Why Your Nose Could Be Your Brain's Secret Weapon
- Dec 19, 2025
- 3 min read
By Esther Ardagh-Ptolomey
When my family faced the devastating progression of dementia and Alzheimer's, I noticed something I did not understand at the time. Their sense of smell had faded years before their memory did. It seemed like a small detail, but it was an early warning sign I would later recognise. That experience, combined with years spent supporting the smell loss community as CEO of the charity AbScent, set me on a path that led to Scent Recover and a deeper understanding of one of the most overlooked parts of our wellbeing.
The Nose Brain Connection
The sense of smell has a direct line to the brain. Scents travel only a short distance before reaching areas responsible for memory, emotion and learning. This is why a familiar fragrance can instantly take you back to childhood or remind you of someone you love.
Research now shows that the condition of your sense of smell reflects aspects of brain health. Several studies indicate that a decline in smell ability can predict faster cognitive change and an increased likelihood of developing mild cognitive impairment. In some cases smell decline begins years before memory symptoms appear.
Training Your Brain Through Scent
The hopeful news is that your sense of smell can be strengthened. This is known as smell training, and the process is simple. It involves regularly smelling a small set of distinct scents and paying attention to how each one feels and changes over time.
Older adults taking part in a fragrance enrichment study at the University of California, Irvine, showed meaningful improvements in memory after six months of daily exposure to different scents. Brain imaging suggested positive changes in pathways linked to learning and memory. Importantly, these benefits were seen even in people with normal smell function.
My work with thousands of people during and after the pandemic reinforced how valuable structured sensory practice can be. Through Scent Recover, I provide smell training kits based on established protocols to support both smell recovery and broader cognitive wellbeing.
A Daily Practice for Your Mind
Smell training does not require specialised equipment or long sessions. It can be as simple as spending 15 to 20 seconds with four distinct scents, twice a day, focusing on what you can detect. This gentle practice encourages the brain to notice, interpret and store sensory information. With repetition, these pathways become more active.
At Scent Recover, I focus on helping people build a routine that is easy to follow. The aim is to give the brain a consistent signal that these sensory connections matter. For many, this becomes a grounding ritual, similar in effect to meditation or breathwork but guided through scent.
Reclaiming What Matters
My journey with family dementia and my work in the smell loss community have taught me that our sense of smell is far more important than we often realise. Yes, it allows us to enjoy food, nature and meaningful moments. But it also plays a vital role in maintaining the neural networks that keep us sharp, connected and engaged with life.
Whether you are recovering from smell loss, supporting your long term brain health or simply curious about new wellness practices, smell training offers something practical you can begin today. Your nose may be one of your most powerful tools for cognitive resilience. Nurturing it now is an investment in the years ahead.
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