Sensory Cues for Eating Behavior

Overseen By Christina M Blackmon

Age: 18 - 65

Sex: Any

Trial Phase: Academic

Sponsor: Penn State University

Disqualifiers: Food allergies, Major depressive disorder, Dementia, Eating disorders, Vertigo, others

No Placebo Group All trial participants will receive the active study treatment (no placebo)

Compensation: Varies

Number of Visits: 2

Duration: 2 visits over 1 week

25 Participants Needed

Trial Summary

Will I have to stop taking my current medications?

The trial information does not specify whether you need to stop taking your current medications. It might be best to discuss this with the trial coordinators.

What data supports the effectiveness of the treatment Pleasant Smell, Unpleasant Smell for influencing eating behavior?

Research shows that exposure to pleasant food odors can increase appetite and food intake, as seen in studies where ambient odors like chocolate and beef increased salivation and food consumption. This suggests that pleasant smells might help influence eating behavior by enhancing appetite. ^{1 2 3 4 5}

Is exposure to different smells safe for influencing eating behavior?

The studies suggest that exposure to different smells, such as food odors, is generally safe for humans and can influence appetite and food intake without any reported harmful effects. ^{1 2 3 6 7}

How does the treatment using pleasant and unpleasant smells differ from other treatments for eating behavior?

This treatment is unique because it uses the sense of smell to influence eating behavior, which is different from traditional methods that might focus on diet or medication. By using pleasant and unpleasant smells, it aims to trigger specific appetites and potentially alter food intake through sensory cues, rather than directly affecting metabolism or digestion. ^{1 3 8 9 10}

What is the purpose of this trial?

Many factors influence eating choices among humans (mood, taste, convenience, time of day, etc.). Finding simple ways to decrease food intake or improve food choices could improve weight status and overall health of the general population. The purpose of this study is to see if city and/or nature smells affect human eating behavior within a virtual reality-simulated outdoor café. The researchers of this study believe that a better understanding of how smells affect eating behavior could lead to public guidelines that direct the construction and layout of such outdoor eating environments to better support healthy behaviors.

Research Team

Travis Masterson

Principal Investigator

The Pennsylvania State University

Eligibility Criteria

This trial is for healthy individuals interested in participating in a study that explores how different smells influence eating behavior. There are no specific inclusion or exclusion criteria provided, so it's open to the general healthy population.

Inclusion Criteria

Not color blind

Free of self-reported food allergies/food sensitivities

Fluent in English

Exclusion Criteria

Suffers from color blindness

Have self-reported food allergies

I have had a hair transplant within the last 6 months.

Timeline

Screening

Participants are screened for eligibility to participate in the trial

1-2 weeks

Treatment

Participants experience different scents in a virtual reality-simulated outdoor café to study the influence on eating behavior.

2 visits over 1 week

2 visits (in-person)

Follow-up

Participants are monitored for changes in eating behavior and responses to sensory cues after the VR experience.

1 week

Treatment Details

Interventions

• Pleasant Smell
• Unpleasant Smell

Trial Overview The study tests whether pleasant or unpleasant smells can affect food choices and intake within a virtual reality setting that simulates an outdoor café. It aims to understand if sensory cues like city or nature smells have an impact on eating behaviors.

Participant Groups

Group I: Unpleasant First Experimental Treatment 2 Interventions

Participants will experience the unpleasant smell in the participant's first visit and the pleasant smell in the participant's second visit.

Group II: Pleasant First Experimental Treatment 2 Interventions

Participants will experience the pleasant smell in the participant's first visit and the unpleasant smell in the participant's second visit.

Who Is Running the Clinical Trial?

Penn State University

Lead Sponsor

Trials

380

Recruited

131,000+

Findings from Research

In a study involving 32 normal-weight young women, exposure to ambient food odors, particularly those associated with high-energy dense products like chocolate and beef, significantly increased both food intake and salivation compared to a no-odor control condition.

While the odors did not specifically increase appetite for the exact foods presented, overall appetite ratings were significantly higher during odor exposure, suggesting that ambient food scents can influence eating behavior and potentially affect nutritional status.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Impact of ambient odors on food intake, saliva production and appetite ratings. Proserpio, C., de Graaf, C., Laureati, M., et al.[2018]

Ambient exposure to food odors, specifically a bread scent, significantly increased the amount of low-energy vegetable soup consumed by 30 obese women, indicating that smell can enhance food intake.

The study also found that the food odor exposure heightened both general appetite and sensory-specific appetite for similar food products, suggesting that odors can influence eating behavior and energy intake in obese individuals.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Ambient Odor Exposure Affects Food Intake and Sensory Specific Appetite in Obese Women. Proserpio, C., Invitti, C., Boesveldt, S., et al.[2020]

The sense of smell primarily acts as a trigger for appetite, specifically increasing desire for certain foods when exposed to their odors, although its impact on actual food choice and intake can vary based on factors like awareness and individual personality traits.

