Taste perception with age: generic or specific losses in threshold sensitivity to the five basic tastes?

Area of Science:

• Sensory Science
• Gerontology
• Human Nutrition

Background:

• Taste perception changes with age, impacting dietary choices and quality of life.
• Understanding age-related differences in taste sensitivity is crucial for nutritional interventions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To quantify taste detection thresholds for a range of substances in young and elderly individuals.
• To investigate the influence of age and gender on taste perception.

Main Methods:

• Utilized a two-alternative forced choice method with ascending concentrations.
• Assessed detection thresholds for NaCl, KCl, sucrose, aspartame, acetic acid, citric acid, caffeine, quinine HCl, monosodium glutamate (MSG), and inosine 5'-monophosphate (IMP).
• Recruited 21 young (19-33 years) and 21 elderly (60-75 years) participants.

Main Results:

• A significant overall effect of age on taste sensitivity was observed.
• Older men showed reduced sensitivity compared to younger men and women for specific taste compounds, including acetic acid, sucrose, citric acid, NaCl, KCl, and IMP.
• Higher concentrations were required for elderly individuals to detect tastants, ranging from 1.32 to 5.70 times more than younger subjects.
• A decline in thresholds with repeated testing was noted.

Conclusions:

• Age-related taste loss is a significant factor affecting sensory perception in older adults.
• Gender interacts with age, with older men exhibiting greater taste impairment.
• The observed age effect is likely attributable to a generalized decrease in taste function.