{"id":8006,"date":"2024-06-18T09:00:32","date_gmt":"2024-06-18T09:00:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/medexperts.pro\/?p=8006"},"modified":"2024-06-18T09:25:44","modified_gmt":"2024-06-18T09:25:44","slug":"improving-your-sense-of-smell-is-good-for-your-brain","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/medexperts.pro\/?p=8006","title":{"rendered":"Improving Your Sense of Smell is Good for Your Brain"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Experts say a loss of smell can negatively impact mental health. But training your nose can fight off the decline.<\/p>\n

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Your grandma\u2019s brownies, the scent of rain on a pine forest, a whiff of cardamom \u2014 smells can be powerful time machines, unlocking memories almost like magic and transporting you to specific moments more vividly than vision or hearing.<\/p>\n

But just like vision and hearing, our sense of smell diminishes with age<\/a> (and as a result of infections<\/a> like Covid, smoking<\/a> and pollution<\/a>). About 11 percent<\/a> of Americans in their 50s experience trouble smelling; that number rises to 39 percent<\/a> for those over 80.<\/p>\n

When our noses lose their sharpness, our mental health often suffers too. A diminished sense of smell is associated with worsening memory<\/a>, cognition and overall well-being<\/a> \u2014 as well as dementia<\/a> and depression.<\/p>\n

\u201cOur brains need a lot of olfactory stimulation in order to maintain their health,\u201d said Michael Leon, a professor emeritus of neurobiology at the University of California, Irvine.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Fortunately, a diminished sense of smell may be reversible<\/a>, perhaps by something as simple as spending some time with your spice rack.<\/p>\n