Gustatory Stimulation for Alzheimer's and Dementia

Eat, drink, and be merry

Gustatory Stimulation – In many ways taste is the most pleasurable of our senses, depending on how much emphasis one puts on food and eating. Taste is very closely aligned with smell, and can lead to reminiscences. A favorite meal or a dish one hasn't had for a long time often triggers a flood of recollections.

Unfortunately our senses become less acute as we age. In many cases this is more true of taste than the other senses. That doesn't mean that our person with Alzheimer's won't profit from exposure to gustatory stimulation, but foods and beverages chosen for a strong flavor will be more beneficial than a more bland selection. Keep a variety of herbal and flavored teas. Be creative in the kitchen to bring a diversity of tastes to the table. Spice, after all, is the variety of life!

Suggestions for stimulating taste

There are so many things in the kitchen that can be used to stimulate the taste buds, since taste is almost always connected to eating. Remember to look for strong (not to be confused with bad) flavors. The licorice herb, for example, has a stronger taste than parsley: mushrooms sautéed in a red wine sauce have more flavor than if simply sautéed in oil or butter.

• "Tea" has two meanings in today's usage. Tea is traditionally a drink (hot or iced) made from the leaf of one of several varieties of the tea plant, Camellia sinensis. The leaves are processed differently to yield white tea, green tea, oolong tea, and black tea. Kukicha is another option that is brewed from the twigs and stems of the tea plant. Each of these varieties has a distinct taste, and it may be fun to have a tasting to distinguish the varieties. This could be done in a small group for the added social interaction: as in "having tea."
          More recently, "tea" has come to mean any drink made by infusing plant part(s) in hot water. The plant parts could be leaves, bark, root, stem, fruit, berries, flowers, or a combination of these, and these herb teas can be served hot or cold. This results in an almost unlimited diversity of flavors – and odors – to stimulate the senses; additionally, temperature is a tactile discrimination. There are medicinal properties attributed to many herbs and plants. Be careful, since some herbal medicine is strong, and some can react badly with other medications that the dementia patient may be taking. On the other hand, the herbal teas and tea mixtures that are sold in health food stores and supermarkets are most likely safe for general use.
          Best Alzheimer's Products does talk about the healing effects of certain plants in the Prevention section of this website, but we do not prescribe any type of medication, natural or otherwise. Be sure to consult with your medical professional before trying herbal remedies, and see our disclaimer.


• Spices and flavorings – Abundant in most kitchens, spices, herbs, and extracts (vanilla, peppermint, etc.) add interest and variety to the taste of food. Instead of pork chops, serve pork chops with rosemary and garlic. Sprinkle fresh or dried thyme on eggs, just to be different. Bake cookies and make candy that use mint and other strong flavorings; the process will also add aroma to the entire home (olfactory stimulation).


• Food as flavor – There are many foods available to us that were unknown when your Alzheimer's patient was younger. Tropical fruits like Kiwi and Star Fruit are not only deliciously sweet, but beautiful to look at. Arugula, sometimes called rocket, has been used in Mediterranean cuisine for centuries, but is relatively new in the United States. It spices up a salad with a strong peppery taste, and is good with rare, lean beef (our recommendation).

Experiment with new foods and new recipes, and new drinks, as you would with young children. Your person with Alzheimer's disease will not like everything you make, just like children, but you will probably find some new favorites for everyone.

Food for Thought

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There is little formal research investigating the effects of gustatory stimulation on people with Alzheimer's disease. On the other hand, we all know how important tasting and eating are to quality of life.

There is evidence that even bad tastes stimulate the brain. A study reparted in Brain used a saline solution as an "aversive gustatory stimulation," and measured increased activity in several areas in the healthy brain, and brain stimulation is a part of what we are trying to achieve.