This is one of many recipes that I tested with my mom, who suffers from age related taste loss. It was her favorite! I hope you enjoy it too.

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Limey Chicken Soup*
(Time: 1 hour/Serves 6)

9 cups chicken broth
5 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
1 large red onion, quartered
5 cloves garlic, chopped
2 teaspoons dried oregano
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1 tablespoon olive oil
4 green onions, chopped
1 large green Anaheim chili pepper, seeded and chopped
2 large chopped tomatoes
6 limes, juiced
1/2 lime
1/2 cup chopped Italian parsley

Add chicken broth, red onion, garlic, oregano, salt, pepper and thyme to a large pot and bring to boil. Add chicken breasts and return to boil, then reduce heat to medium and simmer until chicken is cooked completely – about 20 minutes. (Chicken should have no pink in the center and juices should run clear. If you have a thermometer, internal temperature should be 165 degrees F.) Remove chicken, let cool and then shred into bite sized pieces. Return these pieces to the simmering pot.

Meanwhile, heat olive oil in a skillet on medium heat. Add green onions, and green chili peppers. Cook until tender – about 5 minutes. Slowly stir in the tomatoes and cook for another five minutes.

Add the contents of the skillet to the simmering pot, along with the lime juice, and half lime. Simmer for 10 minutes and remove the lime. Garnish with Italian parsley and serve.
*This was mom’s favorite recipe.

There are a number of nutritional deficiencies that can cause taste loss. A shortage of vitamin B12 is one that is particularly common.

Some experts believe that as many as 40% of otherwise healthy men and women have a B12 deficiency and are not aware of it. B12 is an essential vitamin that helps develop red blood cells, preventing anemia. It also helps ensure nerve health.

B12 is found in meat, milk, cheese, ice cream, fish, eggs, and poultry. As we age, the body is less able to absorb this important vitamin, so it uses up its reserves which can result in anemia and other health problems. It is important that you make sure that you eat these foods to help prevent a deficiency in this important vitamin to prevent taste loss.

If your body is short of vitamin B12 you may anemia. Symptoms of anemia include: weakness, fatigue, lightheadedness, pale skin color, diarrhea or constipation, bleeding gums, a sore, red tongue, rapid heartbeat (or chest pain), shortness of breath upon exertion and taste loss.

Poor nutrition and a lack of this critical vitamin should not be taken lightly because it has serious consequences. If the deficiency is severe and prolonged, it can cause damage to the brain and nerve cells. When this happens these symptoms may be evident: numbness or tingling in fingers and toes, forgetfulness, confusion, depression, poor balance and coordination, difficulty thinking and concentrating, ringing in the ears (tinnitus), impaired judgment or impulse control (personality changes), difficulty sensing vibration and dementia.

If you suspect anemia or vitamin deficiency you should visit your doctor. A simple blood test is all that is need to test for anemia. Fortunately, B12 deficiency is easy to treat. Supplements are widely available from any pharmacy without a prescription. However, oral supplements are not the first line of treatment. More often a physician will prescribe a B12 shot because it gets into your system much more quickly and in a much larger dose. After these initial shots, you will need to continue to take a B12 oral supplement for the rest of your life to prevent the return of the symptoms of this deficiency.

Taste loss from a B12 deficiency can take over three months to return after treatments begin. In most cases of mild deficiency taste loss not be permanent and your sense of taste will return to normal. However, in severe cases where brain damage has occurred, the return of taste loss may be permanent.

Taste loss can occur from a rare, but serious form of progressive dementia. Frontotemporal lobe dementia (FTD) is also known as “Pick’s Disease.”   Pick’s disease was discovered in 1892 by Arnold Pick who noted irreversible behavioral changes in some patients over a long period of many years.  Similar to Alzheimer’s disease it also affects the brain, but is localized to only the frontal and temporal lobes. 

In Pick’s disease the brain cells shrink due to an excess buildup of protein. This means it will affect personality, behavior and the language, whereas memory loss is the key symptom of Alzheimer’s disease. In fact, the first indication that something is wrong are behavioral and personality changes.  Sadly, these early signs are often mistaken as symptoms of other disorders such Alzheimer’s disease, depression or other mental illnesses.  Over time people with Pick’s lose their ability to speak coherently. 

Though sometimes confused with Alzheimer’s disease, it is rare and usually begins earlier in life (ages 40-70).  For unknown reason, it is more common in women than men.  Of all seven million or so cases of progressive dementia, just five percent are Pick’s so it is a much rarer than Alzheimer’s disease.  It also has some key features that help to differentiate it from the more common Alzheimer’s disease.

