From all five senses, the sense of smell is the strongest one. You have probably witnessed its power at least once. Maybe the smell of brownies in the oven takes you back in time, in your grandma’s kitchen when you were little. And even though you know this, you may still be surprised to discover that it has a role in the appetite.
Neurologist Alan Hirsch explains that the sense of smell and your appetite are connected. “Over 90% of the taste is smell,” he claims. If you absolutely love the smell of coffee when you wake up, or salivate when you smell food from a restaurant, it is really easy to notice the connection.
Doctor Hirsch conducted a study with 3,193 overweight participants. Each of them received an inhalant with various fruity and herb scents. They got an instruction to inhale 3 times in each nostril when they are hungry. He explains,