October 16, 2025

How Does the Brain Interpret Aromas as Taste? A Recent Study Provides a Clearer Insight

7 minutes

New research from the Karolinska Institutet in Sweden shows that your brain interprets certain aromas as taste, activating the same regions as sugar
Retronasal smell — odor molecules rising from your mouth during eating — creates flavor, while orthonasal smell (sniffing) detects outside odors
Functional MRI scans revealed that the insula, the brain's taste cortex, responds to sweet-associated aromas like vanilla or strawberry as if sugar were present
Everyday experiences, such as food tasting bland during a cold, highlight the difference between taste vs. flavor and the role of retronasal airflow
Sweet-linked aromas can help reduce added sugar in foods by enhancing perceived sweetness, though they do not change calorie or glucose content

...more

By Dr. Mercola

4.6

14871,487 ratings

October 16, 2025

7 minutes

New research from the Karolinska Institutet in Sweden shows that your brain interprets certain aromas as taste, activating the same regions as sugar
Retronasal smell — odor molecules rising from your mouth during eating — creates flavor, while orthonasal smell (sniffing) detects outside odors
Functional MRI scans revealed that the insula, the brain's taste cortex, responds to sweet-associated aromas like vanilla or strawberry as if sugar were present
Everyday experiences, such as food tasting bland during a cold, highlight the difference between taste vs. flavor and the role of retronasal airflow
Sweet-linked aromas can help reduce added sugar in foods by enhancing perceived sweetness, though they do not change calorie or glucose content

...more