Connecting Sense of Smell and Obesity Cedars-Sinai Skip to content Close Select your preferred language English عربى 简体中文 繁體中文 فارسي עִברִית 日本語 한국어 Русский Español Tagalog Menu Close Call 1-800-CEDARS-1 toggle search form Close Share Email Print CS-Blog Cedars-Sinai Blog Research Closeup Smell and Obesity Dec 09, 2018 Cedars-Sinai Staff Share Tweet Post You're probably familiar with how your sense of smell affects hunger, like when a whiff of freshly baked bread triggers a sudden desire for a sandwich. New research suggests smell might influence not only our appetites, but also how our bodies process food. By regulating the olfactory system, we can control the brain's response to food. Celine Riera, PhD, is assistant professor in the Center for Neural Science and Medicine at Cedars-Sinai. Her research focuses on mapping the brain circuits to understand pathways that affect obesity. In a recent study, Riera uncovered a connection between olfactory neurons, which control smell, and metabolism, the body's process of converting food into energy. We spoke with Riera about her work and her hopes for how it might someday help treat obesity. We’re starting to appreciate now that one of the main causes of obesity—and the reason it is so difficult to lose weight or keep it off—is that hunger and appetite are not something people can control. Click To Tweet Why are hunger and smell interconnected Celine Riera: We've found that mice stay leaner when their olfactory neurons, their "smell receptors," are turned off—even when they eat the same diet as mice whose neurons are normal. These mice without a sense of smell burn more calories, stay more active, breathe more oxygen, and have a higher metabolism. Olfaction, the act of smelling, can influence the hypothalamus, an area of the brain which controls hunger: Mice who can't smell appear to perceive food differently. Read: Could Smell Impact Metabolism? What else have you learned from this research CR: We've discovered that the neurons inside our nose send information to the brain and govern how much food we need, whether to look for food, and how to process the food we eat. The brain is like the master conductor and the body is the orchestra: The brain sends hunger information to every other part of the body. So by regulating the olfactory system, we can control the brain's response to food. Read: Explaining the Link Between Prostate Cancer and Obesity How could this help patients in the future CR: This animal research may give us the opportunity to better understand the causes of obesity in humans. We're starting to appreciate now that one of the main causes of obesity—and the reason it is so difficult to lose weight or keep it off—is that hunger and appetite are not something people can control. Hunger happens in the nervous system, at the neuron level, and it is extremely important to understand this aspect of the disease. If we can manipulate hunger response through smell, we could potentially regulate the way the body processes food. Tags Obesity Research Weight Share Tweet Post Popular Categories Health + Wellness Science + Innovation Community Blog & Magazines catalyst Blog & Magazines Home CS-Blog Blog CS Magazine Cedars-Sinai Magazine discoveries magazine Discoveries Magazine Embracing our Community Embracing Our Community Blog & Magazines catalyst Blog & Magazines Home CS-Blog Blog Embracing our Community Embracing Our Community CS Magazine Cedars-Sinai Magazine discoveries magazine Discoveries Magazine Popular Topics Research Innovation Technology Clinical Trials Healthcare Accelerator Make an Appointment Find a Doctor Schedule a Callback Call us 24 hours a day 1-800-CEDARS-1 Support Cedars-Sinai Make a Gift Volunteer Share Email Print Please ensure Javascript is enabled for purposes of website accessibility