BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: The objective of the study was to investigate changes in taste sensation after tonsillectomy by using filter paper discs (FPD )method and visual analogue scale (VAS ). MATERIALS AND METHOD: Thirty healthy adult patients who had undergone tonsillectomy were included in this study. A taste test using the FPD method and a subjective rating of taste function based on VAS were performed preoperatively and postoperatively on the 14th day. Serum zinc level was checked at the operation day. Operative findings regarding adhesion, size, and inflammation were recorded. RESULTS: Four patients (13.3%)showed 2 points above the elevated taste identification threshold (TIT). Nine patients (30%)felt their taste sensitivity decreased more than 2 points in the VAS system after the operation. At the postoperative 2 week period, there were significant decrease in sensitivity to sweet and salty TIT, tendency to decrease in sour TIT, and tendency to increase in bitter TIT. The mean VAS decreased significantly. The changes in TIT (dTIT )to each taste stimuli and the changes of VAS (dVAS) had no significant correlation. The degree of adhesion, size and inflammation of the tonsil and serum zinc level showed no significant correlation with dTIT to each taste stimuli and dVAS. CONCLUSION: At 2 weeks after tonsillectomy, the taste sensitivity generally increased except for bitter stimuli. But this changes were not correlated with subjective taste assessment, which may be due to various postoperative discomforts. Tonsil adhesion, size, inflammation and serum zinc level did not influence acute postoperative changes in taste function.
Adult ; Humans ; Inflammation ; Palatine Tonsil ; Sensation ; Taste Threshold ; Tonsillectomy* ; Zinc

In an attempt to figure out the relationship between zinc status and taste acuity of old and young women, dietary zinc intake, urinary zinc excretion, and taste acuity were determined for 118 women. Zinc intake was measured by 2-day food records and food frequency method. Urinary zinc excretion was measured from urine samples collected for twenty four hours. Body fat, lean body mass (LBM), and total body water were measured by bio-impedence. Average dietary zinc intake by food record was 4.15+/-1.33mg (=35% if Korean RDA) for the old women and 5.41+/-2.76mg (=25% of RDA) for young women. When zinc intake was measured by a frequency method, the average intakes of the old and young women were 3.5+/-1.7mg 4.5+/-1.9mg, respectively. It appears that dietary zinc intake of young women was significantly higher than that of the old women. Average urinary zinc excretion of the subjects was 0.27+/-0.16mg in the elderly and 0.24+/-0.13mg in young women, which indicated a marginal zinc status. However, zinc status was not significantly different between old and young women. Correlation analysis indicated that zinc intake and urinary zinc excretion were positively related to BMI and LBM in young women. The old women (m=49) showed significantly higher taste detection thresholds than young subjects (n=47) for both sweet and salty tastes. Recognition thresholds for sodium chloride and sucrose were not significantly different between old and young women. The lower the taste thresholds for salty taste, the higher the average dietary zinc intake. However, taste perception concentration was not related to the urinary zinc excretion level.
Adipose Tissue ; Aged ; Body Water ; Female ; Humans ; Sodium Chloride ; Sucrose ; Taste Perception ; Taste Threshold ; Zinc*

In an attempt to figure out the relationship between zinc status and taste acuity of old and young women, dietary zinc intake, urinary zinc excretion, and taste acuity were determined for 118 women. Zinc intake was measured by 2-day food records and food frequency method. Urinary zinc excretion was measured from urine samples collected for twenty four hours. Body fat, lean body mass (LBM), and total body water were measured by bio-impedence. Average dietary zinc intake by food record was 4.15+/-1.33mg (=35% if Korean RDA) for the old women and 5.41+/-2.76mg (=25% of RDA) for young women. When zinc intake was measured by a frequency method, the average intakes of the old and young women were 3.5+/-1.7mg 4.5+/-1.9mg, respectively. It appears that dietary zinc intake of young women was significantly higher than that of the old women. Average urinary zinc excretion of the subjects was 0.27+/-0.16mg in the elderly and 0.24+/-0.13mg in young women, which indicated a marginal zinc status. However, zinc status was not significantly different between old and young women. Correlation analysis indicated that zinc intake and urinary zinc excretion were positively related to BMI and LBM in young women. The old women (m=49) showed significantly higher taste detection thresholds than young subjects (n=47) for both sweet and salty tastes. Recognition thresholds for sodium chloride and sucrose were not significantly different between old and young women. The lower the taste thresholds for salty taste, the higher the average dietary zinc intake. However, taste perception concentration was not related to the urinary zinc excretion level.
Adipose Tissue ; Aged ; Body Water ; Female ; Humans ; Sodium Chloride ; Sucrose ; Taste Perception ; Taste Threshold ; Zinc*

