• Korean Journal of Community Nutrition
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• v.19 no.5
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• pp.448-458
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• 2014

Objectives: Increasing salt preferences with age are said to increase preferences of salty foods, thereby leading to greater sodium consumption, which has further implication for hypertension. This study examined the link between preference of salty taste and dietary factors and health-related risk factors in Korean elderly people. Methods: We studied 312 elderly individuals aged > 65 years (male, 100 and female, 212). With each subject, pleasant concentration of NaCl was estimated using the sip-and-spit method. Dietary habits, food preferences, consumption frequencies, anthropometric and biochemical assessment were assessed. Results: The pleasant salt concentration was significantly increased in individuals older than 75 years (p < 0.05). Subjects who liked high concentration of salt showed significantly higher preferences for salty foods (p < 0.001). Results showed significant effects (p < 0.01) of fruit & fruit juice consumption frequencies, MNA (mini-nutritional assessment), cognition score, BMI, body fat %, waist circumference, arm circumference, calf circumference, vitamin D level that subjects who likes low salty taste were higher than subjects who likes high salty taste. Conclusions: The preference for salty taste in the elderly was not correlated with hypertension. But, increased preference for salty taste with age and increased salty food preferences may result in higher sodium consumption. Therefore, nutritional education regarding lowering salt preference and favorable behaviors of low-salt diet is needed to improve the quality of life in the rural elderly.

• Journal of Community Nutrition
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• v.8 no.4
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• pp.185-192
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• 2006

This study was performed to investigate factors affecting sensitivity and preference for salty tastes of Korean adult females. Sensitivity and preference for salty tastes were determined as detection threshold concentration of NaCl solution and the optimally-preferred NaCl concentration of the bean sprout soup, respectively. A self-administered questionnaire was used to obtain the information regarding general characteristics, self diagnosis of stress, health-related lifestyle practices, dietary habits and food preferences. Dietary intake using 24-hours recall and blood pressure were measured. Salty taste detection thresholds and optimally-preferred NaCl concentrations were 0.0197% and 0.357%, respectively. There was a significant positive correlation between the optimally-preferred salt concentration and age, despite no significant correlation between either sensitivity or preference for salty taste and sodium intake, which was 3,605mg/day. Those who had bread or cereal with milk as breakfast instead of a traditional Korean meal and those who preferred jjigae to soup had significantly higher NaCl preferences for bean sprout soup. Going to bed after midnight and skipping meals (${\geq}3/week$) decreased salty taste sensitivity without reaching statistical significance. Self awareness of one's own health, recent weight changes, family history of hypertension, sleep quality, getting-up time, rate of eating and other food preferences did not affect either perception. Stress level, TV watching, BMI and sodium intake did not have significant correlation to sensitivity or preference. Further research including a large number of well-controlled subjects and more accurate measurement of sodium intake should be directed to find other factors affecting salt preference and sensitivity in order to decrease Na intake and related diseases.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.41 no.2
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• pp.184-191
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• 2008

The purpose of this study was to assess and evaluate salty taste preferences. Samples for the salty taste test were made by adding sodium chloride to soybean sprout soup at five different concentrations: 0.08% (unsalty) ; 0.16% (slightly unsalty) ; 0.31% (neither unsalty nor salty) ; 0.63% (slightly salty) ; and 1.25% (salty). Over 4,210 subjects were randomly selected and tested over a three-year period from 2005 to 2007 in Daegu. The results of the taste test were as follows: Forty-five percent of the subjects preferred soup with a salty taste and slightly salty taste. Most subjects preferred soup with a 0.31% concentration of sodium chloride. There were positive relationships between intensity and preference in 0.08%, 0.16%, and 0.31% concentrations, but there were negative relationships between intensity and preference in 0.63% and 1.25% concentrations (p<0.01). Upon examining a relationship between the taste assessment results and salty eating attitude scores, it was found that the subjects who preferred slightly salty and salty taste showed higher total scores in terms of habitual preference for/enjoyment of eating salty foods than the other groups. Comparing the taste test results with the subjects' stated preference, it was found that 70.3% of the subjects who were classified as preferring salty taste recognized this preference and 53.3% of the subjects who were classified into the population than tends to eat slightly salty food responded that they also tend to prefer a salty taste. Based on these results, this salty taste assessment study can be used as a practical and useful nutrition education tool for assessing and possibly reducing salt intake.

