Salty!

[ljgeoff]

So, for the last couple of years, I've been experiencing a marked increase in my perception of salt tast; everything tastes salty!

Quantitative analysis of taste disorder in COVID-19 patients, the hypersensitivity to salty quality

"The results indicated the increment of sweet (2.68 ± 0.14), sour (3.34 ± 0.12) and bitter (3.39 ± 0.2) thresholds in COVID-19 patients with taste disorder in comparison with patients without taste disorder that the threshold were: 2 ± 0.16, 2.11 ± 0.2 and 2.55 ± 0.5 for sweet, sour, and bitter respectively. On the other hand, the patients inversely showed a significant decrease in the salty taste threshold (0.51 ± 0.03) compared to COVID-19 positive control groups (1.11 ± 0.11)."

So, if you've had covid once or thrice, you may have a higher sensitivity to the taste of salt! And less sensitivity to sweet, bitter, and sour.


M. Mahdi Asadi, Z. Shankayi, F. Bahrami, T. Mohammadzadeh, H. Amini, M. Naderi,
Quantitative analysis of taste disorder in COVID-19 patients, the hypersensitivity to salty quality, New Microbes and New Infections, Volume 43, 2021,100919

Comments

[a_phoenixdragon]

Damn...interesting. Terrible. But interesting. I wonder if the virus leaves elevated or reduced salt levels (like lithium, other alkalines??) as generally when you can taste salt, that means your body (at least in my experience) either means LACK or oversaturation of the same. Either way, interesting.

Terrible. But interesting.

*HUGS*

[ljgeoff]

It seems like a re-wiring of the tastbuds themselves! As you say, disturbing but interesting!

Now I'm wondering if this wiring has epigenetic features, like can this rewiring be passed down to children?

[ljgeoff]

The research is new, and I'll definitely be on the lookout for more papers!

[ljgeoff]

Oh, well, here you go!

"Increased abundance of bacterial pathogens in nasal epithelium and evidence of a specific shift in the nasal microbiome of severe COVID-19 patients indicate an additional environmental factor contributing to COVID-19 symptoms. Disruption of the epigenome through altered methylation and acetylation could impart prolonged, or at times, permanent disruption of the chemical senses. In addition, preliminary evidence from computational analysis of reorganized chromatin further suggests active participation of the epigenome."
(my emphasis)

From Chemosensory Ability and Sensitivity in Health and Disease: Epigenetic Regulation and COVID
Naina Bhatia-Dey, Antonei B Csoka, Thomas Heinbockel
International Journal of Molecular Sciences 24 (4), 4179, 2023

[a_phoenixdragon]

Oh wow!! That is odd and yeesh!! I know that some viruses can rewrite certain biological traits and even alter chemistry, but this is over the top! I too, wonder if it can be passed genetically. I mean, it is an extreme alteration. Almost a mutation, if you will.

[bibliofile]

Interesting! I hadn't heard of the longer term changes in taste sensitivities. Do you think you'll write more about it, or is just a dialed down/up thing?

[ljgeoff]

The research is new, and I'll definitely be on the lookout for more papers!