The Effect of Age on Taste
The sense of taste has to be one of the most important human senses. It gives an individual the ability to recognize consumables that are encountered on a regular basis such as a favorite steak platter or a favorite wine. However, when that individual reaches a particular age the sense of taste deteriorates, which can result in potentially dangerous conditions such as malnourishment or susceptibility to diseases. This problem of taste loss due to aging needs to be studied more because it can effect both the physical and mental health of many elderly people.
When elderly individuals try to live life with a weakened ability to recognize certain food flavors or any other consumable item, their dietary needs can be greatly affected. A certain number of foods are not going to taste good enough to satisfy the appetites of the elderly, so they might resort to using unhealthy eating habits. For example, they could lose the motivation to eat certain foods such as vegetables or meats and increase the consumption of foods that are low in nutritional value such as candies or pastries. This shift can result in health problems such as a loss in bone mass, a weakened immune system, weak muscles, and high blood pressure.
Elderly citizens need to acquire a specific amount of nutrients in order to maintain a healthy life style. Spence (1989) mentioned that diets which maintain adequate levels of vitamins and minerals and also consist of 50 to 55% carbohydrates, 12 to 15% proteins, and 25 to 35% fats are recommended for persons over the age of 50. In order for the elderly to live up to a healthy diet, they need to consume nutritious foods that will taste good to them. The problem with this situation is how to h...
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Variation in PTC sensitivity was first discovered in a lab incident in the early 1930s by Arthur L. Fox, an OSHA officer (Fox 1932), when Fox was pouring some PTC powder into a bottle and some “flew around in the air”, a co-worker nearby, C. R. Noller complained that the dust tasted bitter, but Fox insisted he could not taste anything. The two then took turns tasting the PTC powder and found they really differed dramatically in sensitivity. Fox tested “a large number” of people and found a distinct variation was common regardless of age, sex and ethnicity. He classified those people into two categories, those able to taste the PTC at very low concentrations whom he referred to as “tasters” and those unable to taste the PTC except at very high concentrations whom he referred to as “nontasters” or “taste blind”.2 Later several scientists including Fisher, Ford and Huxley (Fisher 1939) and others set out tests for PTC taste sensitivity and the implications of variability of the findings. However, despite almost 70 years of interest, these studies were missing a firm grasp of the molecular genetics of bitter-taste sensitivity.2
I did not realize I had a taste aversion until I read chapter 7 in Exploring Psychology starting on page 257. Taste aversion is explained as becoming violently ill after eating, tasting or drinking a consumable item
Further studies of taste aversion can be beneficial because of the possible applications it may offer, perhaps some techniques in treating such problems as alcoholism (Walker 1995) or to better understand the environment's affect on animal and human behavior.
Chen X, Clark JJ, Naorungroj S. Oral health in nursing home residents with different cognitive statuses. Gerodontology. 2013;30(1):49-60.
One of the things that cell phones have changed drastically is the way we communicate with others. With the birth of cell phones eventually came the invention of text messaging, or “texting.” Texting is sending simple messages over the air to another cell phone. People these days, especially the younger generation, find it much easier and quicker to text a person rather than call them or talk to them face to face. “Text messaging is the premier choice” says Jaletta Desmond, an expert on how cell phones have changed us over time. The reason why most of the younger generation prefers texting rather than talking is because they don’t value talking out loud one on one as much as the older generation does. Another reason why texting is the first choice for most people is that it gives a sense of privacy. No one can put their ear to the door and hear your texting conversation. In this day in age, we’ve made it nearly impossible to get in touch with others without having a cell phone on you. Cell phones have just become p...
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