Treatment and Taste Changes - 05/2020

This handout for cancer patients explains why the sense of taste can change during treatment. It describes a taste called "umami," a Japanese word that refers to the brothy, meaty taste and feel of many foods. Eating foods with umami has been shown to help with digestion and increase the amount of food eaten. Included is a list of foods with high levels of umami and ways to increase umami in foods. Authored by Seattle Cancer Care Alliance, this information is made available to UWMC clinicians by agreement between SCCA and UWMC, as a service to the patients who visit both health care facilities.