The Aromatic Edge: How Scents Can Make You Smarter
Neeli Clute
I help extraordinary minds elevate their Brain Boss with a ??FITBRAIN framework??Surpass your plateau with better sleep, focus, and mindset . RESULT: more energy and increased mental capacity WITHOUT overwhelm.
Mindfulness practices like meditation and yoga are all the rage, but do they really work?
Science says yes.?
It has taken time for me to adopt some of these practices because I find it hard to quiet my mental chatter while sitting still. My journey across the Canadian Rockies, however, has given me a new appreciation for these brain-boosting techniques.? One of my favorite has been discovering the potential of scents to amplify mental performance and brain health.?
Discovering the Power of Breath and Scent
My mindfulness goal was to improve my ability to relax without mental overdrive kicking in. I'll be honest—it’s a challenge to quiet my mind for more than a few moments. What works best for me is to use my breath to calm the chaos. In nature, surrounded by evergreens, snow, and fresh lake air, I recalled that scents play a powerful role in relaxation and memory.
The different smells of glacial waters, emerald lakes, and saltwater sprays stirred memories, like the comforting scent of my grandmother’s roast, vividly bringing her face to mind. I already knew breathing the air near waterfalls creates joy because of it’s biochemical mood-boosting ability (read more about the shearing effect of waterfalls here ). This made me reconsider essential oils and the benefits it may offer.
Rethinking Essential Oils
I used to be skeptical about essential oils. My experiences with overpowering fragrances and asthma attacks made me wary. Plus, hospitals ban fragrances for good reasons. Yet, my curiosity about scent and memory led me to deeper research.
The Science of Scents and Cognitive Performance
Today, I bring you scientifically-backed insights into how scents can boost brain power.
1. Memory Enhancement: Research from the University of California-Irvine shows that certain scents can improve memory. Older adults who smelled specific scents while sleeping saw a 226% improvement in memory test scores after six months!? Note, the control group actually had a decrease in test scores over this time period.? It not only improved memory, but deferred the loss of memory.
2. Early Indicators of Cognitive Decline: The loss of smell is an early predictor of nearly 70 neurological and psychiatric diseases, including dementia and Parkinson's. This resonates deeply with those who lost their sense of smell due to COVID and experienced subsequent brain fog.?
3. Performance Boost: Studies show particular scents can enhance physical and cognitive performance. For instance, peppermint has been shown to increase running speed and hand grip strength, while lemon and peppermint can make people more alert and focused.?
Not only does the science suggest that actively utilizing scents can alter cognition, mood, performance, and social behavior, but that it changes the anatomy of the brain by thickening the brain cortex in ways that are associated with improved executive function.
“We have shown that even minimal olfactory enrichment, delivered at night, is sufficient to induce an improvement in cognition and neural function. This type of sensory enrichment may be particularly useful, as it is low cost, as well as low effort. This type of enrichment also appears even to be capable of successfully improving the cognitive ability of individuals living with dementia “(Cha et al., 2022 ).
The powerful impact of scents in these studies was astounding!? This adds a whole new level of allure to orchestrating “sweet dreams” with the help of essential oils.
How Scents Work
Our sense of smell exists because it is important for your health .? It helps us determine what to eat, influences taste, and affects socialization.? It is also a warning system for things in the environment that can be harmful, such as spoiled food, the presence of toxic substances, and fires.? Without smell, studies show you are more susceptible to anxiety, depression, insufficient food intake, and twice as likely to become a victim of a hazardous situation in the environment like meth poisoning or fire.
Why smell is highly connected to brain health
Our olfactory system connects directly to brain areas governing memory and emotions.? The nasal cilia deliver messages across a very thin piece of bone directly to the brain. This fast track means that scents can quickly and effectively influence cognitive functions. The areas closest and proven to be impacted are the amygdala, which highly influences mood and emotion, the hippocampus, which is crucial for memory, and the frontal cortex which is the epicenter for high level thought, to name a few.? When I recognized the sweeping positive impacts (that I won’t mention all of here), I was in awe.
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Here is the skinny version on what scents can do for your mind:
Top Scents for Cognitive Enhancement
Imagine having a personal scent blend that triggers peak performance!
I have sampled commercial scents that claim to enhance focus, but honestly, they smell horrible to me and would not encourage anything but the evacuation of my office.? Instead I am going to create my own to enhance different mental states. ? Lavender is one of the most studied fragrances for relaxation, but it gets my nose running, so that is also out for me.? Like most best practices, we need to create our own unique blend. There are plenty of scents to choose from.
Here’s how:
Over time, your brain will associate this blend with optimal performance, making it easier to achieve a flow state.??
