Thursday, March 22, 2012

Smell and eat less

Food Diary (March 22, 2012)
Breakfast: Toast
Lunch: Smoked sausage and bean stew with potato bread
Dinner: Pasta with mushroom sauce


Today's Favourite Photo
Asian-Style Caramelized Pork





Today’s Favourite Blog
You may think that the smell of food increases your appetite. That’s not the case. 

A test was done on 10 adults. Vanilla custard was squeezed directly into each subject's mouth, in amounts the subject controlled. With each taste, subjects also got a blast of the custard aroma puffed into the back part of their nose. When subjects smelled a stronger custard aroma, they took smaller samples than when the scent was weaker or imperceptible.

The stronger aroma might signal to the brain that the food is richer and higher in calories—thus more filling. But regardless of mechanism, the researchers suggest that making food more aromatic might induce people to take smaller mouthfuls. And such smaller bites have been shown to help people feel fuller faster and eat less overall.

I’ve noticed that if I smell too much of some food I lose my appetite. I can imagine if I spent many hours in a bakery I may not want to eat the baked goods. So to me this study makes sense.

21 comments:

  1. oh wow! oh wow! oho wow! the pork looks extra appetising!!! oh my goodness!

    Another interesting study! smelling food increase my appetite so am i odd?? :P I don't think i'll ever get tired of the smell of freshly baked bread!

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    1. I guess that research does not apply to everyone

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    2. Forgot to say, smell increases appetite but according to the article stronger smell reduces appetite

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  2. Ah, I know what I'm having this weekend ... not vanilla custard.
    I agree with that article. It seems chefs actually don't eat that much since they're in the kitchen all the time and smelling the food the whole time makes them lose their appetites ... I think it's overdose.

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    1. I guess also some chefs (the good ones anyway) are constantly tasting so they probably end up eating quite a bit.

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  3. I get so hungry smelling food it's crazy. Also reading about it also does that to me :P

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    1. Hahaha, that research definitely does not apply to you in that case:)

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  4. It totally makes a sense! From what I heard people who are not ill, but have simply eating disorders usually have bland food such as soft white bread, pre-cooked meals etc.. (I cannot imagine them eating non-stop herrings for example, the taste and aroma seems too strong for such eating habits), so it seems logical. Also I have heard some nutritionists advise lots of herbs and spices to make the dishes seem "fuller" (although maybe some appetite enhancers should be avoided).
    Also whenever I cook for a long time I am less hungry afterwards...
    The pork dish kills me. I want pork and have only chicken :-( Time to go shopping.

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    1. I think if someone eats non-stop herring, they will have another kind of disorder, the mental kind:)

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    2. It would be a more sophisticated habit than eating hamburgers and chips for every meal ;-)

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  5. I think I'm like that. When I smell a food strongly, it does lessen my appetite and I'm quite happy to eat less of that food. xx

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  6. I've heard that happening. I know that when I worked as a waitress for a summer after high school, I barely wanted to eat because I was around it all the time.

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    Replies
    1. Its a pity, when you get the opportunity to eat lots of food you don't feel like eating it

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  7. Hmm maybe the intense smell somehow gives you a negative association? Strange.

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  8. REALLY? I think back to all the times I walk past a bakery and bought something just because of the amazing smells. Or when I eat too much at street food markets.

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    1. Smell increases appetite but according to the article stronger smell reduces appetite. So I guess if the food at the street food markets smells really strong you may eat less

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  9. i have heard of that happening. in fact i have it with ginger. I am not a ginger fan for some reason and have no idea why! Love that food pic

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  10. Fascinating concept. I think I'd want to spend a week in a bakery just testing it though. A really good bakery with lots of butter and sugar - for scientific study, of course. lol

    This is a terrific post.

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