The Extraordinary Link Between Our Sense of Smell and Brain Health
We’re all familiar with that rush of memory that comes with a particular smell, and often marvel at how specific a time or place a certain aroma will conjure up. Department stores and hotels understand the power of smell with enveloping scents diffused throughout their spaces, and perfume companies spend small fortunes every year devising new fragrances across the entire sensory spectrum.
Scientists have known for some time now about the brain pathways involved with smell and memory, and recent research has shown in lab animals that enriching or enhancing the olfactory (smell) environment leads to significant changes in the parts of the brain associated with memory and learning due to the unique link between our sense of smell and the limbic system (the ancient part of our brain associated with instinctive behaviour, memory and emotion). The reverse is also true, and loss of smell has been recognised for some time as a sort of early warning sign of impending decline in brain function in about 70 neurological and psychiatric disorders, especially various forms of dementia, Parkinson’s disease and cognitive impairment. Dementias and cognitive decline now rank as one of the most prevalent forms of illness in our society and one of the leading causes of death, as well as an ever-increasing financial burden to society.
With this in mind the results of an intriguing new study have recently been published where older adults were exposed for 2 hours every night for 6 months to a range of smells via an essential oil diffuser. Testing at the end of the study showed a staggering 226% improvement in both cognitive and neural functioning in the enrichment group compared to controls who received no significant olfactory stimulation. As well there were significant changes on brain imaging fMRIs, leading the researchers to conclude that a simple olfactory enrichment program such as diffused essential oils administered at night and utilising a variety of pleasant odorants may be a simple, relatively inexpensive, easily implemented and effective pathway to brain health.
The key points here are the olfactory stimulus needs to be variable, in other words not the same smell every time, and the olfactory stimulation needs to be sustained over time. This ties in with previous research showing that high levels of olfactory stimulation over a lifetime seems to maintain brain pathways, in much the same way that other types of brain stimulation (reading, problem-solving) have a preserving effect.
You can do this yourself any time and essential oil diffusion is a wonderful and easy place to start, as well as doing things like cooking and baking, home fermenting where sense of smell is key and even walking in nature and trying to identify as many smells as possible.
So keep those senses active and indulge in plenty of activities that keep this very vital sense alive and your brain in peak condition…your mind will thank you for it!