Your nose knows what's good for your brain

We’ve all had a particular scent take us back in time or bring someone from our past front and center in our minds.

The other day, while at the grocery store, I walked past a woman and the smell of her perfume transported me back to my great-grandma’s house when I was a young boy. I was back in her bedroom, and on her dresser sat a bottle of “Charlie,” her perfume of choice.

I hadn’t thought of that in decades, but passing this stranger in the produce department gifted me the memory of my great-grandma’s love.

For many years, neuroscientists have known of the connections between our olfactory (smell) system and the brain regions responsible for memory and emotion, like the hippocampus and amygdala.

The link between smell and memory is so strong that losing that sense is considered an early warning sign for cognitive decline and neurodegenerative disease.

However, researchers are studying how "strengthening" the olfactory system can improve certain brain functions.

In 2023, a review of 18 research papers concluded that smell training can improve verbal fluency and verbal learning. It also increases the volume of some brain regions and their connectivity.

While improvements were observed in people with cognitive decline, brain function of the general population also benefited.

So how does one begin a smell training regimen? Researchers recommend finding four smells that are familiar to you, but different from each other. The studies included lemon, coffee, eucalyptus, and clove.

Spend five minutes twice a day sniffing each scent for at least 20 seconds. Mindfully consider the thoughts they evoke. Do they stir any memories or feelings? How does each “feel” as it passes through your nasal cavity?

To get the most from smell training, Prof. Thomas Hummel at the Technical University of Dresden says, “You have to do it regularly, and every two months you should use new odors.”

What are your thoughts about smell training? To potentially improve brain function, would you consider sniffing items around your home for five minutes a day? If so, I’d love to hear how it goes and what scents you chose.