The Effect of Aging on Taste Thresholds in Korean.
10.3342/kjorl-hns.2013.56.5.286
- Author:
Jae Wook LEE
1
;
Seung Heon SHIN
;
Mee Ra RHYU
;
Jong Yeon KIM
;
Mi Kyung YE
Author Information
1. Department of Otorhinolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, College of Medicine, Catholic University of Daegu, Daegu, Korea. miky@cu.ac.kr
- Publication Type:Original Article
- Keywords:
Aging;
Taste;
Taste threshold
- MeSH:
Aged;
Aging;
Citric Acid;
Eating;
Food Preferences;
Humans;
Mouth;
Nutritional Status;
Quality of Life;
Surveys and Questionnaires;
Quinine;
Smell;
Smoke;
Smoking;
Sodium Chloride;
Sucrose;
Taste Disorders;
Taste Threshold
- From:Korean Journal of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery
2013;56(5):286-290
- CountryRepublic of Korea
- Language:Korean
-
Abstract:
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: The sense of taste is one of the most important human senses and plays a critical role in an individual's food preferences and the nutritional status. Proper gustatory function in older people is important for quality of life and enjoyment of food. The objectives of this study was to investigate the effect of aging on taste thresholds in Korean subjects. SUBJECTS AND METHOD: One hundred sixty normal volunteers without smell and taste disorders were investigated. Each subject was given a questionnaire for age, sex, status of smoking and medication. Then, a whole mouth taste test was performed with successive solutions of sucrose, sodium chloride, citric acid, and quinine hydrochloride. RESULTS: Older subjects (over 50 years) showed worse taste sensitivity compared with younger subjects (age 20-29 years). The detection thresholds of all four basic tastes and the recognition threshold of salty taste of elderly participants were significantly higher than those of young participants. CONCLUSION: Gustatory sensitivity was found to decrease with age. Especially, older subjects appeared to have a reduced perception of salt, which can alter eating habits, such as intake of more salty foods. Our data can provide preliminary normative values for future investigation of chemosensation in the Korean population.
