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Recently I came across a study published last summer that provides some pretty astonishing evidence that training one’s sense of smell–”olfactory stimulation”–improves memory and prevents mental decline.
Conducted by Michael Leon, a professor of neurobiology at the University of California, Irvine, and published by the scientific journal Frontiers in Neuroscience, the study exposed older adults (age 60 to 85) to an array of scents at night while they slept and found that their memories improved significantly. Participants slept with odor diffusers in their bedrooms that distributed different scents every two hours: After six months, they showed a 226% improvement on a standard memory test. The control group showed no improvement.
“As you age, your memory walks hand in hand with your ability to smell things,” Leon explained when I called him. “Pretty much everybody in our modern, affluent world is odor-deprived. Humans’ brains evolved at a time when nobody bathed! Everyone was exposed to a rich, complex olfactory world. The loss of that stimulation may make our brains vulnerable to memory decline, depression and a wide variety of diseases.” Added to that is the environment’s wear and tear on our olfactory system–pollution, chronic stress, common colds, injury and aging all take a toll, he said.
Denne historien er fra August 31, 2024-utgaven av Wine Spectator.
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Denne historien er fra August 31, 2024-utgaven av Wine Spectator.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
![KRISTEN BIELER](https://reseuro.magzter.com/100x125/articles/13242/1744787/5FSsqKAOf1720683876971/KRISTEN-BIELER.jpg)
KRISTEN BIELER
Can Sensory Analysis of Wine Deter Dementia?
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JAMES MOLESWORTH Silverado Vineyards Charts Its Future
Silverado Vineyards is located prominently on the Silverado Trail, its winery facility perched atop a hill overlooking its 216-acre estate.
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A Welcome Taste of Lyon
You’ve got to love a dish they call silk worker’s brains. You’ve also got to wonder how it acquired such a quirky name.
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Sweet Harvest
Chef Dustin Valette shares childhood orchard memories and a recipe for warm plum cake
![A Grand Tour for Wine Spectator](https://reseuro.magzter.com/100x125/articles/13242/1744787/mK92qb18o1720683188524/A-GRAND-TOUR-FOR-WINE-SPECTATOR.jpg)
A Grand Tour for Wine Spectator
A young couple in shorts and festival shirts sped into the ballroom of the New Orleans Marriott on a mission.
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Wine Spectator Scholarship Foundation
Forty years of making a difference for future generations of wine and hospitality leaders
![Warren Winiarski](https://reseuro.magzter.com/100x125/articles/13242/1744787/_Y8X5dXqf1720682837919/WARREN-WINIARSKI.jpg)
Warren Winiarski
Stag's Leap Wine Cellars Founder
![Harvey Chaplin](https://reseuro.magzter.com/100x125/articles/13242/1744787/TxN7GFuXq1720682770136/HARVEY-CHAPLIN.jpg)
Harvey Chaplin
Southern Glazer's Chairman
![Big Wine Players Target Pinot Noir](https://reseuro.magzter.com/100x125/articles/13242/1744787/bnZk3qduE1720682575283/BIG-WINE-PLAYERS-TARGET-PINOT-NOIR.jpg)
Big Wine Players Target Pinot Noir
When the going gets tough, the tough look for opportunities.
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SPAIN NEVER BETTER
Newly released vintages of the country's prestige reds and a variety of distinctive whites invite exploration