Jakarta - Researchers have linked the loss of the sense of taste to detect salty and sour tastes with a higher risk of premature death.
In a new study published in JAMA Otolaryngology–Head & Neck Surgery , researchers found that those who lost their sense of taste had a 47 percent higher risk of premature death.
According to a Medical Daily report on Monday (17/2), the study, which evaluated the condition of more than seven thousand adults aged over 40, also showed that people who could not taste salty food were 65 percent more likely to die prematurely.
Meanwhile, those who lost the ability to detect sour tastes had a 69 percent higher risk, according to the new study.
Although the senses of smell and taste are often associated with each other, the study noted that when people lost their sense of taste, they had a higher risk of death, especially in women (71 percent), even if they could still smell normally.