If you have ever immediately become relaxed by smelling freshly cut grass or rejuvenated by smelling fresh peppermint, then you can attest to the fact that scents have the ability to alter human behavior and emotion. A new study has shown that the smell of coffee by itself has the ability to provide necessary antioxidant benefits, while also dramatically calming you.



Of course, we all rely upon a cup of Joe in the morning to wake us up and get us through the day, but simply smelling the great aroma of Java does have the ability to have affects on your behavior and emotion. The Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry did cite that smelling coffee provides pleasure and also powerful antioxidant properties. These antioxidant benefits work to protect the cells in your body from damage caused by stress. This is an important finding because drinking coffee has dramatic antioxidant benefits to neutralize free radicals within the body. However, now you can also use coffee aromas to prevent free radical damage that can cause premature aging and disease.

Within the study, adult rats were tested who were stressed out from sleep deprivation. The study was supposed to be able to show how coffee aromas influenced their brain functions and impacted their behaviors. After the test was complete, the results did show that the aromas of roasted coffee beans changed the protein levels in the brains of the rats. This also showed that smelling coffee aromas has the ability to enhance valuable proteins in the brain that provide healthy antioxidant benefits. This worked to protect the body's cells from stress damage simply by sniffing coffee.

Interestingly enough, you can find this evidence in ancient medicinal practices. There were many bottles of aromatic medicines found in Egyptian tombs, and there were also writings from the ancient Romans, Greeks, and Chinese to provide evidence that they used the smell of specific aromas for healing purposes. One of the biggest industries growing within alternative medicine today is the practice of aromatherapy. This is a holistic method that uses botanical oils that are smelled or massaged into the skin. These oils will directly affect the nervous system and brain through the stimulation of the olfactory nerves within the body.

Truthfully, smell is one of the most complex of all our five senses, and it does directly affect behaviors and emotions when the body processes a scent. It also stimulates the portion of the brain that is responsible for short term memory, which would explain why you have specific emotions or memories when you smell the perfume that you used to wear in high school. Research is not complete on all of these subjects, but it is proven that if you do smell coffee, it has the ability to relax you and provide healthy antioxidant benefits to combat stress. I can think of nothing better than smelling and sipping a fresh cup of Joe to drink to your health!