is a little compromised because you’re a little stuffed up. So usually spicier foods are more popular.”
To gain a better understanding of what happens, just imagine drinking your coffee but not being able to take in the aroma that are characteristic of coffee. What would it feel like? A hot cup of mixed contents? Sounds about accurate enough. That is exactly why Astronauts are known to ask for Tabasco sauce when they’re up in space. Why? Because when you’re hardly able to taste anything, something featuring intense flavor and heat will do the trick.
Massimino said, “Shrimp cocktail is very popular. That has a horseradish sauce, it gets people going.”