Since the Frontotemporal lobes are the primary area affect by Pick’s symptoms reflect the role that this area of the brain plays in personality, behavior and speech.  Some of the behavioral signs of this disease include: poor impulse control and decreases in good judgment, lack of attention to personal cleanliness, extreme restlessness in the early phases of the disease, gluttony for food or beverage where this had not been a problem before, becoming an exhibitionist or very promiscuous, withdrawing from daily life, losing the ability to function well at work or home and repetitive or obsessive behaviors. 

Along with these behavioral changes you may see:  abrupt, unpredictable mood swings, apathy, sudden rudeness or aggressiveness, poor attention span or a lack of warmth or empathy for others.  Typically, the person with Pick’s is unaware of these changes.  Physical signs of Pick’s disease are: loss of bladder control, overall weakness, lack of coordination, memory loss and muscle stiffness. 

Seventy percent of those with this form of dementia will have smell and taste loss problems that never get better.  The reason that smell and taste loss from Pick’s does not get better, is because the areas of the brain that process and interpret smells shrinks and cannot work properly.  Functioning of the brain can become so impaired that people with this disease have been known to die from overeating – not obesity – but actually overeating.  For reasons that are not fully understood, even though those with FTD overeat so much it sometimes causes death from stomach rupture – they do not become obese.

Like Alzheimer’s disease, Pick’s disease can only be diagnosed after death when the brain is examined.  However, there are five key signs that point to Pick’s rather than Alzheimer’s  – these are:  earlier onset, loss of normal behavioral controls, early symptoms are not memory loss but personality and behavioral changes,  loss of normal inhibitions and roaming behavior. 

A thorough assessment by a qualified specialist is recommended if you suspect either Alzheimer’s or Pick’s disease.

About Mesothelioma

Mesothelioma is a rare, but serious form of cancer affecting the lining of the lungs, heart and other internal organs.  It is most often found in people who have been exposed to asbestos – a type of insulating material that was once used extensively.  Symptoms often do not appear until 20 or more years after asbestos exposure when the disease begins to become much more aggressive and start to interfere with day to day living.  If you have mesothelioma are undergoing treatment for it that your sense of taste has been affected.

Mesothelioma Treatments and Side Effects

Mesothelioma, like most cancers requires radiation and chemotherapy and it is these medications and treatment that tend to affect your sense of taste and appetite.  One of the side effects of chemotherapy is taste loss from mucositis.  Mucositis is the name of a condition that occurs when white blood cells get killed off from chemotherapy or radiation associated with treatment of mesothelioma.  It causes the mucosal cells in your mouth (and other mucosal organs) to die off leaving the lining exposed.  The mouth is especially vulnerable to infections when the lining is exposed and ulcers may arise which can seriously affect taste and appetite.  Nausea and vomiting from cancer treatment only further compound the problem and increase risk of infection and taste loss.  Mucositis occurs in nearly half of all patients who undergo chemotherapy and radiation combine, and about 20% of those just getting chemotherapy.  

Since mesothelioma is such an aggressive form of cancer, you may require more radiation and chemotherapy.  It is known that the amount of taste loss increases with the amount of chemotherapy received.

Nutritional Needs

Due to increased nutritional needs of cancer patients, it is more important than ever to make sure you eat well even if your sense of taste is impaired from mesothelioma or its treatments.  Experts believe that cancer patients need up to 50% more protein and 20% more calories than those without cancer.   It is especially important to make sure that you eat enough protein.  The reason for this is that cancer treatments cause cell damage:  proteins help repair this damage.  You can get protein from any of these sources:  eat fish, peanut butter, milk, fish, eggs, and nuts.  Fats are another important part of your diet because they help with energy.  Be sure to include milk, cheese, olives, avocados and butter in your diet to maintain your energy levels.  Eating well despite appetite or taste loss will help you fight the cancer and improve your overall feeling.

Tips on dealing with taste loss from Mesothelioma

There are some simple tips for dealing with taste loss or taste variations caused by mesothelioma treatments.  Always be sure that your tongue is moist when you eat.  If you are on medications that give you dry mouth, you will typically find you have taste loss.  A dry tongue has a hard time tasting things, so be sure to sip water before eating.

It may help you to know that for most people the taste loss caused by mesothelioma treatments is of short duration.  Once the chemotherapy has stopped, taste buds will regrow and taste will return in most cases.  This could take several months or longer in older folks because our rate of taste bud regrowth slows as we age.  In younger people it may be several weeks only.

