Why You May Be Losing Your Sense of Taste
It's common as we age. Here's what to do.
You probably know that certain senses, like hearing and vision, become less acute with age. But you might not realize that taste is another one. In a 2025 study published in The International Forum of Allergy & Rhinology, researchers gave taste tests to 1,392 healthy people ages 10 to 94, and found that the ability to perceive flavors started diminishing in people in their 30s and dropped sharply after age 60.
The reasons are complex. Much of what we describe as taste is actually smell, and “the nerves that conduct the sense of smell tend to shrink as we age,” says Nicholas Rowan, MD, an associate professor of otolaryngology-head and neck surgery at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine in Baltimore. In addition, the number and sensitivity of the taste buds decline, along with the efficiency of the salivary glands and blood flow to the tongue, which also help us savor food.
But just because a lessening of taste and smell is normal doesn’t mean you should ignore it. “If you can’t taste well, that can lead to depression and other emotional issues,” says Peter G. Michaelson, MD, a clinical assistant professor of otolaryngology and head and neck surgery at Stony Brook Medicine in New York. It’s also associated with frailty and nutritional deficiencies.
Fortunately, a complete loss of taste and smell is rare, and the strategies below can help sharpen those senses.
First, See a Doctor
“The first six weeks of a decreased sense of smell or taste are critical for diagnosis and treatment,” Michaelson says, so it’s important to see an otolaryngologist, or ENT (which stands for ear, nose, and throat) doctor, as soon as possible.
Check Your Meds
Be sure to go over all of your prescriptions with your doctor. Up to half of the top 100 most prescribed drugs affect taste or smell negatively, according to a 2018 report published in the World Journal of Otorhinolaryngology. They include statins and some blood pressure meds, antibiotics, antidepressants, and sleep drugs. Plus, a new study in the journal Physiology & Behavior suggests that GLP-1 agonists (such as Ozempic and Wegovy) significantly reduce the sense of taste but not smell.
Retrain Your Brain
Your doctor may recommend olfactory training to help with a loss of smell. That’s when you regularly sniff a series of scents twice a day for a period of time. In a study in the journal Rhinology, 71 percent of people who did such training for a year regained at least some of their sense of smell.
Enhance Your Experience
Bump up seasonings. Those that pack a punch, like ginger, onions, garlic, and chili, are especially helpful. (Don’t use more salt because too much sodium may raise blood pressure.)
Avoid dry mouth. Saliva helps carry flavors throughout the mouth. So stay hydrated, and try adding something tart to your meals, such as lemon, to stimulate saliva production.
Chew thoroughly. This gives the flavor compounds more time to travel from the mouth to the nasal cavity.
Keep meals simple. Michaelson suggests avoiding combo platters or casseroles, which can make it more difficult to isolate flavors.
Mix textures. This plays a role in taste perception. For instance, try apples slices, celery, or crackers with peanut or almond butter for a combo of crunchy and creamy.
Editor’s Note: This article also appeared in the December 2025 issue of Consumer Reports on Health.
