As over 55 million people battle Alzheimer’s worldwide, University researchers have identified how the simple act of smelling menthol can help to improve cognitive function.
With 10 million new cases of Alzheimer’s and dementia each year, the fight against the disease will grow only more intense as the population ages. Though experts are frequently offering tips online, like the brain training exercises that are said to improve brain function, patients and families are desperate for help.
How smelling menthol affects Alzheimer’s
After earlier studies showed that subjects gained an enhanced immune response after smelling menthol, scientists from the University of Navarra delved into the interesting link between smell and Alzheimer’s. Their findings were published in the Frontiers of Immunology journal.
It’s important to note that both studies were completed on mice and not on humans. While this means the results can’t be applied to human conditions, it does provide hope for possible avenues of treatment.
“Perception of smells may influence the physiological activity of the brain thus modulating brain functions including memory and/or emotions,” they said in the study.
During the experiment, genetically altered mice with Alzheimer’s were exposed to menthol over six months. Though menthol is most often associated with cigarettes, it’s actually a chemical found naturally in peppermint and other mint plants.
The scientists were then able to pull data relating to the immune response and cognitive capacity of the mice, which they then compared to data sets from their healthy rodents. Shockingly, the Alzheimer’s mice showed significant improvement after being exposed to menthol.
Ultimately, menthol was able to help regulate the immune system, prevent cognitive deterioration, and improve memory and learning capabilities.
More research is needed
As mentioned above, the new data comes from experiments using mice, and as such, it needs to be repeated with human test subjects to see its true viability as an Alzheimer’s treatment.
If you’ve read this article and are still wondering why scientists often opt for mice test subjects, then don’t worry, we’ve got you covered. You see, not only are they easy to obtain, but they are also somewhat similar to humans in terms of anatomy, physiology, and genetics.
