Tastier food for elderly patients

Research has found that the elderly in British hospitals often suffer from malnutrition because nurses do not have the time to help them eat. Another problem is the gradual loss of the finer taste and smell faculties, which in turn causes a loss of enjoyment when eating.

Finding food tasteless discourages eating, and could result in malnutrition. Hence researchers at the University of Reading are attempting to solve this problem at hospitals by enhancing the taste of the food served to elderly patients, according to a Craegmoor report.

The purpose is to help these patients increase their food intake and minimise the likelihood of malnutrition.

Malnutrition is indeed a significant problem among the elderly in hospitals. Dr. Lisa Methven, lead researcher at the University, said: "Malnutrition is a particular problem for older adults in hospital and nursing home settings‚ and it can result in longer periods of illness‚ slower recovery from surgery and infection and increased mortality rates."

The celebrity chef Heston Blumenthal is backing to project, which is funded by Age UK’s Research into Ageing division.

Primary to the research is umami – a central taste in Japanese food.

Umami is known as the “fifth taste” and means “delicious and savoury” when translated from the Japanese. It occurs naturally in foods such as shiitake mushrooms, tomatoes and tuna.

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