Do taste buds change over time?
MINNEAPOLIS — Many people experience a change in palate as they age.
"I didn't really like spicy food when I was younger but now I can definitely go for spicy," Kos Raza said.
M Health Fairview otolaryngologist Neil Brown says we're born with around 10,000 taste buds.
"Your taste buds can kind of change and evolve as you age and some of that may be generic — your genes turning on and off," Brown said.
The tiny sensory organs that cover our tongue allow us to detect five basic tastes: sweet, salty, bitter, sour and umami — which is a savory, rich or meaty flavor.
"We lose them and they actually shrink over time. So in women, I think it can start as early as 40 and for men, age 50," Brown said. "The literature I've looked at say sweet and salty tend to go first. Interestingly enough, bitter and sour actually don't require as much stimulation."
To prevent hurting your taste buds, don't smoke, limit alcohol, practice good oral hygiene and avoid piping hot or frozen foods and drinks.
"You can burn your tongue and damage your taste buds but they usually regenerate in about 10 days," Brown said.
Sense of smell also fades after the age of 60 and the two senses are closely intertwined.
"If you came in here and said you couldn't taste or smell, this (a smell test) is the first thing you'd do," Brown said.
A smell test gets a good gauge of your senses and can help determine further tests or treatment.
"There is some evidence you can retrain your brain," Brown said. "As long as you have some sense of smell, there's a chance we can get some of it back for you."
Brown says it is hard to know how much is nature versus nurture because genetics play a big role in which foods we enjoy.
