WHEN THE TASTE GOES BEFORE YOU CAN TASTE: HOW YOUR TASTE FOR FOOD IS AFFECTED FROM AGING, ILLNESS OR MEDICATION

Taste plays a crucial role in how we experience the world, it influences what we eat, how much we enjoy our food, and even how well we nourish ourselves. 

However, there is that instance in which they tastes we gain from our food seem to miss as we consume our food. What happens when taste goes wrong?

In this post, we’ll explore how taste perception changes across the human lifespan, how it's affected by illness and medication, and why these changes can have serious consequences for health and quality of life.

The Changing Taste Map: Age and Taste

Infancy to Childhood

So let us go back to where it all, starts, literally.

Newborns are born with taste buds that are fully functional. Babies show clear preferences, in terms of their tastes, such as sweetness (e.g. milk), which is soothing, while bitterness (associated with toxins) causes aversion. Children have more taste buds per area of tongue than adults, particularly sensitive to bitter, which may explain picky eating.

Aging and Loss of Taste

As we age, several changes occur, such as taste bud density decreasing, drop in saliva production, which reduces the molecules need to transport chemical compounds from food to receptors, and additionally, the sense of smell (critical for flavor) often declines

Studies suggest that by age 60, many people begin to experience hypogeusia (reduced taste), and some may develop ageusia (complete loss of taste) or dysgeusia (distorted taste).

This decline can lead to, reduced appetite, over-salting or over-sweetening food, and malnutrition, especially in older adults

Illness and Taste Disruption

Neurological Conditions

Taste is processed by a complex neural system. Diseases that affect the brain or nerves can alter taste, these include stroke, Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease and Multiple sclerosis

These can impact both detection and interpretation of taste signals.

Viral Infections (e.g. COVID-19)

COVID-19 famously affected smell (anosmia) and taste (ageusia/dysgeusia) in many patients, sometimes as the first or only symptom.

Mechanisms include, viral damage to support cells in the olfactory epithelium (thin lining of cells on the nose) and possible effects on taste receptor cells or central processing in the brain

While most people regain their senses, some experience long-term distortion (e.g. meat tasting metallic or sweet food tasting rotten).

Cancer and Chemotherapy

Cancer treatments, especially radiation to the head and neck or chemotherapy, often cause, temporary or permanent taste loss, changes in taste intensity and aversion to formerly enjoyable foods

This can lead to weight loss, poor nutrition, and emotional distress.

Medications That Alter Taste

More than 250 medications are known to cause taste disturbances. Common culprits include:

Drug Type	Examples	Effect
Antibiotics	Metronidazole, clarithromycin	Metallic or bitter taste
Antidepressants	SSRIs, tricyclics	Reduced or altered taste
ACE Inhibitors	Lisinopril, enalapril	Metallic taste
Chemotherapy drugs	Cisplatin, methotrexate	Loss or distortion of taste
Zinc-based lozenges	Overuse	Paradoxically dull taste perception

These changes may stem from, direct interaction with taste buds, changes in saliva composition, impact on olfactory function and central nervous system effects

Dysgeusia, Ageusia, and Other Disorders

Condition	Definition
Ageusia	Complete loss of taste
Hypogeusia	Reduced sensitivity to taste
Dysgeusia	Distorted taste (e.g. metallic, foul, or phantom tastes)
Phantogeusia	Tasting something that isn’t there at all

These conditions may be temporary or chronic, and they significantly impact quality of life, especially in older adults or those with chronic illness.

Why These Changes Matter

Taste dysfunction affects more than flavor:

- Nutrition: People may under-eat or overeat the wrong foods.

- Mental Health: Losing taste can cause depression, anxiety, or isolation.

- Safety: Reduced taste can impair the ability to detect spoiled or contaminated food.

Taste isn’t just about pleasure, it’s also about protection and health

Can You Restore Lost Taste?

The outcome depends on the cause. Here are some approaches:

Cause	Potential Intervention
Medication side effect	Adjust or switch medication
Zinc deficiency	Supplementation (under supervision)
COVID-19/viral	Olfactory retraining therapy
Aging	Use of flavor enhancers, improving oral hygiene
Cancer treatment	Taste training, specialized dietary strategies

In many cases, taste partially or fully returns over time, but not always.

Wrapping it up from the Biolab desk

Taste is more than a simple sensation, it’s a complex, delicate system that can be disrupted by age, illness, or medication. When it fails, the consequences ripple across health, nutrition, and emotional wellbeing.

Understanding how taste changes and why helps us design better interventions, improve quality of life, and treat food not just as fuel, but as a critical part of human experience.