Some patients will find that, instead of taste loss, their food suddenly tastes bitter, metallic or too sweet.  Again – it’s the treatment for mesothelioma that causes this, but it is also found in many cancers of the head and neck area.   Try adding sweeteners such as honey, Splenda or sugar to foods if you find they taste bitter.  Marinating foods is another good option because many marinates contain sugar and have a strong flavor of their own.  Sometimes eating meat cold or avoiding red meat altogether will help.  If you end up needing to avoid red meat, be sure to get your proteins from chicken, tofu, cheeses, eggs or red beans and rice instead.  (Red beans and rice taken together – not separately – form a complete protein.) As mentioned earlier, it is critical to your recovery from mesothelioma, that you get enough protein so don’t let taste aberrations stop you from getting enough.

Another possible source of bitter tasting food is bacteria in the mouth so increase the amount of times that you brush your teeth each day and use a mixture of salt with water or add some hydrogen peroxide to keep your mouth clean.  There are also mouth washes that you can get from your dentist or doctor that will kill off bacteria in the mouth.  Be sure to visit your dentist frequently if you have mesothelioma.  Dental hygiene is more important than ever because the mucous membrane is damaged from radiation and chemotherapy so infection sets in much more easily and tooth decay may increase.

If you have the opposite problem and foods taste too sweet, there is an herbal tea that you can drink that will decrease your sensitivity to sweet foods for about 20 minutes.  This tea is called, Gymnema Sylvestre and it actually works directly on the taste buds so it will help.  You can also select foods that are bland in the first place, such as potatoes, rice, pasta and breads.  Just don’t add butter because that will make them taste sweet.  Sour cream is a better option for potatoes, and soy sauce for rice.

Taste loss and taste changes from mesothelioma can cause poor eating habits and weight loss.  If you have mesothelioma it is more important than ever to make sure you eat right.  With these tips in mind you should be able to overcome these problems, but if they persist be sure to talk to your doctor.

Taste loss from medications is more common than you might think. One recent study found that 10-30% of taste loss in the elderly was caused by the side effects of medication. The exact mechanism causing the taste loss in these cases varies depending upon the drug class of the medications involved.

Medications can cause taste loss by decreasing saliva production in the mouth. This occurs when the drug blocks the neurotransmitter, acetylcholine. This is the typical “dry mouth” that the doctor may warn you about. Another way that medications may be responsible for taste loss is by interfering with the taste bud functioning itself. Some medications interfering with the body’s ability to absorb zinc which is known to be critical in taste. Blood pressure medications are known to interfere with the action of zinc which in turn causes taste loss problems.

Any medication that causes inflammation in mouth, tongue and throat or alters how the brain works can also cause taste loss. Antihistamines, anti-cholinergics and diuretics are the medications most know for causing dry mouth – which in turn causes taste loss.

Cancer treatments may also lead to taste loss, though the effect is usually temporary. Chemotherapy is associated with taste loss because it interferes with the body’s natural ability to replace damaged taste cells. After chemotherapy is stopped, taste usually recovers.

Radiation therapy for cancer can also lead to taste loss by damaging the saliva glands and causing nerve injury. In most cases, taste will recover after radiation treatments have ended and the body recovers. However, if the saliva glands become permanently scarred from treatment taste loss from the resulting dry mouth can become a difficult and persistent problem. In these cases a saliva substitute may prove helpful.

Here is a useful list of the types of medications often associated with taste loss. (To determine the category of your medication, simply enter its name and the words “drug class” into a Google search – this should return websites with the information you need. )

Anti-inflammatory medications
Non-steroidal anti-inflammatories
Antibiotics
Anti-cholinergics
Anti-depressants
Calcium Channel blockers
Carbonic Anhydrase inhibitors
Cardiac Arrhythmia medications
Cancer drugs
Cholesterol medications
Diuretics
Oral hypoglycemic medications
Parkinson’s disease medications
Anti-epileptic (seizure) medications

If you believe that your taste loss may be due to a side effect of your medications, talk to your doctor about other options. Be sure not to make any changes without first getting the doctor’s okay. Often there are similar medications with less side effects or a dosage change that can help resolve your taste problems. A saliva substitute can also prove helpful for cases of extreme dry mouth if no other options are available.

There are many possible causes taste loss – some more easily treated than others. One of the more easily treated causes are vitamin and mineral deficiencies. Vitamin B and zinc seem to be particularly implicated in taste loss.