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Taste disorders have not received sufficient attention by otolaryngologists and only a few studies have documented the clinical characteristics of taste disorders. We therefore analyzed the characteristics of patients with taste disorders who visited our Taste and Smell Clinic over a 3-year period. SUBJECTS AND METHOD: Sixty patients with taste disorders were investigated. The efficacy of treatment was evaluated according to the age, sex, duration of symptom, cause, and severity of taste disorder. RESULTS: Sixty percent of patients visited the clinic within 6 months of the onset of decrease in taste sensation. Multiple etiology was more common than single etiology. Taste disorder due to olfactory disorder was the most frequent etiology, followed by drug induced taste disorder and taste disorder due to zinc deficiency. Sixty percent of the patients experienced improvement of the taste abnormality. The efficacy of treatment decreased with increasing severity of taste disorder at the initial visit. CONCLUSION: Careful history taking and physical examination are needed for determination of the cause of any taste abnormality. The site and severity of dysgeusia should be determined through the chemical and electrical taste threshold test. Treatment should direct toward the causative abnormality, if possible.
Dysgeusia ; Humans ; Physical Examination ; Sensation ; Smell ; Taste Disorders ; Taste Threshold ; Zinc

This study examined salty taste acuity and salty taste preference and sodium intake in relation to zinc nutritional status in 2 rural populations in Korea. And we also examined the main food contributors of their sodium intakes. We enrolled 218 adults (66 men and 152 women) from the Kangneung and Samcheok regions in Korea's Kangwon province in our study conducted from December 2011 to February 2012. Participants from each region were divided into 3 groups based on their serum zinc level (T1: lowest, T2: intermediate, T3: highest). We compared the salty taste acuity and preference, Na index (Dish Frequency Questionnaire for estimation of habitual sodium intake), blood pressure, and intakes of nutrients including sodium by 3 groups of serum zinc level. The results were as follows: a higher serum zinc level indicated a lower sodium intake and Na index (P < 0.05). The salty taste acuity was considerably higher for participants from the Kangneung region than those from the Samcheok region (P < 0.05). And the serum zinc level was significantly higher in participants from the Kangneung region than those from the Samcheok region (P < 0.05). We further divided the participants into 2 groups: those who consumed more zinc than the recommended intake (RI) and the others. We compared salty taste acuity and salty taste preference in the 2 groups. The salty taste threshold and palatable salty taste concentrations were lower for the group with a zinc intake above RI than for the group with zinc intake below the RI. However, the difference was not significant. This study confirms that taste function differs depending on zinc nutritional status. In future, it is required to a large-scale, long-term, prospective study on the correlation between zinc intake, serum zinc levels, and taste perception function and blood pressure.
Adult ; Blood Pressure ; Humans ; Korea ; Male ; Nutritional Status ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Rural Population ; Sodium ; Taste Perception ; Taste Threshold ; Zinc

Recognition thresholds for NaCl, sucrose, citric acid, and caffeine, as well as the pleasant concentration of NaCl were assessed in 176 males and 312 females aged 50-88 years. Furthermore, relationships among taste sensitivities, taste preferences, and lifestyles were examined. The taste solutions were presented one after the other in ascending order using the sip-and-spit method. For the recognition thresholds of the 4 basic tastes, women perceived significantly lower concentrations than the men. However, the pleasant concentration of NaCl did not show a gender difference. Sensitivities for the 4 basic tastes did not decrease with age in the men, but they did significantly decrease with age for the women, especially for those above 70 years. For men, regular exercise was positively correlated with sensitivities for sour taste and bitter taste, and physical activity was negatively correlated with the pleasant concentrations of NaCl. For women, who had more physical activity, sensitivities for sweet taste and sour taste were lower compared to the others. This study indicates that the sensitivities for 4 basic tastes in water diminished with age, but pleasant salt concentration did not change with age. Further research on pleasant NaCl concentration is required to determine factors affecting salt preference, in order to decrease salt intake in the elderly.
Aged ; Caffeine ; Citric Acid ; Female ; Humans ; Life Style ; Male ; Motor Activity ; Sucrose ; Taste Perception ; Taste Threshold ; Water

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: The aim of the study was to compare the gustatory function between age-matched men and women in Korean subjects. SUBJECTS AND METHOD: Healthy non-smoking volunteers without smell and taste disorders were investigated. Thirty-nine men and women of the same age group were evaluated for gustatory function. Whole mouth taste test was performed with successive solutions of sucrose, sodium chloride, citric acid, and quinine hydrochloride. The electrical taste thresholds were measured using an electrogustometer for four different sites in the oral cavity, i.e., both sides of anterior and posterior tongue. RESULTS: Female subjects had lower mean values of detection and recognition thresholds for all of the four tastes than male subjects, although these results did not reach statistical significance except for the detection threshold for salt and the recognition threshold for quinine. In electrogustometry, thresholds in the posterior tongue of glossopharyngeal nerve area were significantly higher for men than women. CONCLUSION: Men had higher taste threshold than women of the same age category. For additional information on the effects of gender and aging on taste thresholds, further studies including a large number of well-controlled subjects are essential.
Aging ; Citric Acid ; Female ; Glossopharyngeal Nerve ; Humans ; Male ; Mouth ; Quinine ; Smell ; Sodium Chloride ; Sucrose ; Taste Disorders ; Taste Threshold* ; Tongue ; Volunteers

