Your Sense of Taste Declines As you Age (Sorry)

565092755

Photo by: Marianna Massey

Marianna Massey

Some of us feel that our taste gets better as we age. (Consider some of those ill-advised outfits you wore in high school.) But when it comes to our ability to taste food, it actually gets worse.

NPR recently looked at why that may be so. A few interesting takeaways from that post, augmented with a few tasty facts gathered elsewhere:

-Most of us have about 9,000 taste buds on our tongues at birth, each a clump of sensory cells that send taste signals via nerves to the brain.

-Some of the taste buds are particularly sensitive to perceiving sweetness, others to bitterness or sourness or saltiness.

-The cells in our taste buds generally regenerate every 1 to 2 weeks.

-As we get older our taste buds don’t regenerate as swiftly and may take longer to recover after an injury – such as when we burn our tongue on a hot beverage.

-The number of taste buds we have not only declines overall as we age, but those we are left with also shrink, according to the National Institutes of Health.

-Our mouths also produce less saliva, which can affect our ability to taste.

-Smoking or taking certain medicines can augment the decline of your sense of taste.

-An ENT-otolaryngologist consulted by NPR says women often sense a decline in taste in their 50s, while men do in their 60s.

-A diminished sense of smell as we age may also play a role in the dulling of our sense of taste.

As for how you can combat this unfortunate byproduct of aging, NPR advises taking steps to address nasal congestion, favoring strong or spicy tasting foods, and compensating for taste with texture.

Related Links:

Next Up

Halwa Tastes Like Sweet Nostalgia

As a child, I used to bite my grandmother’s shoulder until I got a fresh batch of halwa. Now, I prepare it every Diwali.

Taste Test: Jarred Spaghetti Sauce

Sometimes there’s no time to whip up a batch of homemade tomato sauce. We checked out some of the popular supermarket tomato sauces -- Rao's, Newman's Own, Trader Joe's, Prego and Barilla -- to see how they measured up.

Sorry Starbucks Fans, There Will Be No New Holiday Drink This Year

But the chain will be bringing back plenty of fan favorites and a brand new holiday cup design.

A Guide to Tea Etiquette in the Gilded Age

Here's how you'd need to dress, eat and socialize — could you succeed in following all the rules? Plus, the producers of HBO Original The Gilded Age reveal what went into recreating this 19th-century custom in season 2.

Sorry, But You Shouldn’t Be Using Your Immersion Blender as a Spice Grinder

We asked Food Network test kitchen recipe developers about the viral TikTok trend. All of them agreed it’s more trouble, and risk, than it’s worth.

Sorry, You Can’t Have All Your Alcoholic Drinks for the Week at Once

It’s not uncommon to save drinking for the weekend — but just because you opt out on the weekdays, doesn’t mean it’s healthy to drink five in a day.

What Does Coca-Cola Dreamworld Taste Like?

What do dreams taste like? Coca-Cola says it has an answer.

What Does Coca-Cola Y3000 Taste Like?

Created with the assistance of A.I., Coca-Cola’s latest flavor attempts to offer a taste of the future.

These Veggie-Packed Smoothies Actually Taste Amazing

You're going to want to break out the blender every day!

What's New