Some experts believe that as many as 40% of otherwise healthy men and women have a B12 deficiency and are not aware of it. B12 is an essential vitamin that helps develop red blood cells, preventing anemia. It also helps ensure nerve health.

B12 is found in meat, milk, cheese, ice cream, fish, eggs, and poultry. As we age, the body is less able to absorb this important vitamin, so it uses up its reserves which can result in anemia and other health problems.

Symptoms of anemia include: weakness, fatigue, lightheadedness, pale skin color, diarrhea or constipation, bleeding gums, a sore, red tongue, rapid heartbeat (or chest pain), shortness of breath upon exertion and taste loss.

If the deficiency has caused damage to the brain and nerve cells, these symptoms may be evident: numbness or tingling in fingers and toes, forgetfulness, confusion, depression, poor balance and coordination, difficulty thinking and concentrating, ringing in the ears (tinnitus), impaired judgment or impulse control (personality changes), difficulty sensing vibration and dementia.

A simple blood test can check for anemia. Fortunately, B12 deficiency is easy to treat. Supplements are widely available from any pharmacy without a prescription. However, oral supplements are not the first line of treatment. More often a physician will prescribe a B12 shot because it gets into your system much more quickly and in a much larger dose. After these initial shots, you will need to continue to take a B12 oral supplement for the rest of your life to prevent the return of the symptoms of this deficiency.

Taste loss from a B12 deficiency can take over three months to return after treatments begin. In most cases of mild deficiency it will return to normal. However, in severe cases where brain damage has occurred, the return of taste to normal is less likely.

Niacin (vitamin B3) deficiency is also thought to play a role in taste loss. Very little research has been done in this area, but there is some that suggestion that loss of taste or metallic tastes in mouth can be treated successfully with vitamin A and niacin.

A substantial number of older adults (35-40% of those over 60) are not getting enough zinc. Even when supplements are taken 20-25% of older adults still remain zinc deficient. Zinc is known to be essential for maintaining the immune system, wound repair and growth. It is thought that it plays an important role in the regrowth of taste buds so it makes sense that a deficiency would cause taste loss. Zinc is found in a variety of foods (meat, beans, and fortified cereals), but can also be taken as a supplement if a deficiency is suspected. If taste loss has occurred from a zinc deficiency, then patience will be needed to see improvement. It can take as long as three months or more to see results after supplementation has been started. (Note – never take zinc nasal sprays. There have been cases of people losing their sense of smell and taste from zinc nasal sprays.)

Of course, the best way to prevent deficiencies in these vitamins and minerals is to eat a well-balanced diet. But if you know that you have been a bit lax in this area and you start having taste loss problems then check with your doctor for anemia and consider taking nutritional supplements.

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Though few people know it, smell and taste loss may be an early sign of Alzheimer’s disease. Taste loss is related to smell loss because smell plays an essential role in taste. Losing the sense of smell will cause taste loss in most cases.

Alzheimer’s disease was first discovered in 1906 by Dr. Alois Alzheimer, but did not become widely recognized until the 1970s. His pioneering work found plaques and neurofibrillary tangles in the brain of his patient upon her autopsy.

Prior to his research and in the many years leading up to the ‘70s the same symptoms of mental decline were considered to be just normal aging and often called “senile dementia.”

The most common symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease are problems with memory, attention, language and problem solving. It seems to affect areas of the brain associated with higher mental functions first, but patients may notice increasing difficulty remembering the names of objects in the early phases as well. The illness progresses to the point where even basic brain functions no longer work which eventually leads to death.

Scientists believe there is a dysfunction in the normal ability of the brain to remove plaques and tangles, which then accumulate and interfere with brain functioning. Messages simply can no longer be transmitted between neurons. This may mean (in the case of smell) that smells are experienced but no longer responded to because of a malfunctioning of these neurons.

Recent research has found that as much as two years prior to the symptoms of memory impairment, the ability to detect certain smells is lost.

Early identification of this terrible disease is very important because the earlier it is treated, the longer its ravaging effects can be held off. Current treatments involve medications that at best, may slow this debilitating disease. Unfortunately, there is no single test to determine if you have Alzheimer’s disease (AD). It is a diagnosis given only after all other possible causes of dementia are ruled out.

Many people falsely assume that genetic testing will tell them if they will get AD. In most cases, this is simply not true. Only in the very early onset type of Alzheimer’s disease, can genetic testing tell you if you will develop AD. Early onset AD is uncommon so genetic testing is of little value in most cases.

