Misidentifying 4 of these 5 odors doubles your dementia risk

I met a friend of mine for lunch the other day. It’s been months since we’ve found the time to get together because she has a hard time getting away from the house.

You see, her husband was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s a couple of years ago and the disease progressed faster than they ever expected. Now, she’s scared to leave him even for a moment unless their son is there with him.

During lunch, she told me something that I had never realized — a few years before her husband starting showing signs of dementia, he had lost his sense of smell. She remembered thinking it was strange at the time but not being overly concerned since life was crazy and they were in the middle of a job change and moving.

Now, she wonders if it was a warning sign and could they have done more to prevent the disease that has ravaged their family if they had only known.

That got me wondering too. Here’s what I found…

Can you identify these odors?

A long-term study of nearly 3,000 adults, aged 57 to 85, by scientists at the University of Chicago Medical Center, examined the connection between sense of smell and risk of being diagnosed with dementia.

The researchers used a tool that looks like a felt-tip pen, but instead of ink, it was infused with distinct scents. The subjects smelled each item and were then asked to identify the odor, one at a time, from a set of five choices. In order of increasing difficulty, the scents were peppermint, fish, orange, rose and leather.

They found that those who could not identify at least four out of five common odors were more than twice as likely as those with a normal sense of smell to develop dementia within five years.

That’s an 80 percent rate of dementia for those participants who could identify only one odor!

And, even more frightening… five years after the initial test, almost all of the study subjects who were unable to identify a single scent had been diagnosed with dementia.

According to the researchers, “These results show that the sense of smell is closely connected with brain function and health.”

And, they even said, “Loss of the sense of smell is a strong signal that something has gone wrong and significant damage has been done. This simple smell test could provide a quick and inexpensive way to identify those who are already at high risk.”

So, how is losing your sense of smell related to losing your memories?

The researchers on the study say that your olfactory system (your system of smell) has stem cells that self-regenerate, so “a decrease in the ability to smell may signal a decrease in the brain’s ability to rebuild key components that are declining with age, leading to the pathological changes of many different dementias.”

In other words, if the cells that make up the olfactory system in your brain are dying off and can’t rebuild and repair, it’s a sign that the rest of your brain is suffering as well.

Boosting your brain health

That means that monitoring your sense of smell could give you insight into the health of your brain.

Along with keeping track of your olfactory system, you should also take steps to optimize your cognition now.

These four healthy habits will help:

• Get exercise – Activity boosts blood flow to your entire body, including your brain and increases the levels of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), a protein that improves learning and memory. Shoot for at least 15 minutes of exercise three times a week.
• Increase intake of phosphatidylserine (PS) – According to 64 studies, PS is one of the single best nutrients for rejuvenating your mind and memory. This soy-based nutrient is the key building block for billions of cells in your brain. It acts like brain food.
• Rest – Poor sleep equals poor memory. That’s because while you sleep, large amounts of cerebrospinal fluid flood your brain, washing away brain-toxic proteins that have accumulated during the day. Try to get a solid eight hours each night.
• Relax – Chronic stress can ruin the health of your brain. Practice meditation, do yoga and use deep breathing techniques to relax and release that stress so that your brain can thrive.

Don’t ignore one of the biggest warning signs of dementia. Check your sense of smell regularly and use the tips above to boost your brain health.