Nov. 22, 2006 -- Life is a feast -- literally -- for some people with a rare condition called synesthesia, a new study shows. Words are often experienced as tastes by them.

In synesthesia, people have unusual sensory experiences. For instance, someone with synesthesia might "hear" a sound when they see the color red.

Nature's latest issue includes a brief report on six people with a version of synesthesia in which they experience tastes upon hearing certain words.

The researchers include Julia Simner, DPhil, of the psychology department at Scotland's University of Edinburgh.

In an email to WebMD, Simner discusses her findings.

Participants in the study ranged in age from the early 20s to one lady in her 80s, Simner says. Five were female, one male. One was British, the rest American.

All had had synesthesia as long as they could remember and experienced food tastes in response to words, she says.

"The proportion of words that triggers taste varies from synaesthete to synaesthete, and for those in our study it ranged from about 15% of words, to one lady who experiences tastes for 100% of words," Simner says.