PURPOSE: We recruited 118 women in their early 20's to examine the relationship between sodium intake and salty taste thresholds and preference. We also examined the association of salty taste preference with sodium-related dietary behaviors and major dishes contributing to sodium intake. METHODS: Daily sodium intake was estimated using a 127-item dish-frequency questionnaire. Salty taste thresholds and preference were measured using rating scales using water solution of NaCl and a self-administered questionnaire based on a Likert scale, respectively. RESULTS: Salty taste preference showed positive correlation with daily sodium intake and sodium intake-increasing behaviors, and inverse association with sodium intake-decreasing behaviors, including salt and soy sauce use at the table, the frequency of eating out and home delivery of foods, broth consumption of soup, stew or noodle soup, the use of ready-to-serve or processed foods, fresh vegetable intake, and the accommodating attitude toward bland food. Intake of sodium-contributing dishes, including ramen, spicy soft-tofu stew, radish kimchi, and dishes containing kimchi, also showed positive association with salty taste preference. Unexpectedly, detection and recognition thresholds of salty taste showed no association with salty taste preference, sodium intake, and sodium-related dietary behaviors. CONCLUSION: These findings suggest that salty taste preference could reflect sodium intake of individuals rather than thresholds of saltiness, and may be used as a simple and effective proxy for usual sodium intake.
Eating ; Female ; Humans ; Proxy ; Raphanus ; Sodium* ; Soy Foods ; Taste Threshold ; Vegetables ; Water ; Weights and Measures

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: To investigate whether taste thresholds, as determined by electrogustometry (EGM) and chemical taste tests, differ by age and the severity of facial palsy in patients with Bell's palsy. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: This study included 29 patients diagnosed with Bell's palsy between January 2014 and May 2015 in our hospital. Patients were assorted into age groups and by severity of facial palsy, as determined by House-Brackmann Scale, and their taste thresholds were assessed by EGM and chemical taste tests. RESULTS: EGM showed that taste thresholds at four locations on the tongue and one location on the central soft palate, 1 cm from the palatine uvula, were significantly higher in Bell's palsy patients than in controls (p<0.05). In contrast, chemical taste tests showed no significant differences in taste thresholds between the two groups (p>0.05). The severity of facial palsy did not affect taste thresholds, as determined by both EGM and chemical taste tests (p>0.05). The overall mean electrical taste thresholds on EGM were higher in younger Bell's palsy patients than in healthy subjects, with the difference at the back-right area of the tongue differing significantly (p<0.05). In older individuals, however, no significant differences in taste thresholds were observed between Bell's palsy patients and healthy subjects (p>0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Electrical taste thresholds were higher in Bell's palsy patients than in controls. These differences were observed in younger, but not in older, individuals.
Bell Palsy* ; Facial Paralysis* ; Healthy Volunteers ; Humans ; Palate, Soft ; Taste Threshold* ; Tongue ; Uvula

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Salt-taste threshold can influence salt appetite, and is thought to be another marker of sodium intake. Many studies have found an association between sodium intake and blood pressure. The aim of this study was to compare the salt-taste threshold and salt intake between hypertensive and normotensive groups. SUBJECTS AND METHOD: One hundred twenty volunteers (51 men and 69 women) who did not take antihypertensive medications were evaluated. First, a questionnaire, which included questions regarding demographic information and preference of salty taste, was conducted, and 24-hour ambulatory blood pressure was checked. Then salt taste threshold was measured by assessing the ability of the subjects to discern the taste of salt in graded solutions of saline. Lastly, 24-hour urinary sodium was measured in a 24-hour urine collection. RESULTS: The salt taste threshold and taste preference for salt were slightly higher in hypertensive group. There was slightly higher salt intake measured as 24-hour urinary sodium in the hypertensive group, compared with the normotensive group. However, there were no significant differences in salt taste threshold, preference of salty taste, and salt intake between the normotensive and the hypertensive groups. CONCLUSION: The threshold of salt taste was not related to sodium intake and hypertension status. These results suggest that the development of hypertension depends on the complex interaction of factors such as genes and environmental factors rather than sensory factors like taste threshold and taste preference.
Appetite ; Blood Pressure ; Humans ; Hypertension ; Male ; Sodium ; Sodium Chloride ; Taste Threshold* ; Urine Specimen Collection ; Volunteers