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Have you ever smelled a particular scent and gotten déjà vu, like the smell somehow transported you back in time to a special moment in your life? We all have smells that equate with memories and the power of smell is undeniable.  Our sense of smell is the most powerful sense, with it being 10,000 more powerful than our taste. Research has shown that scent is so powerful it can help lower stress levels, improve mental functioning, improve physical performance, relieve pain, help with sleeping problems and aid in weight loss.

So how can our simple sense of smell affect our health so much? The system is quite complex. We have several hundred types of smell receptors with millions cells lining our nasal passages. Once a cell detects a scent it relays the information to the olfactory bulb which is a grouping of neurons in the brain.  The brain then sorts out the signals it receives and relays them to the limbic system which is the part of the brain which is associated with memories and emotions. This part of the brain is in charge of simple behaviors such as hunger, fighting or fleeing as well as sexual arousal, pleasure and even addiction. What this means is that certain smells can trigger particular emotions as well as behaviors. By using this complex system to our advantage there are many ways to we use the sense of smell to enhance our health. If you want to overcome a craving, it has been found that the scents of banana, green apple, and peppermint will help you overcome the craving.  If you are feeling stressed out try smelling the scent of oranges or lavender to improve your mood and calm your nerves. If you are studying for a test it has been shown that the smell of rosemary improves memory.  In pain? Opt out of medication and instead sniff lavender oil.  If you want to ramp up your workouts, sniff peppermint as it has been shown to improve motivation, energy and speed.

There is pretty much a scent that will help every kind of ailment that you face. There are many ways to take advantage of our sensational sense of smell. You can use essential oils, fragrance in your home, fresh herbs, bath oils or perfumes to improve your health through the power of scent.