For most people, genetic testing will only tell you the probability that you may get late onset AD. Probabilities should not be confused with any kind of certainty. This is because genetics interact with environment to determine ultimately whether any given individual will get AD. Put another way, some people are more likely than others to get AD because of their genetics, but they may still not ever actually come down with AD. Although your genetics may put you at risk for AD, it isn’t a certainty. Scientists do not know exactly which factors in the environment increase the likelihood that anyone with a genetic vulnerability will actually develop the disease.

Given the fact that Alzheimer’s is difficult to diagnose and will only get worse (even with treatment) it was exciting news that smell loss may well be a very early warning sign of AD. Experts have now developed a smell test just suspected cases of Alzheimer’s disease. Though this research is in its infancy, it is thought particular smells are uniquely lost in Alzheimer’s disease. The ten smells that are thought to be lost in the early phase of AD include: menthol, cloves, leather, soap, natural gas, lemon, pineapple, smoke, lilac and strawberry.

If you have any reason to worry about Alzheimer’s disease, testing should be conducted for smell and taste loss because most people with smell and taste loss do not realize they have it. In fact 90% of those with moderate to severe smell loss do not know they have lost their ability to smell, but testing reveals otherwise.

Remember, this is very new research and your doctor may not be aware of it. Be sure to see a doctor who specializes in smell and taste loss (an otolaryngologist) to rule out other possible causes of smell or taste loss. If no other cause can be found, see a doctor who specializes in Alzheimer’s disease – usually a neurologist or psychiatrist for a full evaluation. The last thing you or anyone you love should do is “avoid” seeking help because you fear the results of an evaluation. Remember – the earlier the treatment the better!

Our ability to taste food is important because food is essential to our very existence: without it we die.   Taste is critical because it drives our appetite which in turn causes us to want to eat.  Without the sense of taste, appetite often falls off and people eat less.  This can result in poor nutrition, excessive weight loss, failing health and even death.

Not only that, this ability also helps to prime our body for digestion.  Smell and taste get our saliva flowing and trigger digestion.

Moreover, tasting food is also critical to enjoyment of it:  it plays such an important role in our lives.    We eat not just because we need to - but because we enjoy it.  When we share that enjoyment with others a special bond is created.  All our major holidays center around the table and the sharing of food.  In short, we socialize around food.  Have you ever noticed that the kitchen becomes the central meeting place of your parties?

Interestingly, we know that the reverse is true – food enjoyment is also affected by the company we keep while eating.  In short – eating with others has a beneficial role on food enjoyment.  It’s not just a unidirectional effect with food affecting socializing, but socializing affecting food enjoyment.  The relationship between socializing and food is so strong, in fact that we know that once the elderly enter a nursing home or other residence for older folks that they often eat better than when they lived alone and ate alone.  Just being around others helps increase appetite and food enjoyment.

Taste loss can have a very serious effect on health because it also plays a crucial role in preventing us from eating bad food.   When the ability to taste is working properly, just one bite of food can tell us it is “off” or spoiled.  However, if you cannot taste anything, you just won’t know the food is not safe and will eat it putting yourself in danger.

Older people who have lost their taste are especially vulnerable to the dangers of eating food that has spoiled.  Food poisoning in the elderly can be an especially serious health hazard because they have existing health problems and a weaker immune system.    Their stomachs produce less acid so it is less able to destroy harmful bacteria found in spoiled food.  They may experience stomach cramps, weakness, vomiting, diarrhea, headache, fever, dizziness and dehydration.  The elderly will also take longer to recover from food poisoning than younger folks.  If they are frail, food poisoning may even result in death.  The elderly are at a greater risk of food poisoning than the general population – likely because of their loss of smell and taste, coupled with forgetfulness when handling food.

Our ability to taste food is also has an impact  on how we season our food.  When we cannot taste food properly, we tend to use too much salt and other seasonings.  Excess salt intake has been linked to elevated blood pressures and a whole host of related problems.   Similarly, folks who use a lot of hot spice when they cook may also find themselves using more and more of the spice to get the same impact.  Over time, this actually damages the taste bud and leads to even more taste loss.

Our sense of taste is very important for our health and well-being.  If you are or someone you love is experiencing taste loss you should know that there are things that can be done to improve the problem.  I cover them all in my eBook, “The Tired Taste Bud – Overcoming Smell and Taste Loss:  Strategies to Increase Flavor and Enjoyment.    Check it out!

