Minerals in plasma and urine and gustatory function tests for salt in a group of healthy young men

Detection threshold for salt (NaCl) and discrimination between two levels of NaCl concentration (0.6 and 0.7%) in foods, and their relation to some selected biochemical parameters in plasma and urine (Zn, Na, K, Mg, Ca, Se for plasma and urine, Cu and retinol binding protein for plasma) were investigated in 15 healthy male college students. No subject failed to discriminate the NaCl concentrations in more than 50% of the tests. The rate of correct discrimination (RCD) was not associated with plasma Zn (P-Zn), plasma retinol binding protein (P-RBP), urinary potassium (U-K) or urinary sodium (U-Na), which significantly correlated with RCD in our previous study, while the detection threshold was significantly correlated with urinary Ca-Mg ratio (U-Ca/Mg), urinary Ca (U-Ca), U-Na, and urinary Mg. In the stepwise multiple regression analysis, U-Ca/Mg, plasma Ca, plasma Na, and RCD were selected as significant independent variables. These indicate that the status of minerals such as Na, Ca, and Mg is related to the gustatory function. One possible explanation for the discrepancy between the present and previous results is the elevated P-Zn and P-RBP levels in the present subjects.