The influence of zinc deficiency on taste disorders in selected medical aspects

Taste disorders are a serious impediment to the process of eating meals. There are many mechanisms that determine the development of taste disorders. One of them is believed to be zinc deficiency. Zinc is responsible for the processes of regeneration of taste and smell centres. It plays a significant role in the cells of the taste bud. Our study aims to present the role of zinc deficiency on the occurrence of taste disorders in selected medical aspects, such as in the course of diabetes, as a result of radiotherapy and chemotherapy of head and neck cancers, resulting from old age, and in the course of oral cavity halitosis. The study analyzed articles available in the PubMed database. The consequence of the reduced zinc content is its incorrect amount in the epithelium of the tongue, which may be the result of a reduced ability of cells to regenerate after the destructive effects of pathological factors. The result of zinc deficiency is its reduced amount in the salivary glands, which results in reduced activity of carbonic anhydrase 6 (gustin), which is a component of saliva. Zinc is also involved in the process of experiencing taste by affecting neuronal processes. Zinc ions inhibit oral malodor by binding directly to hydrogen sulfide gas and by inhibiting the growth of oral bacteria that produce volatile sulfur compounds. In the study, we focus on the mechanisms that determine the abnormal perception of taste and potential therapeutic possibilities based on current scientific reports.