system
Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:
human
How does salt "enhance the flavour" of other substances if the salty taste sensation is independent from other taste mechanisms?
gpt
many foods are coloidal suspensions. the coloid stability depends on the electric double layer, this is, charges around it than keep it from sticking to each other again. when you add salt to the system you are adding charges, this has the effect is reducing the double layer thickness because there's more charge available and the double layer is more efficient. this has the effect of reducing the volume and maximize the area of coloid because they don't tend to aggregate anymore. more area means more contact with your receptors, and so more flavor on the food.