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Posted on Oct 04, 2002, 5 a.m.
By Bill Freeman
Results of a recent study have revealed that people are losing their sense of taste and smell at a much earlier age, and therefore putting themselves at risk of developing serious health and dietary problems as they head into old age. The loss of taste in old age means that the elderly tend to put two to three times more salt in their food, and as much as 12 times more if they are taking some types of medication.
Results of a recent study have revealed that people are losing their sense of taste and smell at a much earlier age, and therefore putting themselves at risk of developing serious health and dietary problems as they head into old age. The loss of taste in old age means that the elderly tend to put two to three times more salt in their food, and as much as 12 times more if they are taking some types of medication. Such large doses of salt could cause high blood pressure, which in turn raises the risk of heart disease, heart attack, and stroke. However, researchers at Oxford University in the UK think we could help to keep our senses in shape if we stimulated them a little more often. Study leader Dr Charles Spence believes the root of the problem is our love of the not-so-great indoors. "We have moved away from an outdoor physical lifestyle to one in which we spend 90% of our time indoors… while our visual senses overdose on information, the emotional senses of touch and smell are neglected," he said.
SOURCE/REFERENCE: Reported by www.bbc.co.uk on the 27th May 2002
