Whatever I eat, I cannot sense salt. Everything tastes saltless.

Question

Although the loss of salt taste could represent developing burning mouth syndrome, altered taste can develop in some people due to a deficiency of zinc in their diets. A minimum intake of 10-15 mg zinc per day is recommended for adults. Zinc is especially plentiful in oysters but also in foods such as beef, poultry, beans and nuts. If there is any question regarding your diet, it may be worthwhile to try a multivitamin supplement containing zinc for 2 to 3 weeks. If your taste has not returned in that time, then a diagnosis of burning mouth syndrome would be even more likely. Good luck!

S.K. Tandon · Accepted Answer

Although the loss of salt taste could represent developing burning mouth syndrome, altered taste can develop in some people due to a deficiency of zinc in their diets. A minimum intake of 10-15 mg zinc per day is recommended for adults. Zinc is especially plentiful in oysters but also in foods such as beef, poultry, beans and nuts. If there is any question regarding your diet, it may be worthwhile to try a multivitamin supplement containing zinc for 2 to 3 weeks. If your taste has not returned in that time, then a diagnosis of burning mouth syndrome would be even more likely. Good luck!