The Nose Knows: Indicators of Brain Health
The sense of smell is important for your health on many levels.? For brain health, olfactory tests are increasingly recognized as early indicators of cognitive decline. Your sense of smell might just be a secret window into your brain's health, offering early warnings about neurodegenerative conditions.? Olfactory enrichment is also thought by scientists to have a protective effect on the brain “ similar to the concept of a cognitive reserve, wherein people who have had high levels of cognitive stimulation in life are protected from the neuropathology of Alzheimer’s dementia” (Pettigrew and Soldan, 2019 ; Zijlmans et al., 2022 )
A Workshop Opportunity
As you explore the cognitive power of scents, pay attention to individual sensitivities. Are you intrigued by scent-based cognitive enhancements? Would you like a specialized workshop to delve deeper? Share your interest, and I might just craft a unique experience to design your own signature scent for success in 2025!
Subscribe for more actionable insights. Until next time, keep optimizing your cognitive game!
How did you like this topic?? Please Like and Reply in the comments.
References
Cha, H., Kim, S., Kim, H., Kim, G., and Kwon, K. Y. (2022). Effect of intensive olfactory training for cognitive function in patients with dementia. Geriatr. Gerontol. Int. 22, 5–11. doi: 10.1111/ggi.14287
Haehner, A., Tosch, C., Wolz, M., Klingelhoefer, L., Fauser, M., Storch, A., et al. (2013). Olfactory training in patients with Parkinson’s disease. PLoS One 8:e61680. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0061680
Pettigrew, C., and Soldan, A. (2019). Defining cognitive reserve and implications for cognitive aging. Curr. Neurol. Neurosci. Rep. 19:1. doi: 10.1007/s11910-019-0917-z
Sowndhararajan K, Kim S. Influence of Fragrances on Human Psychophysiological Activity: With Special Reference to Human Electroencephalographic Response. Sci Pharm. 2016 Nov 29;84(4):724-751. doi: 10.3390/scipharm84040724. PMID: 27916830; PMCID: PMC5198031.
University of California - Irvine. "Sweet smell of success: Simple fragrance method produces major memory boost." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 1 August 2023. <www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2023/08/230801131700.htm >.
Woo Cynthia C. , Miranda Blake , Sathishkumar Mithra , Dehkordi-Vakil Farideh , Yassa Michael A. , Leon Michael . “Overnight olfactory enrichment using an odorant diffuser improves memory and modifies the uncinate fasciculus in older adults”. Frontiers in Neuroscience. V17. 2023. https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/neuroscience/articles/10.3389/fnins.2023.1200448 ? DOI=10.3389/fnins.2023.1200448
Zijlmans, J. L., Lamballais, S., Vernooij, M. W., Ikram, M. A., and Luik, A. I. (2022). Sociodemographic, lifestyle, physical, and psychosocial determinants of cognitive reserve. J. Alzheimers Dis. 85, 701–713. doi: 10.3233/JAD-215122
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2 个月Curious, yes, learning curve in high gear.
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2 个月I have used scents in a diffuser in my office for about the last 7 years as part of my mindfulness practice and taking better care of my mental well being. Now I understand the science behind why they make such a difference in my life, Neeli. I agree with you about commercial scents - I have a stash of individual scents and have done lots of experimenting about what works best for me. Right now, one that I have found especially helpful is a combination of sandalwood, jasmine, and cinnamon. If you try it, let me know what you think! Thanks, as always, for the inspirational post! ?? ? ??
Leadership & Business Transformation Activator | Experiential Speaker | Culture & Strategy Partner | CEO Mentor |"Play" shop Creator | Vision Synthesizer | Emotional Intelligence | Conscious Leadership
2 个月I love this. My colleague, Amy Mechels Reichlin and I once ran a series of strategy workshops where one of the discovery days involved using our senses with rotating stations of taste, sound, smell, touch, etc to truly embody the vision of the org with each sense. I love the science you have given here! It makes me want to run this session again!
Speaker & Facilitator | Academic Leadership Coach | Mindfulness & Resilience. I partner with professors and academic leaders to transform working in #highereducation.
2 个月I've been back in my home office for a month and this is the reminder I needed to fire up the diffuser!
Helping Women Entrepreneurs Raise Up their Voice, Vision & Visibility for Impact | Business Coach | Scale | Growth | Strategy + Soul | Podcast Host | Speaker | Author | CWCC Top 25 Most Powerful Women in Business
2 个月This is super interesting, Neeli Clute! I'm fascinated by the connection between scent and cognitive function, and I work with essential oils and even more so the scents of nature on a daily basis! Thanks for sharing!