Aging and Our Senses.

The Boomer Chronicle has a series of short articles titled Aging and Our Senses - here’s what you have to look forward to about your sense of taste:

Our approximately 9,000 taste buds begin to decrease in number beginning at about age 40 to 50 in women and at 50 to 60 in men.

And even the remaining taste buds begin to fall apart.

In addition, your mouth produces less saliva as you age, which makes it difficult for the brain to recognize taste.

But don’t despair. The sensitivity to the various taste sensations (salty, sweet, bitter, sour, umami) does not seem to decrease until after age 60, if at all.

If taste sensation is lost, usually salty and sweet tastes are lost first, with bitter and sour tastes lasting slightly longer.

Read the rest of the articles: Hearing, Sight, Smell, Taste, and Touch.