Integrating Sensory Perception and Wearable Monitoring to Promote Healthy Aging: A New Frontier in Nutritional Personalization

TL;DR

This paper explores how combining sensory perception and wearable technology can help create personalized nutrition strategies for healthy aging.

Contribution

The paper introduces an integrative framework linking sensory perception with wearable data for adaptive dietary strategies in aging.

Findings

Age-related sensory changes significantly impact dietary intake and nutrient adequacy.

Wearable technologies can monitor physiological markers relevant to metabolic health in older adults.

Integrating sensory and physiological data can improve adherence and nutritional outcomes in aging populations.

Abstract

Aging involves progressive changes in sensory perception, appetite regulation, and metabolic flexibility, which together affect dietary intake, nutrient adequacy, and health-related outcomes. Meanwhile, current wearable technologies allow continuous, minimally invasive monitoring of physiological and behavioral markers relevant to metabolic health, such as physical activity, sleep, heart rate variability, glycemic patterns, and so forth. However, digital nutrition approaches have largely focused on physiological signals while underutilizing the sensory dimensions of eating—taste, smell, texture, and hedonic response—that strongly drive dietary intake and adherence. This narrative review synthesizes evidence on the following: (1) age-related sensory changes and their nutritional consequences, (2) metabolic adaptation and markers of resilience in older adults, and (3) current and emerging wearable technologies applicable to nutritional personalization. Following this, we propose an integrative framework linking subjective (implicit) sensory perception and objective (explicit) wearable-derived physiological responses into adaptive feedback loops to support personalized dietary strategies for healthy aging. In this light, we discuss practical applications, technological and methodological challenges, ethical considerations, and research priorities to validate and implement sensory–physiological integrated models. Merging together sensory science and wearable monitoring has the potential to enhance adherence, preserve nutritional status, and bolster metabolic resilience in aging populations, moving nutrition from one-size-fits-all prescriptions toward dynamic, person-centered, sensory-aware interventions.

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