My dad has been slowly losing his taste, and now eats pretty bland food. I feel bad for him because I couldn't imagine a life without being able to taste all my favorite foods. I recently came across an article with some tips to keep some of your taste buds working and be able to taste things, https://www.ez.insure/landing/2020/11/loss-of-taste-with-age/ It is a great read and I suggested it to him and even cooked for him and he said he could taste a little more than before. What are your thoughts?

I’m a 70 year old woman and for the past year or so, most foods that I used to love (my own cooking or eating out) taste very different to me in that they don’t taste as good as they used to. I barely finish a plate of normal size helpings before I feel full and just don’t like the taste anymore. I have lost the desire to even cook my favorites or anything for that matter. My comfort foods are not even comforting me anymore! All I want to eat is frozen yogurt and sweets which seem to taste okay. Can anyone explain this to me?

I noticed that my 86 year old mother is now fond of drinking water than she used to. She also always say that she has no appetite no matter how tasteful and well-presented the food is

If we go as per chemical nature, water do not have any taste. It is the added minerals and chemicals that gives taste to the water. If you taste distilled water of ultra pure water then you will find that you are not able to have any taste on your tongue because the distilled water is the pure H2O.

All the doctors I talked with don't know anything about taste problems?

i have no loss of smell. just no appetied. i cook but can't eat much. i have lost a lot of weight and shrunk in inches. take calcium.

Thanks for sharing this info. Perhaps it is time that we developed a proper medication for taste disorders, as opposed to solving it as just a symptom.

The Golden Estate
Privileged Living for Senior Citizens

Thanks for these great tips. One rarely realizes the importance of taste in our lives till we actually miss it.

The Golden Estate
Privileged Living for Senior Citizens

I have not lost my sense of taste or smell, but a lot of food don't taste good anymore. I used to love hotdogs, but the taste of sodium is so bad, I cant' eat them anymore. I am tired of eating food I loved only to take a few bites, and throw the rest away. I have lost 45 pounds so far. Is there anyway that can help me

My husband complains he has lost his appetite.

I'm the 77 yr old who has loss his sense of tast. I've read the suggestions shown and I have been following almost every suggestion put forward. The crazy thing is,I didn't loss my sense of smell. Most food smell great to me but meats tast bad Celery and fruit I can still tast as well as chili products. I get no tast from bacon or ham. I, from time to time have a burning snesation on the lower left had side of my lip. I have also had the feeling of somthing hot being pored into my mouth. To add to my problems, the muscles in my legs are tightening up as I move around becoming extremely painful. This is new, so I wonder if this is connected? Isn't the golden years wonderful?

its OK. because my dad for over two years now he has been complaining about loss of appetite and a bitter tongue. he is over 70years of age. so thanks for this article it sure would help my dad

i suggest you keep super clean mouth hygiene first of all, and correct any dental problems. you might have poor blood circulation to your entire body. have an mri of your entire body's circulatory system via radioactive imagining. you swallow a chalklike substance and it shows up where your blockages are. once those are fixed, using minimally invasive laser surgery, you may find your taste and smell improved or back. also look at any impairments or nerve damage to your mouth and tongue and larynx and throat area. if you have acid reflux, take meds to prevent it and change your diet to make sure you don't aggravate it, and sleep upright with pillows behind your back. don't sleep until at least an hour after eating. make sure you exercise at least two times a day, morning and evening. your good circulation is critical, so be sure to do this, even if you are bedridden. do the exercises lying down in your bed. lift your limbs and squeeze your toes and fingers, move your feet and hands around in circles, and your head and neck, gently, in a circle, then reverse it. use mouthwash that is nonalcoholic daily in between brushing your teeth or dentures twice a day at least. brush your upper mouth and tongue daily too to remove growths or bacteria. make sure you are taking adequate multivitamins and minerals daily, and try changing some of your medications if a side effect could be loss of taste or smell. oral health makes a huge difference! make sure your care includes this every single day twice a day at least, with a mouthwash that is gentle but effective. eat fresh fruit and vegetables and nonfat yogurt with fruit, nuts and beans and as much of it uncooked as possible. if you really cannot taste anything despite all this, or smell it, make sure you are getting enough nutrition every day anyway, by being disciplined and eating what you would normally eat in terms of amounts at every meal. never turn down the opportunity to stay healthy! get sunshine once a day for fifteen minutes at a minimum to manufacture vitamin D and take calcium citrate 1200 mg with D3 600 mg tablets daily as well as B12 under your tongue daily. I take b complex pills and eat fish daily, mostly salmon, but also seafood and cod and any other fish i like. i never have chest pains or head pains anymore. i also garden a little daily, nothing heavy. i only work before 10 am or after 4 pm to avoid too hot a sun and skin damage. i wear a broad brimmed hat, put on sunblock on my hands, wear long sleeves and perforated shoes and longer pants or skirts, but make sure i get at least 15 minutes of exposure anyway. it is important to walk if you can, dance if you can, or do exercises in a chair if you must. or on the floor or couch. it doesn't matter where or how you do it, just do it, gently. five minutes is better than no minutes. avoid heavy lifting. get help for some things. eat whatever tastes good, and if nothing tastes good, eat to live. make sure it's just enough calories for good health. best of luck!

I am 77 years old man and I've ost my sense of tast. I ca't tast salt and butter tasts like lard. I constantly have a bad tast in my mouth. I have tride doctors and tride stoping medications. Is vitimins the answer?

I am an 85 yr. old woman who has loved cooking and eating from comfort food to gourmet. In the last yr. I have had some health issues--mitral valve stenosis, poor leg circulation resulting in such weight in my legs and feet that in May I was hospitalized and 50lbs of primarily fluid was taken off by aggressive diuretics etc. (at least 35lbs. was fluid because it was weighed...I'm tall and &had wgt. to lose so that's good.) I will always have the circulation problem and have had a LOT of tests on everything!. I am still on diuretic & reduced salt intake. For a while now nothing tastes as good as it used to even tho the food is the same. At first I thought it was mainly the reduced salt, but it's true of even natural things. One M.D. suggested zinc, but it isn't helping. Any other suggestions?

my mom is 84, with congestive heart problems, and recently had gall bladder removal. On our last trip of four in two monthes, she was given blood transfusions, and was suffering from severe dehydration. She has gradually stopped wanting to eat, starting with fewer healthy foods, and wanting candy and ice cream to not wanting to eat at all. This will be a vicious circle with the anemia and dehydration coming back. Does anyone have suggestions on what I can do.

I would definitely discuss this with your doctor. My dad had Parkinson's Disease for several years before he lost his sense of taste.

The Mayo Clinic has an interesting article on this which includes the statement, "There are many causes for both conditions. Conditions that cause a reduced sense of smell include nasal and sinus diseases, head trauma, aging, cigarette smoking, many medications, toxic chemical exposure, nutritional deficiencies, some endocrinologic disorders, some neurodegenerative diseases (e.g., Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease), and even a brain tumor."

My husband has had a loss of smell for years and has been diagnosed with Parkinsons. Does anyone know if they r related in any way? Dane

After 14 years with Parkinson's Disease, my senior dad developed this problem. We did try different things with the help of the doctor but nothing changed. My mom and he would add lot of extra seasonings so he could kind of taste things, but overall, he couldn't taste much. I remember he was so frustrated by it, but just kept plugging along with minimal complaints. He set a great example of accepting a problem and dealing with it! I was very proud of him! :)