How Can Smell Affect Weight Loss?
How does your sense of smell affect weight loss or even your appetite? Do certain smells make you feel full or eat more? We got two great experts to give us their input and really get the lowdown on if smells affect weight loss!
Lose weight… one breath at a time
So can smell actually help you lose weight?
Dr. Scott Michael Schreiber, a clinical nutrition specialist, and Delaware’s only Board Certified Rehabilitation Specialist pointed us in the right direction by explaining a few ways in which smell affects weight loss, “There are many studies that show smelling certain foods will trick the body into feeling full.
For example, smelling food like garlic, onion, and chili peppers will make you take smaller bites of food… Likewise, fennel, traditionally a palate cleanser in the Mediterranean diet, is also thought to be appetite suppressing. The smell does have an impact on what we eat and how much we eat!”
But how does this work? I realize there are numerous ways in which smell can affect our behavior and I’m not even going to try to decipher the olfactory pathways but what’s a simple man’s explanation for this?
Rebecca Lee, a registered nurse and founder of the natural health resource RemediesForMe.com, helped us out: “Our ability to smell comes from the olfactory sensory neurons, which are found in the tissues high inside the nose. These neurons travel directly to the brain. Smells all around us stimulate our olfactory receptors.
Your brain receives signals from these receptors and identifies the smell. Once these smells are registered, they stimulate unique parts of the brain.
Smells stimulate the olfactory senses in two ways. The first way is through the nostrils. The second way is activated by chewing food.
Food that is chewed releases aromas that are sensed by the olfactory neurons.
This channel runs from your nose to the roof of the throat. If this channel is blocked from a cold or the flu, the olfactory neurons cannot sense the smell from the food. As a result, a large part of your ability to enjoy food is lost. Without the sense of smell, food tends to taste bland and flavorless. [Like when everything tastes like cardboard if you are sick.]
Smell plays a huge role in weight loss. Some foods that are known to aid in weight loss just by smelling them are extra virgin olive oil, garlic, apples, bananas, mint, and grapefruit.
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil. Smelling extra virgin olive oil leads to the feeling of fullness and satiety. A study done in 2013 shows that the scent of olive oil releases more serotonin in the blood, letting the brain know when you are full and satisfied with your meal.
- Garlic. Studies show that garlic and other strong and spicy aromas can make you take smaller bites. Garlic also boosts the metabolism rate. Allicin, which is the major component of garlic (and also gives it its pungent smell), is responsible for increasing the metabolism rate in the body.
- Bananas, Green Apples, Mint. Other studies show that a combination of good olfactory abilities and aromas from bananas, green apples, and mint candies led to weight loss over a 6-month period. There is an “aroma compound” in these foods that contains isopentyl acetate and other components, that are responsible for helping you eat less.
- Grapefruit. Another study shows that grapefruit aromas are effective for weight loss. Smelling grapefruit for 15 minutes, three times a week, leads to a decrease in food intake and weight loss. The smell of grapefruit stimulates the sympathetic nervous system, which activates the breakdown of fat and slows the movement of the digestive system.”
Wrap-Up
So does smell affect weight loss? You betcha – it can definitely play a pivotal role. We all have varying olfactory sensitivity so this can be more prominent in some individuals.
The point is that there are several foods out there in which you can employ in your diet to help lose weight and get healthy!
It’s amazing how your sense of smell can affect how much you eat… use it to your advantage!
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