Smoking isn't bad at all. Greek researchers have shown that smokers enjoy their favorite food less because they have fewer taste buds that are also less sensitive.
Researchers studied the tongues of 62 Greek soldiers to prove how cigarettes ruin the sense of taste † By applying an electric current to the tongue, the researchers produced a unique metallic taste. From the strength it took for the soldiers to taste something, they inferred the sensitivity of their sense of taste.
The study showed that the 28 smokers clearly tasted less than the others. Their papillae were also flatter and less blood flowed to them. According to the researchers Nicotine damages the shape and function of taste buds †
