Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 15, 2026
Psychophysical Tracking Method to Assess Taste Detection Thresholds in Children, Adolescents, and Adults: The Taste Detection Threshold (TDT) Test
Published on: April 21, 2021
Zinc status and taste acuity in older Europeans: the ZENITH study
B J Stewart-Knox1, E E A Simpson, H Parr
1Northern Ireland Centre for Food and Health, University of Ulster, Coleraine, Northern Ireland. B.knox@ulster.ac.uk
Background:
Age-related decline in taste acuity may be both a cause and an effect of depleted zinc and/or increased zinc requirement.
Objective:
The aim of this study was to explore associations between zinc status and taste acuity in healthy older European adults aged 55-90 y.
Sample:
Volunteers were recruited within Italy (n = 108 aged 70-90 y), the United Kingdom (UK) (n = 93 aged 55-70) and two regions of France (n = 186), Grenoble (aged 70-90 y) and Clermont-Ferrand (aged 55-70 y).
Methods:
A signal detection theory approach was adopted, employing a three-alternative, forced-choice procedure. The data were converted to R-indices and bivariate correlations were computed to explore relationships between serum zinc, erythrocyte zinc and taste acuity. ANOVA was undertaken to determine regional differences in zinc status.
Results:
Higher erythrocyte zinc status was associated with better acuity for salt (sodium chloride) taste in the sample as a whole (P = 0.012) (n = 385). Higher serum zinc levels were associated with greater sensitivity to sour taste (citric acid) (P = 0.015) only in the older groups (aged 70-90 y). There were no apparent associations between serum or erythrocyte zinc status and acuity for bitter (quinine) or sweet (sucrose) tastes irrespective of age.
Conclusion:
These results agree with those previously suggesting that age-related detriment in sensitivity for salt taste may be associated with depleted zinc.
