Diet Plan Derailed: This Common Habit Is Making You Gain Weight

According to a study published in the journal Cell Metabolism, smelling food before eating can significantly impact our weight.

The research team conducted the experiment on laboratory mice, using genetic manipulation to neutralize their sense of smell, rendering them anosmic. Findings from the study showed that although both groups of mice consumed the same daily calorie amount, the anosmic mice lost 16% more weight on average compared to those with a normal sense of smell, who gained weight.

Additionally, the American researchers collaborated with German researchers for a joint examination of mice with an unusually enhanced sense of smell, known as supersmellers. The study found that these mice had the highest weight gain. What does this mean? Does smelling food before eating cause the body to store fat instead of shedding it?

"This paper is one of the first studies that truly shows if we manipulate the sense of smell, we can actually alter how the brain perceives energy balance and how it regulates this balance," the research team explained. According to the study results, there is a crucial link between the olfactory system and brain areas that regulate metabolism.

"Sensory systems play a role not only in the enjoyment of food but also in metabolism. Weight gain is not solely influenced by calorie consumption; it also involves how these calories are perceived," the researchers noted. "If we can validate this in humans, we might be able to develop a drug that doesn't interfere with smell but still blocks the metabolic cycle. And that could be amazing."