Sodium taste threshold in children and its relationship to blood pressure

Abstract

Popular science has emphasized the risks of high sodium intake and many studies have confirmed that salt intake is closely related to hypertension. The present mini-review summarizes experiments about salt taste sensitivity and its relationship with blood pressure (BP) and other variables of clinical and familial relevance. Children and adolescents from control parents (N = 72) or with at least one essential hypertensive (EHT) parent (N = 51) were investigated. Maternal questionnaires on eating habits and vomiting episodes were collected. Offspring, anthropometric, BP, and salt taste sensitivity values were recorded and blood samples analyzed. Most mothers declared that they added "little salt" when cooking. Salt taste sensitivity was inversely correlated with systolic BP (SBP) in control youngsters (r = -0.33; P = 0.015). In the EHT group, SBP values were similar to control and a lower salt taste sensitivity threshold was found. Obese offspring of EHT parents showed higher SBP and C-reactive protein values but no differences in renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system activity. Salt taste sensitivity was correlated with SBP only in the nonobese EHT group (N = 41; r = 0.37; P = 0.02). Salt taste sensitivity was correlated with SBP in healthy, normotensive children and adolescents whose mothers reported significant vomiting during the first trimester (N = 18; r = -0.66; P < 0.005), but not in "non-vomiter offspring" (N = 54; r = -0.18; nonsignificant). There is evidence for a linkage between high blood pressure, salt intake and sensitivity, perinatal environment and obesity, with potential physiopathological implications in humans. This relationship has not been studied comprehensively using homogeneous methods and therefore more research is needed in this field.

Disruption in the Relationship between Blood Pressure and Salty Taste Thresholds among Overweight and Obese Children

“…We found a positive correlation between salty taste thresholds and SBP among normal-weight children but not among overweight and obese children, a relationship that did not extend to MSG thresholds. Thresholds for both tastants were within the range previously reported for both adults 22,37 and children 8 ; however, there was no difference in either MSG or NaCl thresholds between normal-weight and overweight/obese children, as has been reported in adults 22,38 . The lack of a relationship between detection thresholds and obesity among children warrants future exploration of whether alterations in taste sensitivity are a consequence of years of obesity.…”

“…Salty taste detection thresholds were positively correlated with SBP among non-obese but not among obese Spanish children 8 . Among normal- and underweight Nigerian children, salty taste recognition thresholds were positively correlated with SBP (overweight and obese children were not included in the study); in addition, no relationship between SBP and thresholds for sucrose, urea, or hydrochloric acid was observed, indicating the relationship was specific to salty taste 9 .…”

“…Examinations of the link between blood pressure and salty taste sensitivity, measured via detection thresholds (defined as the lowest concentration of a stimulus needed by a subject to detect its presence relative to water 16 ) or recognition thresholds (defined as the lowest concentration of a stimulus correctly identified by name by a subject based on its characteristic taste 16 ), have produced mixed results. Systolic blood pressure (SBP) was positively correlated with salty taste recognition thresholds among normal- and underweight 10- to 17-year-old Nigerian children 9 , and was positively correlated with salty taste detection thresholds among normal-weight but not obese Spanish children (age was not reported) 8 . No relationship between blood pressure and salty taste detection thresholds was found among 11- to 16-year-old American children who ranged from normal weight to obese 3 .…”

“…Because of the well-established link between high dietary salt intake and blood pressure 2 , salty taste has long been an area of focus in examining differences between hypertensives and normotensives in terms of hedonic appeal of salt 3–5 , perceived salty taste intensity 6,7 , and sensitivity to salty taste 5,8–14 , as any differences between these groups may allow for diagnosing or managing hypertension 7,15 . To date, findings from research of this nature have been largely equivocal.…”

Psychophysical Curves for Tasting Based on A Dissociation Model

“…Additionally, some authors emphasize the relevance of salty taste research for the field of health. Both, hyposensitivity or hypersensitivity, could be related to some physical alterations in perception of this quality, and in general with the risks of high sodium intake (i.e., there seems to be a linkage between high blood pressure, salt intake and sensitivity, perinatal environment, and obesity, Arguelles et al 2007). Furthermore, the application of psychophysical curves plays an important role in the design of diets aimed to reduce sodium in foods without significant effects on flavor (Liem et al 2011).…”