open access

Vol 26, No 3 (2022)
Original paper
Published online: 2022-11-07
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Salty and umami tastes perception in hypertensive patients and its relationship to dietary sodium intake

Fahimeh Anbari1, Hamidreza Khalighi1, Amir Rakhshani2, Anahita Houshiarrad3, Parisa Hajighasem4
·
Arterial Hypertension 2022;26(3):129-134.
Affiliations
  1. Oral Medicine Department, School of Dentistry, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
  2. Private Dentist, Iran
  3. Department of Nutrition Research, National Nutrition and Food Technology Research Institute, Faculty of Nutrition Sciences and Food Technology, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
  4. Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran

open access

Vol 26, No 3 (2022)
ORIGINAL PAPERS
Published online: 2022-11-07

Abstract

Background: Reducing the dietary sodium intake is one of the most important factors for controlling blood pressure. The changes that occur in perceiving saltiness and umami tastes in people with hypertension can be associated with the level of sodium intake. The aim of this study was to investigate the gustatory perception of these two tastes in patients with hypertension and its association with the level of dietary sodium consumed by these patients.

Material and methods: In this case control study, 40 patients with hypertension and 40 healthy individuals were chosen. The blood pressure was measured for both groups. The power of perceiving saltiness and umami tastes was investigated using sodium chloride and monosodium glutamate solutions respectively both with concentrations of 200 mmol/lit. The individuals specified the power of each taste along a 10-number criterion. Based on the compounds of foods in Iran, the level of sodium consumed per day was calculated by food frequency questionnaire. The data were analyzed by Mann-Whitney, Pearson, Spearman tests.

Results: The mean saltiness perception in the control and case group was 5/8 and 6/6 respectively(p < 0/05) and the mean umami perception the control and case group was 5/5 and 7/6 respectively (p < 0/05). There was an inverse relationship between the level of sodium intake and perceived intensity of saltiness perceptionin case group (p < 0.05).The level of sodium intake had no relationship with perceived intensity of umami taste in none of the groups (p > 0.05). There was also a direct relationship between blood pressure and intensity of perceiving umami taste in case group (p < 0.05).However, no significant relationship was found between blood pressure and the intensity of perceiving saltiness (p > 0.05).

Conclusion: Perceived intensity of saltiness perception in case group higher than control group also perceived intensity of umami perception in case group higher than control group. With increase in the blood pressure, the power of perceiving saltiness and umami increases; with increase in sodium intake, saltiness perception diminishes, but umami perception is left unaffected.

Abstract

Background: Reducing the dietary sodium intake is one of the most important factors for controlling blood pressure. The changes that occur in perceiving saltiness and umami tastes in people with hypertension can be associated with the level of sodium intake. The aim of this study was to investigate the gustatory perception of these two tastes in patients with hypertension and its association with the level of dietary sodium consumed by these patients.

Material and methods: In this case control study, 40 patients with hypertension and 40 healthy individuals were chosen. The blood pressure was measured for both groups. The power of perceiving saltiness and umami tastes was investigated using sodium chloride and monosodium glutamate solutions respectively both with concentrations of 200 mmol/lit. The individuals specified the power of each taste along a 10-number criterion. Based on the compounds of foods in Iran, the level of sodium consumed per day was calculated by food frequency questionnaire. The data were analyzed by Mann-Whitney, Pearson, Spearman tests.

Results: The mean saltiness perception in the control and case group was 5/8 and 6/6 respectively(p < 0/05) and the mean umami perception the control and case group was 5/5 and 7/6 respectively (p < 0/05). There was an inverse relationship between the level of sodium intake and perceived intensity of saltiness perceptionin case group (p < 0.05).The level of sodium intake had no relationship with perceived intensity of umami taste in none of the groups (p > 0.05). There was also a direct relationship between blood pressure and intensity of perceiving umami taste in case group (p < 0.05).However, no significant relationship was found between blood pressure and the intensity of perceiving saltiness (p > 0.05).

Conclusion: Perceived intensity of saltiness perception in case group higher than control group also perceived intensity of umami perception in case group higher than control group. With increase in the blood pressure, the power of perceiving saltiness and umami increases; with increase in sodium intake, saltiness perception diminishes, but umami perception is left unaffected.

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Keywords

gustatory system; hypertension; umami; saltiness; sodium

About this article
Title

Salty and umami tastes perception in hypertensive patients and its relationship to dietary sodium intake

Journal

Arterial Hypertension

Issue

Vol 26, No 3 (2022)

Article type

Original paper

Pages

129-134

Published online

2022-11-07

Page views

3505

Article views/downloads

406

DOI

10.5603/AH.a2022.0013

Bibliographic record

Arterial Hypertension 2022;26(3):129-134.

Keywords

gustatory system
hypertension
umami
saltiness
sodium

Authors

Fahimeh Anbari
Hamidreza Khalighi
Amir Rakhshani
Anahita Houshiarrad
Parisa Hajighasem

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