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Taste and smell perception affect appetite and immunity in the elderly
1Department of Psychiatry, Duke University Medical School, Durham, NC 27710, USA. sss@acpub.duke.edu
European Journal of Clinical Nutrition
|October 21, 2000
Summary
Aging diminishes taste and smell, impacting nutrition and health. Flavor-enhanced foods can improve elderly dietary intake and overall well-being.
Area of Science:
- Gerontology
- Nutritional Science
- Sensory Science
Background:
- Advancing age often leads to diminished taste and smell, resulting in poor appetite, suboptimal food choices, and reduced energy intake.
- Reduced energy consumption in the elderly can compromise protein and micronutrient status, potentially leading to subclinical deficiencies that impair function.
- Current nutritional interventions for the elderly frequently fail to address or compensate for taste and smell dysfunctions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the impact of compensating for taste and smell losses through flavor-enhanced foods in the elderly population.
- To evaluate the effectiveness of sensory-based nutritional strategies in improving health outcomes for older adults, including those with medical conditions like cancer.
Main Methods:
- Review of emerging evidence on the effects of flavor-enhanced foods on elderly dietary intake and health parameters.
- Analysis of studies examining the impact of sensory compensation on palatability, food intake, salivary function, immunity, and chemosensory complaints.
- Assessment of the role of flavor enhancement in reducing reliance on table salt in elderly diets.
Main Results:
- Flavor-enhanced foods show potential to improve palatability and increase food intake in the elderly.
- Compensation for taste and smell losses may enhance salivary flow and immune function.
- Sensory-based interventions can reduce chemosensory complaints and decrease the need for added salt in both healthy and ill elderly individuals.
- Conventional nutritional interventions are often ineffective in conditions like cancer if they do not address sensory impairments.
Conclusions:
- Addressing age-related taste and smell decline with flavor-enhanced foods offers a promising strategy to improve nutritional status and health in the elderly.
- Sensory compensation through food modification can positively impact appetite, intake, immunity, and overall quality of life for older adults.
- Future research should focus on integrating sensory-based approaches into standard nutritional care for the aging population, particularly for those with chronic diseases.
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