Sniff These 6 Things to Curb Appetite and Hunger

by varsha - October 06, 2020

No, this is not a gimmick post, in fact, certain studies say that you can trick your brain into suppressing hunger hormones, especially “ghrelin” by sniffing specific scents. Though there is lack of considerable research in this area, a few of them do strongly link certain scents for their ability to stimulate the “satiety center” located in the hypothalamus region of the brain, which is also thought to control appetite; also suppressing the release of hunger hormone in the process. These scents can trick your brain into believing that you have already eaten. Have you noticed how the sight and smell of food (being served on other tables) sends your hunger pangs through the roof while you are waiting for food to arrive at a restaurant?! Now, here’s an interesting fact – around 80% of what you judge as taste is actually smell! As we have mentioned earlier, though more research needs to be done in this area, there is strong evidence that you could inhale some scents and suppress your appetite. In the west, scented beads, inhalers, candles, wrist patches, and even flavoured pens are marketed as definitive tools to suppress appetite. So, now there’s no need to gulp down expensive appetite-suppressant concoctions that can probably cause more harm to health in the long run. Just sniff away these scents when you are craving for the wrong kind of food (read junk and fast food).

1. Peppermint: A strong peppermint odor can calm your hunger pangs and one study even claims that people who inhaled a peppermint scent every two hours ate much fewer calories than earlier. There’s no harm in sniffing away, right?

2. Green Apple: Neutral scent of green apple is thought to have the ability to curb appetite, but we would advocate eating that green apple because it is high in fiber, packs a lot of minerals and fiber, all essential for good health and weight loss.

3. Banana: Just like green apple, banana is a neutral scent that can curb appetite, but just as we have suggested for green apple, it’s better to eat your banana than inhale it to get a good dose of potassium, vitamin B6, magnesium, and fiber

4. Vanilla: Love the scent of vanilla? Here’s the reason to love it more! If you light vanilla-scented candles in your room, you may not feel the need to frequently snack on high-calorie food.

5. Garlic: The benefits of garlic having fat-burning compounds is widely known, but some people also say the garlic odor stimulates the satiety area of the brain and curbs hunger.

6. Extra virgin Olive Oil: This oil is on every nutritionist’s and dietician’s recommendation list for weight loss because of its oleic acid content which supplies healthy fat to the body, boosts metabolism, and also switches off the hunger signal. But sniffing the neutral scent of olive oil is also thought to help one suppress appetite.

Have you tried this “sniffing” trick before? If yes, which scent has worked for you? Do reply in the comments below