Objectives: Increasing salt preferences with age are said to increase preferences of
salty foods, thereby leading to greater sodium consumption, which has further
implication for hypertension. This study examined the link between preference of salty
taste and dietary factors and health-related risk factors in Korean elderly people.
Methods: We studied 312 elderly individuals aged > 65 years (male, 100 and female,
212). With each subject, pleasant concentration of NaCl was estimated using the sipand-
spit method. Dietary habits, food preferences, consumption frequencies, anthropometric
and biochemical assessment were assessed.
Results: The pleasant salt concentration was significantly increased in individuals older
than 75 years (p < 0.05). Subjects who liked high concentration of salt showed
significantly higher preferences for salty foods (p < 0.001). Results showed significant
effects (p < 0.01) of fruit & fruit juice consumption frequencies, MNA (mini-nutritional
assessment), cognition score, BMI, body fat %, waist circumference, arm circumference,
calf circumference, vitamin D level that subjects who likes low salty taste were
higher than subjects who likes high salty taste.
Conclusions: The preference for salty taste in the elderly was not correlated with
hypertension. But, increased preference for salty taste with age and increased salty food
preferences may result in higher sodium consumption. Therefore, nutritional education
regarding lowering salt preference and favorable behaviors of low-salt diet is needed to
improve the quality of life in the rural elderly.