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KMID : 0361020190620110631
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Korean Journal of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery
2019 Volume.62 No. 11 p.631 ~ p.636
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A Comparative Study of Whole-Mouth Taste Thresholds between North Korean Refugees and South Koreans
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Kim Eun-Young
Kim Yi-Seul
Lee Young-Joo
Rhyu Mee-Ra
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Abstract
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Background and Objectives: Since Korea has been divided into two countries over 60 yearsago and differences has gradually developed between the two, an influx of North Korean refugeesto South Korea have soared over the past 20 years. Their complaints regarding taste intensity,particularly about strong sweetness of foods, are common after entry into South Korea. Because a long-term over-exposure or restriction to some taste stimuli causes profound alterationsin corresponding taste sensitivity in humans, we hypothesized that sugar restriction,which remains common in North Korea, has influenced sweet sensitivity of North Koreans.
Subjects and Method: To test this hypothesis, we assessed the taste stimuli recognition anddetection thresholds of both young adults North refugees and South Koreans using a 1-mLwhole-mouth gustatory test applied to a series of sweet, bitter, sour, and salty solutions.
Results: As expected, the cumulative curve of the recognition threshold for sucrose shiftedto the left and the mean recognition threshold for sucrose was significantly lower (0.5357% vs. 0.7393%, p=0.044) for North refugees than for South participants. On the other hand, the recognitionthreshold for salt was significantly higher (0.2174% vs. 0.1212%, p=0.027) in Northrefugees. No differences on the recognition taste sensitivity for quinine hydrochloride and citricacid were observed.
Conclusion: The findings documented in the present study indicate that a prolonged fooddeficit seems to have changed the taste sensitivity of healthy North Korean refugees. The alteredtaste sensitivity was most pronounced for sweet and salty tastes, and lasted up to 3.5years after the refugees left North Korea.
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KEYWORD
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Refugees, Taste perception , Taste threshold
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