How to Preserve Your Sense of Smell

Loss of sense of smell can have serious consequences. How may we prevent it?

My book How Not to Age ( ) has an entire section dedicated to preserving functions as we age—from senses to skin to immune system and more. Pick up a copy from your local library or wherever you buy your books. (As always, the proceeds from my books are donated to charity.)

The hearing videos I mentioned are:
• Age-Related Hearing Loss Is Preventable, So What Causes It? ( )
• The Supplement Shown to Slow Age-Related Hearing Loss ( )
• The Diet Shown to Slow Age-Related Hearing Loss ( )

New subscribers to our e-newsletter always receive a free gift. Get yours here: .

Have a question about this video? Leave it in the comment section at and someone on the NutritionFacts.org team will try to answer it.

Want to get a list of links to all the scientific sources used in this video? Click on Sources Cited at . You’ll also find a transcript and acknowledgements for the video, my blog and speaking tour schedule, and an easy way to search (by translated language even) through our videos spanning more than 2,000 health topics.

Thanks for watching. I hope you’ll join in the evidence-based nutrition revolution!
-Michael Greger, MD FACLM

Captions for this video are available in several languages; you can find yours in the video settings. View important information about our translated resources:

• Subscribe:
• Donate:
• Podcast :
• Books:
• Shop:
• Facebook:
• Twitter:
• Instagram:

Dave McKinnon
 

  • @MrDesoto1 says:

    I have had a very heightened sense of smell since going Keto.

  • @aumnamashivaya4 says:

    Ok, how do you regain the sense of smell besides buying a gas detector which is a proxy???😊

    • @eelkeaptroot1393 says:

      I’ve heard of research done with something called aroma therapy, where people are asked to expose their smell to essential oils, like rose and cloves amoungst others. Apparently stimulating those nerves helps with recovery, cause the insta experiments were done on accident victims, but it’s been tested on folks with anosemia due to long covid or PASC recently too.

    • @Tyler_Skye77 says:

      @@eelkeaptroot1393
      That’s great! 😁

    • @mellocello187 says:

      Click bait title, again. There is no “how”.

  • @allencrider says:

    Animal AG stinks. 💩

  • @andrewpawley8883 says:

    I love this channel!

  • @kati-ana says:

    I’ve noticed my sense of smell and taste have greatly declined, but it hasn’t stopped my desire to eat even though I can’t really taste what I’m eating.

  • @NutritionFactsOrg says:

    How Not to Age has an entire section dedicated to preserving functions as we age—from senses to skin to immune system and more. Pick up a copy from your local library or wherever you buy your books. (As always, the proceeds from Dr. Greger’s books are donated to charity.)

  • @mchagawa1615 says:

    Thank you so much <3

  • @amethystte2749 says:

    What is the answer to title of Video? not in this video…….? Clickbait. shame on you. You usually have high standards

    • @wfpbwfpb says:

      Be quiet goofball.

    • @veganchiefwarrior6444 says:

      Exactly lol wtf.. an honest mistake I’m sure

    • @NutritionFactsOrg says:

      “We may not have a choice where we live, but there is definitely a direct source of air pollution tied to loss of smell we can all choose to avoid: cigarette smoke.”

    • @ericgellert says:

      @@NutritionFactsOrg Thank you for clarifying, although it would be nice if the conclusion were easier to find, whether that be in the video description or color coded in the video in a particular way, etc.

  • @veganchiefwarrior6444 says:

    Why TF would I want to know about shoving tubes up my nose so I can’t taste anything.. so random lol the title is miss leading cause you didnt tell us how to preserve our sense of smell

    • @NutritionFactsOrg says:

      “We may not have a choice where we live, but there is definitely a direct source of air pollution tied to loss of smell we can all choose to avoid: cigarette smoke.”

    • @RoughNeckDelta says:

      @@NutritionFactsOrg Has Dr G been following the bird flu lately? Would be interested in his take on the 2 human infections in TX in the past week. I think human to human contagion is close.

  • @Corilo91 says:

    Just a couple months ago I experienced an almost complete loss of the sense of smell. It never happened to me, and I was very worry.
    It was probably caused by a long allergic reaction paired with a cold. It really made me realize how important the sense of smell is.

  • @danman3163 says:

    What about people seemingly born without a sense of smell, can anything be done?

  • @jgee8209 says:

    I had a mild case of covid 2.5 years ago thsg completely wiped out my sense of smell for months. Even now, i’ve regained very little of it back ☹️.

  • @Transguddit says:

    After watching this video, I still did not receive an answer to the question stated in the title. The only advice is to buy a gas detector…

  • @Ad-Infinitum says:

    Is there anything in the book about reducing your sense of smell? I’ve always had a very keen sense of smell (as does my mother), but since the onset of perimenopause, it’s heightened even more. Just getting a hint of most deodorants or perfumed creams on people can give me a headache and/or make me nauseous. Though I wonder if I couldn’t smell them if the effect would still be the same, I’m obviously very sensitive to chemicals. Cigarette smoke is the worst, even old smoke on clothing and hair.

  • @Apollo440 says:

    Thanks Dr. G, great stuff as always.
    Only “iffy” moment was, that “of course” higher salt consumption leads to higher blood pressure.
    It sounded like salt was the main reason of cardiovascular problems, when it is not.
    After all, the white goo we see squeezed out of blood vessels is neither salt nor sugar, “it’s the fat”.

  • @Albopepper says:

    Bait and switch. Was really hoping to learn: ” How to Preserve Your Sense of *Smell* ” Stay away from cigarette smoke!? Is that it??? 🙄

  • >