How Your Sense of Smell May be the Key to a Balanced Diet

A new study shows that the food you ate can impact your sense of smell as well as your decisions on whether you eat again or not.

Scientists at Northwestern University found that people will become less sensitive to food smells based on what they just ate. This study showed not only that our sense of smell regulates what we eat, but also that what we eat affects our sense of smell too.

Senior and corresponding study author Thorsten Kahnt, an assistant professor of neurology and psychiatry and behavioral sciences at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, said, “If you think about our ancestors roaming the forest trying to find food. They find and eat berries, and they aren’t as sensitive to the smell of berries anymore. But maybe they’re still sensitive to the smell of mushrooms. So it could theoretically help facilitate diversity in food and nutrient intake.”

These findings also applied to psychiatric conditions like obesity and dementia. There were even signs that those who were sleep-deprived had a change in sense of smell.

There is still so much more to learn and understand about our sense of smell and why we make the decisions that we do, but this study has provided some insight into how our brain works around food and food scents.

Learn How to Cook Plant-Based Meals at Home

Reducing your meat intake and eating more plant-based foods is known to help with chronic inflammation, heart health, mental wellbeing, fitness goals, nutritional needs, allergies, gut health, and more! Unfortunately, dairy consumption also has been linked to many health problems, including acne, hormonal imbalance, cancer, prostate cancer, and has many side effects. 

For those interested in eating more plant-based, we highly recommend purchasing one of our plant-based cookbooks or downloading the Food Monster App — with thousands of delicious recipes; it is the largest plant-based recipe resource to help reduce your environmental footprint, save animals and get healthy! And, while you are at it, we encourage you to also learn about the environmental and health benefits of a plant-based diet.

Here are some resources to get you started:

• Weekly Vegan Meal Plans
• Plant-Based Health Resources
• Plant-Based Food & Recipes
• The Ultimate Guide to Plant-Based Nutrition
• Plant-Based Nutrition Resources
• Budget-Friendly Plant-Based Recipes
• High Protein Plant-Based Recipes
• Plant-Based Meal Prep

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