Taste threshold and acceptability of commercial diets in cancer patients.

An important factor in the etiology of anorexia in cancer may be a change in the sensation of taste. Taste thresholds for the four basic tastes were measured in 50 cancer patients and 50 control subjects. Cancer patients had a higher mean threshold for recognition of sweet (126 mmol/1 sucrose), and a lower mean threshold for bitter (620 mmol/1 urea), compared to the controls (86 mmol/1 sucrose, p = 0.027, and 728 mmol/1 urea, p = 0.002). There was no significant difference in the mean threshold for sour or salt. Eight commercial diets (Build-up, Nutrauxil, Ensure, Clinifeed, Triosorbon, Complan, Isocal, Vivonex) were given to each of the cancer patients and control subjects in order to investigate any possible difference in preference. Scores were often improved by the addition of tasting agents such as Nesquick. Scores for each feed were similar for control and cancer patients apart from Nutrauxil, Ensure and Isocal, which appeared to be preferred by cancer patients. Too much emphasis is often placed upon the contents of formulated diets and too little upon taste and patient acceptability.