Blind people cannot see. Deaf people cannot hear. Many older people can probably answer that question.
Experts say that losing the ability to taste is a normal part of aging.
As one grows older, sensory receptor cells in the nose and on the tongue are not replaced as often. This diminished sense of taste, and smell, can start as early as age 50 and is quite common in people in their 80s. While there are ways to enhance the taste of food for older people and improve their appetites, caregivers should first get to the root of the problem, says Susan Schiffman, Ph.D, a psychologist at Duke University in North Carolina and a leading expert in taste and smell. A health condition like diabetes, depression or Alzheimer's disease could compromise a person's sense of taste and smell, Schiffman says. And many medications interfere with taste by causing digestive problems or reducing the amount of saliva in the mouth, making food unappealing.