Change in taste preference in undernourished elderly hospitalized subjects during periods of infection and convalescence

Aim To determine the impact of taste pleasure supplements on modifications of food intake in hospitalized frail elderly patients. Methods Thirty hospitalized frail elderly patients tasted different formulas of a high-protein coffee supplement: -supplement C, commercial version; - supplement CA with artificial coffee flavor; - supplement CS with sucrose and - supplement CAS with sucrose and artificial coffee flavor. The preference for the supplements was analyzed by the Friedman test followed by a post hoc Tukey’s test. The food intakes in each period were compared by repeated ANOVA and the food intakes of the two periods were compared using Student’s t test. All measurements were made during periods of infection and convalescence. Results The supplements CAS and CS were significantly more appreciated than the current commercial version C (P