Taste changes during chemotherapy: why they happen and what helps at mealtimes

The short answer

A metallic taste, food that suddenly seems too salty, or food with no taste at all — these are among the most common effects of chemotherapy on eating. They usually improve after treatment ends, and they do not mean you are doing something wrong.

Chemotherapy affects the cells in the body that renew themselves quickly, and taste buds are among them. Smell, which is closely linked to how you perceive taste, can be affected in the same way. A systematic review of the medical literature (Hovan and colleagues) confirms that this change in taste — called dysgeusia — is a documented effect of several cancer treatments, not an isolated reaction.

• a metallic taste, especially with meat;
• food that seems too salty or too sweet compared with how you remember it;
• a loss of taste — food seems "flat";
• smells that suddenly become off-putting, even ones you liked before.

• metallic taste: try plastic or wooden cutlery instead of metal; marinate meat before cooking; if that still does not help, protein from sources other than red meat may be easier to tolerate for a while;
• food with no taste: fresh seasonings, aromatic herbs, marinades, and slightly tangy sauces can bring back some of the flavor;
• food that tastes too sweet: a pinch of salt on the food can balance the sensation;
• in general: cold or room-temperature food often tastes milder than hot food; rinsing your mouth with water before a meal can help how you perceive taste.

Forcing yourself to eat exactly what you used to eat, at any cost, when it simply tastes unpleasant now. It is more useful to change the recipe or the seasonings for a while than to give up on the meal because of a taste that puts you off.

Recipes already adapted to symptoms, which you can filter by what bothers you most, are in the oncoDots nutrition guide — you do not have to invent the menu from scratch.

If the change in taste makes you eat much less for several days in a row, or you notice that you have lost weight without trying, tell your team — it is worth checking, alongside unintentional weight loss, whether it is only about taste or whether something else is involved too.

• Is the taste change I have now expected with my treatment, or should something else be checked?
• Is there an oncology dietitian I could talk to about food alternatives?
• How long does it usually take to improve after this type of treatment?

Choose just one idea from above and try it at your next meal — you do not have to try them all at once to see what helps you.