From the Guidelines
Diabetic patients can lose their sense of taste due to high blood sugar levels damaging nerves, including those responsible for taste sensation, a condition called diabetic neuropathy, as well as dry mouth and oral health problems 1. The loss of taste sensation in diabetic patients is a complex issue, involving multiple factors related to their condition.
Key Factors Contributing to Loss of Taste
- High blood sugar levels can damage nerves throughout the body, including those responsible for taste sensation, a condition called diabetic neuropathy, which can impact cranial nerves that control taste 1.
- Diabetes frequently causes dry mouth (xerostomia) by reducing saliva production, which impairs the ability of taste buds to detect flavors since saliva helps dissolve food particles.
- Oral health problems, such as teeth decay and dry mouth, can lead to a loss of taste sensation, as noted in patients with diabetes 1.
- Diabetes medications and poor blood glucose control can also contribute to taste changes.
Management and Prevention
To manage taste changes, diabetic patients should:
- Maintain tight glucose control through proper medication adherence, regular blood sugar monitoring, and following their prescribed diet.
- Practice good oral hygiene, stay hydrated, and have regular dental check-ups to minimize taste disturbances.
- Discuss medication adjustments with their healthcare provider if taste changes are significant, as alternative treatments might have fewer effects on taste sensation. As the most recent and highest quality study suggests, optimizing glucose control is crucial to prevent or delay the development of neuropathy in patients with type 1 diabetes and to slow the progression of neuropathy in patients with type 2 diabetes 1.
From the Research
Loss of Sensory Sense of Taste in Diabetic Patients
- Diabetic patients may experience a loss of sensory sense of taste due to various factors, including duration of diabetes, peripheral neuropathy, and central obesity 2, 3, 4.
- Studies have shown that taste recognition thresholds are higher in diabetic patients, indicating a decrease in taste sensation 2, 5, 6.
- The four primary tastes (sweet, sour, salty, and bitter) are affected in diabetic patients, with some studies suggesting a significant increase in taste threshold for these tastes 2, 5, 6.
Factors Contributing to Loss of Taste
- Duration of diabetes is a significant factor contributing to taste impairment, with longer duration of diabetes associated with greater taste impairment 3, 4.
- Peripheral neuropathy is also a strong predictor of taste disorders in diabetic patients, suggesting a neuropathic mechanism for taste impairment 3, 4.
- Central obesity, as measured by waist circumference, is associated with higher taste recognition thresholds, indicating a possible link between obesity and taste impairment 2.
Studies on Taste Impairment in Diabetic Patients
- A study published in 2018 found that taste recognition thresholds were higher in uncomplicated type 2 diabetic patients, and central obesity was significantly associated with this impairment 2.
- Another study published in 1990 found that electric hypogeusia was present in 54% of type 1 diabetic patients, and was associated with complications of diabetes, especially peripheral neuropathy 3.
- A study published in 2020 found that taste function was reduced in patients with type 2 diabetes, and was not related to gender, disease duration, or glycemic control 6.