Plant-rich diets linked to a sharper sense of smell in study of 6,690 adults
Representative image: silviarita / Pixabay
A study of 6,690 adults in Italy, reported on October 14, 2026, links diets rich in fruit and vegetables to better smell; refined plant foods showed the opposite.
What Happened
A study of 6,690 adults in the South Tyrol region of northern Italy has found that people who eat healthier, plant-rich diets, especially plenty of fruit and vegetables, tend to have a better sense of smell. The research, published in the journal Chemical Senses and reported on Wednesday, October 14, 2026, used data from the Cooperative Health Research in South Tyrol (CHRIS) study. People whose diets leaned on refined plant foods, such as sugary and processed items, showed the opposite pattern. The researchers stress that the link is small and that the study cannot prove that diet changes smell.
Key Facts
- The analysis covered 6,690 adults, with an average age of 44.5, drawn from about 13,400 CHRIS participants.
- Smell was measured with a standard 16-item odour identification test; anyone naming 12 or fewer odours was classed as having a reduced sense of smell (hyposmia).
- Diet was recorded with a food questionnaire covering the previous year and scored on four indices, including Mediterranean and plant-based diet scores.
- Higher scores for healthy, plant-rich and Mediterranean-style eating were linked to lower odds of hyposmia.
- An "unhealthy" plant-based pattern, heavy in refined plant foods, was linked to poorer smell.
- The effects were modest, and some links were no longer statistically significant in extra checks the authors ran.
Why It Matters
The sense of smell does more than help us enjoy food. It warns us of smoke, gas leaks and spoiled food, and a declining sense of smell in later life has been linked in other research to poorer overall health. Anything that might help keep it sharp is of interest to doctors and to ordinary people.
For Indian readers the finding has a familiar ring. Traditional Indian kitchens rely heavily on vegetables, fruit, pulses, whole grains and fragrant spices, and many households are vegetarian. The study's key distinction is between healthy plant foods and refined ones. A plate of dal, sabzi and fresh fruit scored very differently from one built on white flour, sugar and fried snacks, even though both are technically plant-based. That matches long-standing advice in traditional wellness systems to favour fresh, whole foods over processed ones.
The research also has clear limits. It is cross-sectional, meaning it looked at diet and smell at one point in time. It cannot tell whether good food helps people smell better, or whether people who smell well enjoy and choose fresher food. Diet was self-reported, and the population was from one region of Italy. The authors have called for studies that follow people over years to test the link properly.
| Diet pattern | Link with sense of smell |
|---|---|
| Healthy plant-rich, high fruit and vegetables | Better smell, lower odds of hyposmia |
| Mediterranean-style | Lower odds of hyposmia |
| Plant-based but high in refined foods | Poorer smell |
Impact
Short-term: The study adds one more modest reason to favour fresh, whole plant foods, but it is not a treatment for smell loss.
Long-term: If follow-up studies confirm the link, diet advice could become part of efforts to protect the sense of smell as people age.
Who is affected: Adults interested in healthy eating, older people concerned about smell loss, and nutrition and ear-nose-throat specialists.
Key Takeaway
A large Italian study links healthy, plant-rich eating to a slightly better sense of smell, while refined plant foods show the opposite, though it cannot prove cause and effect.
Questions and Answers
Does eating more vegetables improve your sense of smell?
The study found that people who ate healthier, plant-rich diets were somewhat less likely to have a weak sense of smell, but because it captured one moment in time it cannot show that vegetables cause the improvement.
Is any vegetarian diet good for smell?
No. Plant-based diets high in refined foods such as sugary and processed items were linked to poorer smell; the benefit was tied to whole foods like fruit and vegetables.
Who took part in the study?
6,690 adults with an average age of 44.5 from the CHRIS health study in South Tyrol, Italy.
How big was the effect?
Small. The associations were modest, and some were no longer significant when the researchers ran additional checks.
Disclaimer: Prepared by the Peepals newsroom from publicly available sources with AI assistance. Information is accurate to the best of our knowledge at the time of publication and may change. Images may be representative. Not professional advice. Report an error via our contact page.
Sourced and fact-checked by the Peepals Global Editorial Team
Reported, fact-checked and published by the Peepals Global Editorial Team.
