Diet and sense of smell: cross-sectional findings from 6,690 South Tyrol adults
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Automatic summary · not editorially reviewedIn a cross-sectional analysis of 6,690 adults in the CHRIS study in Italy, healthier plant-rich dietary patterns were modestly associated with better odor identification, while unhealthy plant-based patterns were linked to poorer smell; the design cannot show direction. [1]
The analysis included 6,690 adults with an average age of 44.5 years, 54% of them women, from the population-based CHRIS study in Italy. [1]
Greater adherence to healthier dietary patterns was modestly associated with better odor identification, and higher fruit and vegetable consumption with lower odds of hyposmia. [1]
The cross-sectional study cannot establish whether healthier diets improve smell or whether impaired olfactory function influences food preferences. [1]
CHRIS adults and diet-smell question
The description reports a study in Chemical Senses asking whether what people eat relates to how well they smell. It examined dietary habits and olfactory function among adults in the population-based Cooperative Health Research in South Tyrol (CHRIS) study in Italy. The analysis included 6,690 participants with an average age of 44.5 years; 54% were women. The description notes that olfactory dysfunction affects an estimated 22% of people and can affect quality of life, food choices and nutritional health, and that earlier research linked impaired smell with higher mortality risk among older adults. [1]
Odor test, food questionnaires and modest links
Smell was assessed with the 16-item Sniffin’ Sticks odor identification test; correctly identifying 12 or fewer odors was classified as hyposmia, or reduced olfactory function. Dietary habits came from food frequency questionnaires and several dietary indices, including the Mediterranean Diet Index, Alternate Healthy Eating Index and plant-based diet indices. Greater adherence to healthier dietary patterns was modestly associated with better odor identification. Higher fruit and vegetable consumption was linked to better olfactory performance and lower odds of hyposmia. Unhealthy plant-based dietary patterns showed poorer olfactory function and greater likelihood of reduced smell sensitivity. Associations were also observed between better odor identification and tea, coffee and certain alcoholic beverages; the description states these findings do not suggest alcohol improves smell or should be consumed for health benefits. [1]
Cross-sectional design leaves direction open
The researchers cautioned that the cross-sectional study cannot establish whether healthier diets improve smell or whether impaired olfactory function influences food preferences. The description therefore reports associations, not causes, and does not show that changing diet would change odor identification. It also does not report follow-up over time. The description summarizes the published paper (Chemical Senses, bjag028) and was medically reviewed by Dr Kamal Kant Kohli; the video and transcript were not reviewed here. [1]
Context & limits
Description only; the video and transcript were not reviewed. This is a cross-sectional study, so it shows associations, not causes, and cannot establish direction between diet and smell. The description gives no follow-up data.
Based on the creator’s description; the full video and transcript were not analyzed.
Quoted passages in the original language
6,690 participants with an average age of
modestly associated with better odor identification
cross-sectional study cannot establish whether healthier diets
About this video
Creator description · original textText language: English
Medical Dialogues · 3 min · Source published: 2026-10-16
Added to Harbor: 10/23/2026
Original on YouTube ↗Automatically categorized source. Creator statements are not an independent evidence review or personal medical guidance.