My father who had tongue surgery in july 2010 and radiation for 6 weeks has a peg tube that he really wants to be rid of, but even with it he's not getting enough calories.He has creamed soup with yogurt or half and half added, good powdered vitamins,whey protein, ice cream and and a juicer for veggies and fruit and Ensure in the tube. They didn't give him any swallow tests or advice about how to swallow. He swallows water but it takes him two or three tries. His taste buds are not regenerating fast at all and things taste bad or burns his mouth. I have read that 50 to 100 mg of zinc will help the taste buds has anyone tried it with any success? The swallow/speech therapy he's had is minimal and is all about speech,not swallowing.