• Korean Journal of Community Nutrition
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• v.8 no.5
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• pp.631-641
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• 2003

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of preschool children's taste preferences on their intake of nutrients and the degree of dental caries. The subjects were 126 preschool children (boys 62 and girls 64) in Daegu area. Their taste preferences and food intake were investigated and their teeth were also examined. The energy intake of boys (1550 kcal) were significantly higher than that of girls (1441 kcal). Daily dietary intakes of nutrients-except niacin and vitamin C-were higher than those of RDA. Vitamin B$_1$ intake of the group preferring a salty taste was significantly lower than that of the other group (p<0.05). Vitamin B$_2$ intake of the group preferring a salty taste was significantly higher than that of the other group (p<0.05). Vitamin C intake of the group preferring a hot taste was significantly higher than that of the other group (p<0.05). The group with a preference for sweet had more experiences of dental caries and more decayed teeth than the other group, but which is not significant. The experiences of dental caries were negatively correlated with protein intake (p<0.01). The decayed teeth were negatively correlated with energy and protein intakes (p<0.01). Our data suggested that taste preferences are associated with vitamins intake and the degree of dental caries in preschool children. It means the sweet preference increased the experiences of the dental caries.

• The Korean Journal of Food And Nutrition
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• v.30 no.4
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• pp.780-787
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• 2017

The consumption of high-salt foods is an independent risk factor for increased hypertension. Thus, evaluating the relationship of taste sensitivity and pleasantness of high-salt foods such as Korean jang products, would help contribute to an understanding of salty food eating behaviors of the Korean rural elderly. This study aimed to verify the association between taste sensitivity and salinity of Korean jang products, and the preferences of food groups and nutrient intake in the rural elderly. We studied 269 elderly persons (males 83, females 186) aged above 65 years, residing in the rural area, Sunchang gun Jeonbuk. For each subject, a recognition threshold of 4 basic tastes and pleasant concentrations of NaCl were estimated using the sip- and-spit method. Taste preferences, frequency of intake of food groups, nutrient intakes, and salinity and sweetness of Korean jang products (Doenjang, Ganjang, Gochujang) were assessed. No association was found between salt taste recognition threshold and optimally preferred concentration of salt and salinity of Korean jang products. However, the sweet taste recognition threshold was positively related to the sweetness of Korean jang products. Also, the salinity of Doenjang positively correlated with the frequencies of food groups and nutrient intakes. That is to say that the sweet taste sensitivity was related to the sweetness of Korean jang products, but was not sensitive to the salty taste. The salinity of Doenjang correlated with the consumption of food and nutrient intakes. Taken together, these findings suggest the need for appropriate intervention and education to reduce the salinity of Doenjang, which is an important modifiable factor contributing to reducing sodium intake in the rural elderly.

• Korean Journal of Community Nutrition
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• v.18 no.3
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• pp.223-232
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• 2013

The purpose of the study was to investigate the influence of salt (NaCl) recognition threshold and pleasant salt concentrations of Korean rural elderly subjects on preference of salty food as well as food group consumption patterns. The subjects were 213 elderly people (male 71 and female 142) over 65 and under 90 yr of age from Sunchang area. The higher values were found with male subjects in the areas of basic taste recognition threshold and pleasant concentration level of salt. The taste sensitivity scores of male subjects did not decrease with the increasing age, but female subjects exhibited a significant decrease with the age. The major determinant factor of salt preference of the elderly subjects in this study appeared to be personal pleasant concentration of salt rather than salt recognition threshold level and this trend was more evident in males than in females. The subject group of lower salt pleasant concentration i.e. consuming less salt showed the higher number of fruit and fruit juice intakes per week, and higher MNA (define this) scores were implying that they display more desirable nutritional status. Therefore, nutritional education focused on not only a variety of food consumption but also lowering pleasant salt concentration levels is advised to improve the quality of nutrition in the elderly.

• Korean Journal of Community Nutrition
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• v.27 no.1
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• pp.27-35
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• 2022

