Taste Perception in Three Individuals on a Low Sodium Diet

There is little information on the effect of dietary sodium on taste responses to sodium in humans. Since individuals with hypertension are routinely suggested to maintain a low sodium diet, knowledge of effects of changes in dietary sodium on taste is important. Three subjects were placed on a low sodium diet for three and a half weeks. Detection thresholds for salt and sucrose solutions, and sensory and hedonic responses to salt in soup and sucrose in Kool-Aid were monitored before, during, and after placement on the diet. Detection thresholds for salt and sugar solutions, and intensity and pleasantness ratings of sweetened Kool-Aid were unaffected by dietary manipulation whereas intensity and pleasantness ratings of salt in soup were altered. While the subjects were on the low sodium diet, highly salted soup was judged to taste less intense and more pleasant compared with pre- and post-diet periods. These data parallel results obtained with sodium deficient rats.