Taste Perception with Age: Generic or Specific Losses in Threshold Sensitivity to the Five Basic Tastes?

TLDR

The study measured taste detection thresholds for 11 compounds in 21 young and 21 older adults using six ascending two‑alternative forced‑choice tests per compound. Older adults, especially men, showed significantly higher taste thresholds—up to 5.7‑fold higher for some compounds—indicating a generic decline in taste sensitivity with age, with no overall gender effect but an age‑by‑gender interaction.

Abstract

Detection thresholds for NaCl, KCl, sucrose, aspartame, acetic acid, citric acid, caffeine, quinine HCl, monosodium glutamate (MSG) and inosine 5′-monophosphate (IMP) were assessed in 21 young (19–33 years) and 21 elderly (60–75 years) persons by taking the average of six ascending two-alternative forced choice tests. A significant overall effect was found for age, but not for gender. However, an interaction effect of age and gender was found. The older men were less sensitive than the young men and women for acetic acid, sucrose, citric acid, sodium and potassium chloride and IMP. To detect the compound dissolved in water they needed a 1.32 (aspartame) to 5.70 times (IMP) higher concentration than the younger subjects. A significant decline in thresholds with replication was shown. The age effect found could be attributed predominantly to a generic taste loss.