by Anna Fregonara
After the age of 80, it is quite common to lose the ability to distinguish flavors, but some strategies can help remedy the problem
Sometimes small measures are enough, such as changing the type of cutlery or learning to enrich dishes with spices to help the elderly person start eating with more gusto. It often happens, in fact, that as we age we reach a point in which we no longer look for food with a good flavour, but simply for food that has any flavour.
I feel
Taste alterations
they are, in fact, conditions that can expose people over the age of 80 to the risk of malnutrition both due to deficiency (undernutrition) and excess (overweight or obesity). The least perceived tastes are acid and bitter. The perception of sweetness is maintained longer.
Although these disorders also impact the quality of life, they are often underestimated. When we talk about taste we are referring to the five basic tastes, therefore acid, bitter, sweet, salty, umami, begins Simona Bo, associate professor of Clinical Nutrition at the University of Turin, who addressed this delicate topic at the last National Congress of Italian Society of Human Nutrition. But taste is not synonymous with flavor as the latter is a complex sensory experience that also includes the other senses: smell, touch, sight and hearing. Just think of the crunchy sound of a potato chip which we like more if it makes a certain noise or when we feel the consistency of a food in our mouth, one of the first physical characteristics we perceive when we eat.
The role of drugs…
The Italian Medicines Agency reports that 75% of the adverse events of pharmacological therapies are represented by altered perception of taste, continues the expert. Added to this are the normal aging processes, which involve a reduction in taste cells, and alterations of smell which are even more frequent than those of taste.
… and infections
There are various conditions that can lead to an alteration of taste in elderly people (and not only): Upper respiratory tract infections are often responsible, in particular viral ones, from simple colds to Sars-Cov-2 infection, oral diseases such as gingivitis, tooth decay and many other diseases, as well as various medications. Taste alterations can be added to other problems that can predispose to malnutrition, such as swallowing disorders, reduced appetite, depression, alterations of the salivary glands with reduced salivation, alterations in nerves and blood vessels. Added to these factors are socioeconomic ones and the monotony in food choices, explains Professor Bo.
How to act
What can be done? Small measures can help a lot. Talk to your doctor to change, where possible, the type of medication and correct any dietary deficiencies, such as those of zinc and vitamin B12, and improve oral hygiene. If you notice unpleasant tastes, do not use metal cutlery. To flavor dishes, use aromatic herbs and spices and combine foods with different flavours, textures and colours, as visual and tactile information also aids the perception of flavour. It is important to maintain correct hydration to allow food molecules to dissolve and reach the taste buds which are the taste organs contained within the taste buds. Finally, chewing slowly facilitates the release of flavors and greater saliva production, helping to improve the perception of taste.
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February 6, 2024 (modified February 6, 2024 | 4:08 pm)
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