Change in taste? You’re not alone

Taste changes are common with a kidney cancer diagnosis, this can either be down to treatment or the cancer itself. Some treatments may damage your taste buds or nerve endings affecting your taste. For some people this is reversed if the treatment is stopped, however, for some it is permanent. The cancer itself can interfere with the normal signals of your body changing how you perceive taste, this may be most common if you have had it metastasised to your brain. You may find that you stop liking foods that you previously enjoyed or you may start enjoying foods you had no interest in before. One thing for sure is that everyone’s experience is unique to them.

There are some simple changes you can make that may help you with this change, as it is important to keep eating enough to ensure your body is getting the energy it needs and is even more important if you are recovering from a nephrectomy or having treatment. It’s important that you discuss any issues with your GP if you are unable to maintain your normal weight or are concerned you are not taking in enough nutrients throughout the day.

Firstly, having a dry mouth can affect your taste so, drink lots of water, it is important to stay hydrated as a dry mouth can create a bad taste. Alongside this, good oral hygiene can also help with removing a bad taste that may build up. The taste of food can also be improved by chewing your food thoroughly, also, some foods taste better at different temperatures.

Below are some tips when preparing food that may also help with your altered taste:

• Stronger-tasting food can help, you could do this by adding herbs, spices, onion or anything that you enjoy to help boost the taste of what you are eating
• Adding strong-tasting condiments to a meal may also enhance your taste, such as mustard or a salad dressing
• Experimenting with different textures and foods you are less familiar with may also help you find something that you enjoy
• If you find that it has been stronger tastes you are struggling with you could try blander options such as porridge, mashed potatoes, bread or chicken.
• Adding sauces to a meal may also prevent your mouth from becoming dry.
• Experimenting with different proteins may also help if you are struggling with meat, you could substitute with egg, fish, nuts, lentils, beans, tofu and Quorn.

If a food you normally like tastes unpleasant it might be worth branching out to different foods, you can come back and try it again at a later date. If you have been struggling with your taste it might be worth just eating the foods you enjoy rather than focusing on the foods you are struggling with.

You can find further information in our online Understanding Kidney Cancer booklet on Diet. Read or download HERE

References
https://www.malnutritionpathway.co.uk/library/loss_of_taste.pdf
Taste changes – Cancer side-effects | World Cancer Research Fund (wcrf-uk.org)
https://www.nutricia.com/specialize/oncology/taste.html