Quote:
Originally Posted by manaboutown
I grew up in New Mexico eating hot chili daily. In high school a buddy and I used to have Jalapeņo eating contests. One would think my taste buds would be shot by now but I ended up living much of my adult life where the food was pretty bland. Today when I am in New Mexico I find I can not handle the hot chili anymore so I stick with mostly mild, medium at most.
Moreover at age 73 I am still quite picky about coffee and wine so I must have enough taste buds left to discern their quality and characteristics. I still thoroughly enjoy what I eat and drink.
Might it be a use them or lose them proposition?
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That's a good question. I know that certain things can be repaired or replaced. The medical community used to think that once you lost brain cells, they could never be replaced. Research now shows that the brain can create new cells (neurogenesis).
Too bad it doesn't seem to work with Alzheimer's. My father lost his sense of smell about 20 years before he was diagnosed with Alzheimer's. Now it's said that loss of smell can be an early warning sign of this disease. In the case of Alzheimer's, I doubt that his nose changed, it was his brain that was changing. So now I wonder if loss of taste might also be an early warning sign of Alzheimer's. It may be that the food one tastes just doesn't register in the brain.
They say that loss of balance can also be an early warning sign of dementia.