Why Vitamins and Minerals Are Important To Your Taste Buds

Of all the possible causes of taste loss – this one is the most easily treated.  If you know that you haven't been eating very well and have felt unusually tired, then you may be suffering from some very common nutritional deficiencies. Vitamins A, B and zinc are all important for the sense of taste.

It's thought that as many as 40% of otherwise healthy people suffer from a lack of vitamin B12 and don't even know it.  Common symptoms of this deficiency include:  feeling weak, fatigue or lightheaded, nausea and weight loss, diarrhea or constipation, forgetfulness, confusion, depression, sore, red or bleeding tongue and gums, shortness of breath, very pale skin and taste loss.

B12 is critical to the body because it helps make red blood cells which carry oxygen throughout the body.  A shortage of B12 often leads to a condition called anemia.  Over time, a chronic lack of this essential vitamin can cause nerve damage and feelings of tingling or numbness in your fingers and toes (pins and needles), poor balance, depression and even dementia.   Simple blood tests can be conducted to test for anemia. 

Although most people get enough B12 from meat, milk, cheese, ice cream, fish, eggs and poultry aging affects how well our body absorbs it.  This means that as we age, we are more vulnerable to anemia and its health related problems.

Fortunately, B12 deficiency is easy to treat.  Supplements are easy to find in drugstores or health food stores without a prescription.  However, oral supplements are not the first line of treatment.  More often a physician will prescribe a B12 shot because it gets into your system much more quickly and in a much larger dose.  After your initial shots, you will need to continue to take a B12 oral supplement for the rest of your life to prevent the return of the symptoms of this deficiency. 

Patience will be need though, because taste loss from a B12 deficiency can take over three months to return after treatments begin.  In most cases of mild deficiency it will return to normal.  A B12 deficiency should be taken very seriously because if severe, it can brain damage.  Once this has occurred, the return of taste to normal is unlikely. 

Niacin (vitamin B3) deficiency is also thought to play a role in taste loss.  Very little research has been done in this area, but there is some that suggestion that loss of taste or metallic tastes in mouth can be treated successfully with vitamin A and niacin.

A substantial number of older adults (35-40% of those over 60) are not getting enough zinc.  Even when supplements are taken 20-25% of older adults still remain zinc deficient.  Zinc is known to be essential for maintaining the immune system, wound repair and growth.  It is thought that it plays an important role in the regrowth of taste buds so it makes sense that a deficiency would cause taste loss.  Zinc is found in a variety of foods (meat, beans, and fortified cereals), but can also be taken as a supplement if a deficiency is suspected.  If taste loss has occurred from a zinc deficiency, then patience will be needed to see improvement.  It can take as long as three months or more to see results after supplementation has been started. (Note:  Never take zinc nasal sprays.  There have been cases of people losing their sense of smell and taste from zinc nasal sprays.)

Of course, the best way to prevent deficiencies in these vitamins and minerals is to eat a well-balanced diet.  But if you know that you have been a bit lax in this area and you start having taste loss problems then check with your doctor for anemia and consider taking nutritional supplements.