The Strange Side Effect of Healthy Food

We're big fans of nuts. Meaning, the ones from trees, not necessarily the ones that make the nightly news kicker because of counterfeiting a $1 bill (not making this up) or trying to rob a bank with a note on the back of a subpoena issued to the robber. Tree nuts (and peanuts, which are legumes) add healthy fats to your diet and reduce your risk of heart disease and diabetes.

But one type of nut in particular does a funny thing sometimes: It leaves a bitter taste in your mouth for weeks. We got a note from a woman whose son experienced this after eating an entree liberally sprinkled with pine nuts. The bitter taste got worse whenever he ate anything, especially sweets (a stay-away-from-sweets strategy we don't recommend). Other pine nut eaters have experienced the same thing, and a journal report linked the lingering bitter taste to nuts that were imported from China in 2008.

Scientists aren't sure what could cause your taste buds to get tripped up like this, but suggest that if pine nuts aren't stored in a cool, dry place, oxidation could occur and quickly turn them rancid and bitter. Why the bitterness sticks around, nobody knows. But it does usually get better in 1 to 3 weeks. If this hassle has visited your mouth, try flavonoid-rich foods (vegetables and fruits) as well as Altoids (recommended by past victims). And if the pine nuts you're about to put on your salad are from 2008 and China, don't try them; buy fresher ones.