Food smells help restore memory, study says

Food smells awaken strong memories and can be used to treat Alzheimer's disease, said researchers from Lancaster University, Human Computer Interaction reported.

The scientists included 12 elderly people in their study, from whom they collected 72 memories, half of which were related to food. Some remembered a fried mackerel at a golden wedding anniversary celebration, others recalled strawberries at the hospital after giving birth.

To recreate food memories, the researchers printed individual flavorings on a 3D printer based on the participants' stories. They are small, jelly-like edible balls that mimic the original food. But they were easier to swallow, tasted more intense, and didn't require long cooking or lots of ingredients.

It turned out that participants were able to recall far more details of a memorable event after they ate the flavoring ball.

Recalling a green Thai curry dinner in Cambodia, one participant said that they walked to a kitchen that was very simple and had many different kinds of green vegetables that he was seeing for the first time. They cooked while sitting on the floor.

After the participant ate a ball of flavoring, he gave a more detailed recollection of what they discussed while cooking, and also recalled that he and his friends then took the tables outside and ate lunch outdoors.

The scientists' work has shown that the connection between tastes and smells is incredibly powerful, but is currently understudied and underused.

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