Bariatric surgery can alter taste and smell
According to a recently published study, people who have undergone bariatric bypass surgery would develop sensory perception disorders such as changes in taste and smell, or even disgust for certain foods.
A quick reminder about the surgery in question
Remember what is the principle of bariatric surgery by bypass: it is a question of bypassing the stomach, creating a bypass. The ingested food then passes more quickly into the intestine; This creates first of all a decrease in the amount that can be swallowed (the stomach can no longer play its role as a recipient pouch of the food bolus), and on the other hand a reduction in the absorption of these foods (what is eaten is no longer fully assimilated by the body, and is eliminated).
To learn more about this operation, a file on gastric bypassis available.
The results of the study
The choice of such surgery is not trivial, and the patients who benefit from it do not decide overnight: a therapeutic follow-up of several months with the surgical team is necessary, and it is not on a simple whim that one can undergo such a definitive transformation of his body.
On the other hand, the new elements highlighted by this study should encourage reflection among those who are thinking of using this technique. Losing weight to both improve quality of life and reduce health risks is one thing, but losing the sensations of taste or smell, i.e. the senses that allow us to communicate with the world around us, is another. Patients must have access to this informationbefore making their decision.
Lifestyle changes around food also impact the relatives of these patients: family meals, culinary habits will be disrupted. The entourage must support the “after surgery”, especially in case of appearance of such changes in the senses.
However, the study highlighted an interesting point: the people most affected by these “undesirable” effects are also those who benefit the most from this surgical technique: they lose weight more than other patients… It is understandable that aversion to entire categories of foods (such as meats, for example) inevitably causes a decrease in their consumption.
About the conduct of the study
The study was done by questionnaire with 188 people who had undergone gastric bypass surgery between the years 2000 to 2011. The response rate was correct (55%) and of the 103 responses received:
»97% said there had been a change in their appetite.
73% said there had been an alteration in taste perception.
»73% said they were now disgusted with certain foods they used to eat (meat being the most commonly cited).
» 42% said that there had been an alteration in the perception of smell.
Clear results, which will better prevent future patients.
Stephen Paul is the lead author and founder of My Health Sponsor. Holder of a diploma in health and well-being coaching with more than 200 articles in the field of health, he makes it a point of honor to offer advice based on reliable information, based on scientific research, and verified by health professionals.