Older women may find sweets more tempting
Women may be at risk of developing a sweet tooth after they go through the menopause, a study suggests.
Researchers in Turkey have found evidence indicating hormonal changes in the female body also affect the palate.
They have discovered post-menopausal women are less able to taste sweet foods.
As a result they are more likely to eat more or even sweeter foods than before in an effort to satisfy their taste buds.
Sweet and sour
Researchers at Ankara University based their findings on tests on 20 post-menopausal women with an average age of 60 and 20 men of the same age.
They were each asked to taste a range of different solutions and to identify whether they were salty, sweet, bitter or sweet.
The researchers found no differences between women and men when it came to the salty, sour or bitter solutions.
But they found women were less likely to detect the sweet solutions.
The researchers also asked the women if they had noticed a change in their tastes since the menopause or if they had changed their diets.
Just 35% of women said they had noticed a change in their ability to taste food but 45% acknowledged their diets had changed.
This difference led researchers to conclude that women were eating stronger tasting foods without realising it.
The researchers were unable to explain why the menopause may trigger changes in women's palates but they said the findings contained a serious health message.
They said women who increase their intake of sweet foods may also increase their chances of becoming obese or developing heart disease or diabetes.
Writing in the British Dental Journal, they said: "Individuals with a loss of sensitivity to sweet tastes may sweeten foods with potentially serious consequences, especially for those with diabetes mellitus, cardiac disease or obesity."
They added: "The crucial issue to be aware of is that the possible changes due to menopause can lead to more serious health problems, although these changes may not be uncomfortable to the patient."
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The practice of putting women on pedestals began to die out when it was discovered that they could give orders better from there.~ Betty Grable
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