WARNING SIGNS

Our 10,000 taste buds are there to test our food and differentiate between nutritious and potentially harmful foods. Labelling and preprepared foods means we are not foraging for food as our ancestors used to, but our taste buds are still essential. As food dissolves in our saliva, it activates receptors, that can then distinguish between sweet, salty, sour, bitter and savoury, this is not done alone, as taste and smell work in conjunction with one another. The aromas influence how sweet something is and can trigger memories of taste before you have sampled it. Examples are the smell of popcorn triggering memories of going to the cinema (for me), or cinnamon giving a sense of Christmas time.

As our sense of taste weakens, it is impacted further by the fact that our sense of smell gradually diminishes over the age of 70. Impacting our ability to smell dishes, due to the lining of our nose becoming thinner and drier and the nerve endings in the nose deteriorating. This change is slight however, and typically only affects subtle smells. With these changes’ foods can taste bitter, and foods with subtle smells may taste bland. The ability to therefore distinguish taste impacts more for sweet and salty foods than bitter and sour as our taste buds reduce.

WELLBEING

A further symptom of aging is that you produce less saliva, and your mouth can feel dry, termed ‘dry mouth’ or ‘cotton mouth’, the correct medical term is xerostomia. Saliva is needed to break down food, mineral-rich saliva does many things, including limiting the growth of bacteria and viruses that cause bad breath, tooth decay and gum disease. Not having enough can cause dentures to become loose, mouth sores developing and lips to crack. In severe cases, chewing and swallowing can become nearly impossible, the only way to imagine it is to picture eating bread with peanut butter and sand. Eating becomes more of a chore than enjoyment.

These changes can impact your wellbeing and appetite, as food does not smell or taste as it did, and you are finding it more difficult to eat, you may not be eating or drinking as much as you need to.

TASTE

Flavour is a mixture of sensory information – taste, smell and the tactile sensation that is known as “mouthfeel” – when we say we are experience water as “light” or “heavy” in the mouth. Where as 10,000 taste buds determine how we sense taste. With receptors on our tongue allowing us to distinguish between tastes – sweet, savoury, bitter, salty and sour.

Some ideas to support the loss of appetite and maintaining your diet include: –

• Adding spices and seasonings to food to enhance the flavour and increase the intensity of the taste.
• Always check the expiration dates on food, with the loss of smell you could mistakenly eat food past their best.
• Taking frequent sips of water whilst eating can help with dry mouth.
• Drinking waters higher in minerals that can limit the bacteria growth and viruses in your mouth

KEEP IT EXCITING

If you were apprehensive already about getting older and going grey, then the thought that your favourite food might not taste the same probably is not a positive one. It is however important to remember our taste bud diminishing is a gradual process and you have already been going through this process since birth. You’ve favourite food probably isn’t still blended carrots, rice and chicken, well maybe it is, or could be again, who knows, but as humans adapt and experimenting with tastes, temperature and consistency can bring enjoyment back to your diet. Add those spices and keep drinking plenty of mineralised water and maintain a healthy balanced diet.

It is important to note that colds, bacterial sinusitis, inflammation of the salivary glands, throat infections and even coronavirus can impact your sense of taste and smell and you should always seek medical advice if this is noticeable and happens suddenly along with other symptoms.