Comparison of the taste and the odor thresholds between the elderly and the young

我们经常用气味和味道作为判断食物是否可以食用的标准。据说，苦味是蛋白质分解的信号，而酸味是淀粉变质的信号。此外，气味或微弱的难闻气味是导致食物变质的关键。据说，老年人的味觉和气味敏感度比年轻人低。然而，与年轻人相比，老年人的味觉和气味敏感度是否真的下降了，或者下降了多少，目前尚不清楚。因此，对248名老年人和127名年轻人的味觉阈值和气味阈值进行了研究，制备了8种不同浓度的咸味氯化钠溶液、7种甜味蔗糖溶液和6种柠檬酸溶液作为味觉测试样品。以蒸馏水作为对照。无论是在盐的检测阈值和识别阈值，还是在蔗糖的检测阈值上，老年组均显著低于青年组(p&lt；0.05&gt；)。气味测试样本是10种不同浓度的醋酸、11种三甲胺和13种甲硫醇。以蒸馏水作为对照。结果，老年人的气味敏感度下降。此外，70%的老年人没有意识到他们的气味敏感度下降。老年人的味觉和气味敏感度都下降了。

We often use odor and taste as a gauge to judge whether foods are edible or not edible. Reportedly the bitter taste is a signal of decomposition of protein, and sour taste is a signal of deterioration of starch. Also, odor or faint nasty smell is a key of deteriorated food. It is said that the elderly have lower taste and odor sensitivity than the young. However, whether the taste and odor sensitivity of the elderly is really decreased or how much decreased compared to the young is unclear. Thus, the taste thresholds and odor thresholds of 248 elderly and 127 young people were studied.Eight different concentrations of NaCl solutions for salty taste, 7 of sucrose solutions for sweet taste, and 6 of citric acid solutions were prepared as taste test samples. Distilled water was used as a control. Both in the detection threshold and the recognition threshold of NaCl, and in the detection threshold of sucrose, were significantly (p<0.05> decreased in the elderly compared to the young. Odor test sample were 10 different concentrations of acetic acids, 11 of trimethylamine, and 13 of methylmercaptan. Distilled water was used as a control. As a result, the odor sensitivity of the elderly decreased. Moreover, 70% of the elderly did not realize that their odor sensitivity decreased.Both taste and odor sensitivity decreased in the elderly.