Perfect scents
★ BEERY fumes are good for you! We revealed yesterday how the aroma of yeast used in the fermentation of booze could delay cancer and Alzheimer’s disease, according to boffins.
★ But it isn’t the only scent that can do wonders for your healthy wellbeing. Here JAMES MOORE reveals the power of pongs…
LOVE DRIZZLE: The smell of rain, known as petrichor, can make you feel good. It contains a chemical called geosmin which, in a 2022 study, was shown to boost mood drug serotonin.
NATURAL AROMA: The smells of the great outdoors can also leave you pumped, according to researchers at the University of Kent. They found that smells given off by nature increase relaxation and rejuvenation.
TRUMP TONIC: Eggheads at Exeter University found the smell of flatulence could boost your health. Small amounts of the hydrogen sulphide in farts can help protect cells and fight illness.
LESS INCENSED: The smell of tears can make men less aggressive, scientists have discovered. A study published in the journal Plos Biology found blokes exposed to the chemicals in women’s tears displayed less hostility than when exposed to a similar saline solution.
SHUN THE BRUTE: Meanwhile, the smell of oranges led to violent criminals having fewer fights in a Dutch study.
REMEMBER THIS: Give your grey matter a boost by sniffing some rosemary. In tests by the University of Northumbria, people in a room filled with the scent scored 15% better in memory tests.
OIL BE FINE: A review of studies by the University of Minnesota School of Nursing backed up the idea that fragrance from essential oils like lavender could help you get more sleep.
PEEL BETTER: A Japanese study found that when typing, people made 54% fewer errors when the citrusy scent is in the air.
BIT FRUITY: Smelling an apple can help lower blood pressure, a University of Arizona study found. Other research has shown apples may help reduce migraine pain.
CHOC ON: A University of California study found that being exposed to the scent of chocolate could lower stress levels.
CUPPA LOAD OF THIS: Waking up and smelling the coffee really could perk you up. A 2018 study found the waft from coffee beans improved attentiveness and memory. Researchers from Stevens Institute of Technology in the US identified that it could increase maths skills.
FEELING FRESH: A study from Wheeling Jesuit University in the US found athletes who sniffed peppermint during exercise could run faster, had greater grip strength and could do more push-ups.
SITTING PITY: Being exposed to body odour could reduce social anxiety. Swedish scientists found mindfulness therapy was more effective when the subjects were exposed to the stink of underarm sweat from volunteers.
DRESS SCENTS: Wearing your partner’s clothes could reduce stress, loneliness and anxiety thanks to the comforting smells, according to a study by the University of British Columbia.