The reason you crave more sweets as you age… and the surprising link it has to dementia
At several points in his presidency, Joe Biden could be found holding an ice cream cone. The former president, now 83, is a self-proclaimed ice cream enthusiast, making frequent stops at local ice cream parlors along the campaign trail as a vice president and president. 'My name is Joe Biden and I love ice cream,' he said in 2016 after visiting the headquarters of Jeni's Splendid Ice Cream in Ohio.Other presidents have also shown off their sweet tooths during their terms. In 1984, at age 73, Ronald Reagan proclaimed July 'National Ice Cream Month.'But the budding sweet tooth is not exclusive to presidents. As we age, it's common for our taste buds to change and preferences to shift toward the sweeter end of the spectrum. A recent survey also found just over half of US adults eat more candy than they did as kids. Doctors and food science experts told the Daily Mail that in older age, taste buds begin to dull and die off, which makes it harder for them to detect distinct tastes. While this starts around ages 40 to 50, the process ramps up over time, making people crave more sugary foods that their taste buds can more easily detect. Former president Joe Biden, a self-proclaimed ice cream enthusiast, is seen above eating a cone on Late Night with Seth Meyers in 2024
Dr Meena Malhotra, an internal medicine and obesity medicine physician and founder of Heal n Cure Medical Wellness Center in Illinois, told the Daily Mail: 'With age, taste buds tend to become less sensitive overall, and sweet is usually the last taste that people can pretty much perceive, so foods that in the past felt balanced can start to taste kind of bland.'That makes people crave more sugar.' Sweet foods also trigger the release of dopamine, a neurotransmitter that stimulates the brain's pleasure and reward centers. Dopamine naturally depletes with age due to a loss of dopamine receptors and transporters. Enzymes that break down the chemical also become more active, leaving less dopamine.Because older individuals have less dopamine, eating sweets may increase their levels. Edmund McCormick, food science expert and CEO of Cape Crystal Brands, told the Daily Mail: 'The increased stimulation of the rewarding centers, which is associated with the release of the neurotransmitter dopamine, may be easier to achieve with sweetness than with other stimuli.'He also noted that many sweets like ice cream and cakes have soft or moist textures that are easier for older individuals with dental or chewing difficulties to eat. Older people are also more prone to deficiencies of vitamins like magnesium, B12 and zinc, which can impair taste perception, McCormick notes. Appetite overall also decreases, making it more likely that older individuals are not meeting their protein needs. Because protein helps stabilize blood sugar, not getting enough of it could lead to crashes that make older people crave sugar to stabilize their levels. 'It’s worth noting that deficiencies do not “cause” sugar cravings but rather exacerbate a lack of sensitivities, which is a subtle nudge towards more pleasant tastes,' McCormick said. Biden made frequent stops at local ice cream parlors along the campaign trail as vice president and president
Dementia, which is most common in adults over 65, with the risk increasing with age, may also rewire the brain's pleasure and reward centers, McCormick told the Daily Mail. 'In conditions like dementia, changes in certain functions of the brain such as rewarding and impulse control can lead to an increased preference for sweet-tasting foods. This is because sweetness is immediate, familiar, and simple,' he said. On the flip side, diets consistently high in sugar induce harmful inflammation in the brain that kills off vital neurons and leads to dementia-causing amyloid-beta plaques forming. 'In diabetes or insulin resistance, the blood sugar swings can pump up cravings [for sugar], especially later in the day,' Dr Malhotra said. McCormick also pointed to certain medications such as those for high blood pressure, depression and Parkinson's disease, as these can lead to dry mouth, which can cause a metallic or bitter aftertaste. 'Sweet foods have been used inadvertently to cover unpleasant tastes or over reduced saliva, making their texture smoother and more palatable,' he said. Dr Malhotra suggested older people opt for naturally sweetened foods like berries or yogurts to curb a sweet tooth (stock image)He added: 'Hypertension by itself is not a contributing factor, although the drugs used in its management, as well as the restrictions on dietary sodium, can contribute towards the use of sweet flavors as an alternative means of deriving satisfaction.' To curb a potentially harmful sweet tooth, Dr Malhotra recommends opting for naturally sweet foods like berries or yogurt rather than those with added sugar. Sarah Fagus, a nutritionist at Sun Health Wellness in Arizona, told the Daily Mail: 'Using spices like vanilla, cinnamon, or nutmeg can make foods taste sweeter without adding extra sugar. 'Pairing fruit with a protein or healthy fat, such as nuts or seeds, helps you feel full longer and keeps blood sugar levels more steady.'She also noted staying hydrated may reduce sugar cravings because the brain sometimes confuses thirst signals for hunger.'Small changes like these can make a big difference in how satisfied you feel each day,' she said.
