Losing Your Sense of Smell? It May Be a Predictor of…Death

Need another reason to avoid prescription drugs?
Researchers in Sweden followed 1,744 Swedes between the ages of 40 and 90 years old for ten years and found that their performance on a “smell test” was linked to their chance of death, adding to a growing body of literature which suggests that the olfactory sense provides a window into the health of the brain.
We should point out that many legal drugs cause impairment and/or loss of smell, including such blockbusters as Flonase and Xanax. Other studies have linked impaired smell with Alzheimer’s. Pharmaceutical drugs can also disrupt saliva production and increase cravings for salt and sugar. Less saliva also makes us more prone to infection.
Avoiding early death would indeed be a good reason, among many, many more, to “just say no” to legal drugs.
Other research confirms the important role our olfactory sense plays in overall health. A Duke University study showed that enhancing the taste and smell of food in a retirement home resulted in a stronger immune system. Taste, like smell, is an indicator of health.
Read the full story here.



Other articles in this week’s Pulse of Natural Health:
Federal Trade Commission Attacks the Environment
Cancer Control Within Reach? Only If It’s Profitable!