Taste functions as a critical nutrient detection system during eating, influencing how quickly we eat and contributing to feelings of fullness, which can help in managing overall energy intake and potentially reducing obesity.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

The Differential Role of Smell and Taste For Eating Behavior. Boesveldt, S., de Graaf, K.[2017]

In a study of 80 female university students, higher levels of pathological eating attitudes were linked to differences in sensitivity to sweet and fatty food odors, although no significant correlations were found with overall taste and smell perception.

This research is the first to explore the relationship between pathological eating attitudes and food stimuli in a non-clinical sample, suggesting a need for more comprehensive measures of disordered eating that extend beyond just caloric restriction.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Investigating the Link between Eating Attitudes, Taste and Odour Preferences and the Chemical Senses. St Clair, L., Grady, A., Mahmut, MK.[2023]

In a study of 239 independently living older adults in Italy, 41% had taste impairment and 33% had olfactory impairment, but these impairments did not significantly affect their eating pleasure or appetite.

Factors such as living alone, dietary restrictions, and perceived taste impairment were more strongly linked to decreased eating pleasure and appetite, suggesting that addressing social and dietary factors may be crucial for preventing malnutrition in the elderly.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Chemosensory impairment does not diminish eating pleasure and appetite in independently living older adults. Arganini, C., Sinesio, F.[2018]

A study involving 68 participants found significant individual differences in how people perceive irritation from the smell of irritant foods like mustard oil, vinegar, and wasabi, with younger individuals being the most sensitive.

The research indicates that nasal responsiveness to irritant foods can influence food acceptance and behaviors, as those who perceived more irritation tended to like the foods less, especially when familiar with the stimuli.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Individual differences in the perception of orthonasal irritation induced by food. Piochi, M., Cabrino, G., Morini, G., et al.[2020]

Food aromas can influence people's food preferences and choices, but their effectiveness is highly dependent on specific contextual factors, such as the congruency of the scent with the food and the intensity of the aroma.

Individual differences, including dietary habits, Body Mass Index (BMI), and cultural perceptions of smells, also play a significant role in how people respond to food-related scents, suggesting that scent marketing strategies should be tailored to these factors.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Orthonasal olfactory influences on consumer food behaviour. Zhang, T., Spence, C.[2023]

The sense of smell plays a crucial role in human well-being by influencing nutrition and social relationships, as it helps individuals extract nutritional information from food cues and can affect food choices.

Olfaction also regulates emotional conditions, impacting social interactions throughout different life stages, suggesting that enhancing our understanding of smell could improve overall quality of life.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

The importance of the olfactory system in human well-being, through nutrition and social behavior. Boesveldt, S., Parma, V.[2022]

Classical conditioning plays a crucial role in how animals learn to associate food flavors with positive or negative experiences, influencing their eating behavior based on past experiences.

The brain mechanisms behind conditioned taste aversion involve long-term potentiation in the amygdala, which helps form associations between flavors and bodily signals, ultimately affecting emotional responses and food intake decisions.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Brain mechanisms of flavor learning. Yamamoto, T., Ueji, K.[2021]

Rats can learn to avoid the odor of carbon disulfide (CS₂) through taste-potentiated odor aversion, indicating that they can associate negative experiences with specific smells.

Interestingly, this learned aversion does not affect their ability to use CS₂ as a cue for food preferences, suggesting that the pathways for processing odors and semiochemicals operate independently in the brain.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Stability and flexibility of the message carried by semiochemical stimuli, as revealed by devaluation of carbon disulfide followed by social transmission of food preference. Maier, JX., Blankenship, ML., Barry, NC., et al.[2021]

References

1. United States pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Impact of ambient odors on food intake, saliva production and appetite ratings. [2018]

2. Switzerland pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Ambient Odor Exposure Affects Food Intake and Sensory Specific Appetite in Obese Women. [2020]

3. United States pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

The Differential Role of Smell and Taste For Eating Behavior. [2017]

4. Switzerland pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Investigating the Link between Eating Attitudes, Taste and Odour Preferences and the Chemical Senses. [2023]

5. Ireland pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Chemosensory impairment does not diminish eating pleasure and appetite in independently living older adults. [2018]

6. England pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Individual differences in the perception of orthonasal irritation induced by food. [2020]

7. England pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Orthonasal olfactory influences on consumer food behaviour. [2023]

8. Germany pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

The importance of the olfactory system in human well-being, through nutrition and social behavior. [2022]

9. Switzerland pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Brain mechanisms of flavor learning. [2021]

10. United States pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Stability and flexibility of the message carried by semiochemical stimuli, as revealed by devaluation of carbon disulfide followed by social transmission of food preference. [2021]