title: [Salt taste perception in people above the age of 50].
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Doctors claim that salt intake should be reduced, which, taking into consideration the popularity of salt-rich food, can be a real challenge. So far it has not been determined what makes the reduction of salt intake so difficult, especially in elderly people.
  
  
  METHODS
  The subject of the study was a group of 239 persons (107 women, 132 men), aged 18-34, and a group of 100 persons (54 women and 46 men), aged 51-73. All participants were healthy non-smokers. Salt taste intensity as well as hedonic taste perception of water NaCl solutions (concentrations 0.18%, 0.36% and 0.90%) were examined by means of gustometry examination. The samples were tasted by means of the sip and spit method.
  
  
  RESULTS
  People above the age of 50, as compared to the younger group (18-34) showed lower intensity of salt taste perception with all applied concentrations of NaCl solutions (p < 0.001), as well as a higher hedonic response (0.18%, p < 0.01; 0.36% and 0.90%, p < 0.001). In the group of people above the age of 50, women perceived the salt taste of 0.18% NaCl solution with less intensity than men (p < 0.05) and responded with more intensity (p = 0.05) to the hedonic taste perception of 0.36% NaCl solution.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In the process of aging, the salt taste intensity is decreased and the hedonic response to salt taste is increased which may result in higher salt intake. The changes are more significant in women above the age of 50 than in men.
authors.affiliation: Katedra i Zakład Podstawowych Nauk Biomedycznych w Sosnowcu, Slaski Uniwersytet Medyczny w Katowicach. wandas@sum.edu.pl
authors.forename: Wanda
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Suchecka
authors.forename: Magdalena
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hartman
authors.forename: Ewa
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Klimacka-Nawrot
authors.forename: Antoni
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Stadnicki
authors.forename: Barbara
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Błońska-Fajfrowska
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000375:Aging / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D005518:Food Preferences / Q000145:classification*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017673:Sodium Chloride, Dietary / Q000008:administration & dosage; D013651:Taste Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D055697:Taste Perception / Q000502:physiology*; D013652:Taste Threshold / Q000502:physiology*; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D017673:Sodium Chloride, Dietary