Health, Medical Information & Articles

Studies at Duke University indicate that the addition of flavor intensifiers to ordinary meals can significantly increase the pleasure of eating. An increase in weight and an improvement in general health usually follow.

Deteriorating health can further compound a decline in the sense of taste. This sense is vulnerable to nutritional status. Malnutrition affects the turnover of the taste bud cells and the integrity of the types of receptors. This in turn can affect the sense of taste and lead to further malnutrition. Cancer patients on chemotherapy or patients recovering from major surgery, for example, are prone to this cycle.

Medications also account for what one doctor calls "the true bitterness of old age." The average person 65 years or older takes three or more drugs. Drugs often are bitter. This bitterness comes out in the saliva and alters the sense of taste.

Research has uncovered effective, practical strategies to enhance the appetites of older persons. These tips can provide an extra boost to flavor and may help increase an older person's enjoyment and interest in eating.

• Add texture by using crunchy foods.


• Use bacon, cheese or butter flavors and monosodium glutamate (MSG) to enhance food's flavor.


• When using almond, vanilla or other extracts, try doubling the amount called for to bring up more flavor.


• Use nectars and jams to make intensely flavored sauces. For example, boil peach nectar until reduced by about half, then mix it with flour to thicken as a sauce for chicken or pork.


• Switch foods as you eat. To avoid taste fatigue, eat one bite of meat, then a bite of vegetable, a bite of bread, etc.


• Combine foods with different temperatures to add a variety of taste sensations.


• Add more of your favorite herbs and spices to dishes