Objectives: The purposes of this study were to compare the degree of sodium reduction practice and estimate sodium intake by salty food preference. Methods: Sodium reduction practices, salty food preferences and estimated sodium intake were surveyed for restaurant owners (n = 80), employees (n = 82) and customers (n = 727) at the restaurants participating in the sodium reduction project in Daegu, Korea. Estimated sodium intake was performed by examining sex, age, body mass index (BMI), salty eating habit and dietary behaviors. Results: The degree of sodium reduction practice was significantly higher in salinity meter use (P < 0.001), low salt seasonings (P < 0.001) and efforts to make the foods as bland as possible overall (P < 0.001) in the restaurants participating in sodium reduction project than in homes (P < 0.001). The degree of sodium reduction practice appeared lower in the high salty food preference group than in the low-preference group in such items as efforts to make the foods as bland as possible overall (P < 0.05) and washing the salty taste and then cooking (P < 0.05). The high-preference group showed high-salt dietary behavior, including eating all the soup until nothing was left (P < 0.05) more than the low-preference group, but low-salt dietary behavior included checking the sodium content in processed foods (P < 0 .0 5) less than the low-preference group. The high-preference group was higher in the soup and stew intake frequency than the low-preference group (P < 0.05) and much lower in nuts (P < 0.05) and fruits (P < 0.05) intake frequency. The high-preference group had a higher salty eating habit (P < 0.05), salty taste assessment (P < 0.05) and estimated sodium intake (P < 0.05) than the low-preference group. Conclusions: The present study showed that the salty food preference was strongly associated with lower sodium reduction practice and higher estimated sodium intake.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Culture
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• v.24 no.4
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• pp.359-365
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• 2009

The objective of this study was to investigate a method to improve and to increase the utilization of Korean traditional food in middle school students by examining preferences and perceptions. Middle school students in Seoul area were surveyed from 29 November to 6 December 2007. The results are summarized as follows: 83.9% students ate Korean food as breakfast. The reasons for the success of Korean food were 'Nation's traditional food' (29.2%), 'fit in taste' (27.4%), and 'suitable match of nutrients' (24.8%). Students responded that the following needed to be changed in order to improve Korean food: 'alleviation of strong taste' (30.3%), 'various cooking methods' (23.9%), and 'convenience of eating the food' (22.1%). Meal preferences in this survey of middle school students were 'Korean food' (4.09), 'Western food' (4.08), 'Japanese food' (4.00), 'Chinese food' (3.91) and 'Fast food' (3.55). Perceptions in the taste of Korean food were 'spicy taste' (3.28), 'hot taste' (3.22), and 'salty taste' (3.15). Male students (3.23) perceived a higher salty taste than female students (3.05). Expectations for the taste of Korean food included 'spicy taste' (3.16) and hot taste (3.03). Male students (3.25) anticipated the spicier taste more than female students (3.05).

• Food Science and Industry
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• v.51 no.4
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• pp.313-324
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• 2018

As excessive intake of salt is regarded as a reason for health problems, the tendency of people to attempt to reduce intake of salt in their everyday lives is on the rise. In Korea, where many people have a higher intake of salt compared to those in other countries, there have been diverse efforts to improve on this eating habit. Protein hydrolysates are chemically, physically hydrolyzed protein that have been widely utilized as a material for not only regular food but health functional food due to have diverse biological effects such as anti-oxidation, anti-inflammation, prevention of diabetes, and regulation of blood pressure. Various amino acids such as glutamic acid, arginine and arginine dipeptides, which exist in the components of protein hydrolysates, have also been recently recognized as being helpful in decreasing the use of salt in foods as they can greatly enhance salty taste when used concurrently with salt due to having both salty and palatable flavors. In the case of protein hydrolysates that decompose soy protein or fish protein such as anchovy, they could reduce consumption of salt by as much as 50% without affecting people's food preferences when applied to food as they boost salty taste by approximately 10% to 70%. Although there are only a few studies on protein hydrolysates as a salty taste enhancer or salt substitute, the results of several studies are indicative of the potential of protein hydrolysates as a salty taste enhancing ingredient.

• Korean Journal of Community Nutrition
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• v.6 no.2
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• pp.130-138
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• 2001

This study investigated the effect of taste preference(sweet, sour, salty, hot) on anthropometric measurements and nutrient intakes of 256 primary school children in Kwangju. There was no significant difference in the anthropometric measurements according to the sweet taste preference. Height, weight, triceps, abdomen, and chest circumferences of the group preferring a sour taste, however, were significantly lower than those of the other groups. The height of the group preferring a salty taste was significantly shorter than that of the other groups and there was a tendency toward high systolic blood pressure and diastolic blood pressure. The waist circumference of the group not preferring the hot taste was larger than those of the other groups. There was no significant difference in the energy intake according to the sweet taste preference. The protein intake of the group preferring a sweet taste as significantly lower than that of the other groups. The fiber intake of the group preferring a sour taste was significantly higher than that of the other groups. There were no significant differences in the nutrient intakes according to the salty taste preference. The energy intake of the group preferring a hot taste was lower than that of the other groups. The results show that children's taste preferences influence anthropometric measurements and nutrient intakes. These results suggest that children's eating behaviors are in needs of correction. The findings of this study should be applied to nutrition education to ensure better physical fitness of children.