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Age Differences in Taste Thresholds

Objectives: The sense of taste is one of the most important human senses and plays a critical role in an individual’s food preferences and the nutritional status. Proper gustatory function in older people is important for quality of life and enjoyment of food. The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of age on gustatory function and to establish the normative values in Korean subjects. Methods: One hundred sixty normal volunteers without smell and taste disorders were investigated. Each subject was given a questionnaire for smoking, medicine, and menstruation. Whole mouth taste test was performed with successive solutions of sucrose, sodium chloride, citric acid, and quinine hydrochloride. Results: Older subjects (over 50 years) showed worse taste sensitivity compared with younger subjects (age 20-29 years). The detection threshold of all four basic tastes and the recognition threshold of salty taste of elderly participants were significantly higher than those of young participants. Conclusions: Gustatory sensitivity was found to decrease with age. Older subjects appeared to have a reduced perception of salt, which can alter eating habits, such as intake of more salty foods. Our data provide preliminary normative values for future investigation of chemosensation in the Korean population.