Taste is one of our most pleasured senses and essential to our well-being.  But as we age, many people will find a slight loss of sense of taste and others may suffer dramatic loss of taste.  Complete loss of taste may be a sign of a more serious problem so it is important to be aware of signs that you may be losing your sense of taste or smell.  There is some recent research that indicates losing the ability to smell may be an early warning sign of Alzheimer’s or Parkinson’s disease.

Taste and smell are intimately linked, so if you are losing your sense of smell then you will notice changes to your sense of taste as well.  Losing the ability to smell can be dangerous because it alerts us to present dangers.  For example, a gas leak may go unnoticed because of loss of smell, smoke may not be smelled and spoiled food may be eaten when loss of sense of smell occurs.   As we age, we are not able to smell odors as well as we once did.  Statistics show that the elderly are more likely to be victims of fire than younger people.  This is likely because of their diminished ability to smell gas leaks or smoke.

A second sign that you may be losing your sense of smell is if others tell you that you are wearing too much perfume.  When you cannot smell as well as you once did you may be prone to using too much perfume.  One way to solve this problem is to use a measured approach.  Label each bottle with how many squirts should be applied.  This will prevent you from using too much and overpowering others with your scent.

If you care for an elderly relative or friend, you may notice body odor as well.  When older folks lose their ability to smell and they have some age related forgetfulness, they may develop body odors and not even realize it.  Most people that have lost their ability to smell do not realize it because the loss occurs so slowly that they just do not notice it.  This means that they may not smell noxious odors at all without others telling them.

A clear sign of failing sense of taste is using a lot more salt than you used to.  If you find you need more salt to get the same flavor as you used to get with less, then you may have a taste problem.  The overuse of salt may cause high blood pressure, so it is important to be aware of how much you use when cooking or adding it on your plate.

One final indication that your sense of taste may be going is that food no longer has an appeal to you.  If you notice a change in how tasty food seems, then your sense of smell or taste may be declining.  This can become a serious health problem because when food no longer appeals to us, appetite wanes and people eat less and less.  When this happens nutrition suffers.  Older people are especially vulnerable to health related problems from eating poorly so it’s best to be mindful of keeping a balanced diet even if taste loss is an issue.

I know that may seem like a strange question – after all everyone knows what taste is – right?   Most people experience it all the time, as just one of their five senses.  It’s only when you start to lose your sense of taste that we give it much thought.  At that point, it’s worthwhile to learn as much about taste as possible.

I’m of course referring only to the sensation of taste and not taste in the “cultural” sense.   Taste sensations occur when receptors on the tongue and throat send information about the chemistry of a substance to the brain.  The messages are then understood in the brain as flavors which may be liked or disliked by any given person. 

When we talk about food, we may use the term “flavor” to mean something similar, but we usually focus more on what taste is structurally and mechanically to our brain and body.    (Flavor actually involves many other factors than just the structural and mechanical factors that give rise to what we sense.)  Sometimes the word “gustation” is used to talk about taste, but it’s much more common to hear people talk about “taste” than “gustation

When we talk about “taste” it should be noted that taste sensations have been traditionally divided into four main categories: sweet, sour, bitter, and salty properties.   You may remember the old taste map from your school days.  However, new insights into taste now recognize five categories. 

The most recent addition came from a Japanese scientist and is called “umami.”  Umami is a word that means savory and is found in foods we think of as hearty.  Stews, beef, and tomatoes are just a few types of umami.  There is also a sixth category that has been recently recognized:  fattiness.  Fattiness refers to the ability to taste fat.  This category is not widely recognized though. 

Although categorizing tastes makes it seem that we all taste foods the same, the truth is that we do not.  There is great variation amongst normal healthy individuals in terms of their sensitivity to taste.  Some people are naturally better at distinguishing tastes, while others may have difficulty identifying the different tastes in a mixed dish. 

People with an extremely strong sense of taste are sometimes called, “supertasters” and end up with jobs tasted new products or wines for manufactures.  Where you fall on the taste continuum depends upon your genetics and age.  In other words, you may be lucky enough to be born to a family that passed great taste genes on to you so you are more sensitive to tastes.  Unfortunately, most everyone will lose at least some of their sense of taste as they age.

The interesting thing about genetics and taste abilities is that because of inheritance, patterns of taste abilities can be found in the different regions of the world.  Populations inherit different abilities to taste different things.   

Did you know that there are many parts of the world where the people that historically lived in that region cannot taste bitter?  I have yet to find anyone that has done research into the relationship between taste ability and the evolution of the local cuisine, but I think it would be a very interested read!