New publications
The smell of food makes the body age
Last reviewed: 02.07.2025
All iLive content is medically reviewed or fact checked to ensure as much factual accuracy as possible.
We have strict sourcing guidelines and only link to reputable media sites, academic research institutions and, whenever possible, medically peer reviewed studies. Note that the numbers in parentheses ([1], [2], etc.) are clickable links to these studies.
If you feel that any of our content is inaccurate, out-of-date, or otherwise questionable, please select it and press Ctrl + Enter.
Experts warn that the smell of food can cause accelerated aging processes in the body; this is the conclusion reached by scientists from South Korea.
Olfaction and taste are interconnected and these, like other senses, arise due to the activation of sensory neurons.
Earlier studies have shown that sensory neurons are also involved in aging processes in animals, but there is insufficient data on how much the senses of taste and smell are related to the rate of aging. Scientists have only been able to find out that when sensory neurons are damaged, the FOXO protein is activated, which slows down the aging of the body.
It was this fact that prompted scientists to conduct several experiments on nematodes (roundworms) to find out the reason for such a relationship. Already in the first experiment, scientists found out that the taste and aroma of food causes the worms to produce insulin-6, a hormone that reduces the activity of the FOXO protein, and, therefore, this could be the cause of accelerated aging. Further experiments showed that a similar reaction occurred with artificial activation of sensory neurons, namely taste and smell, by means of special radiation (the nematodes were not given any food).
The researchers suggested that the results obtained are relevant not only for roundworms, but also for humans, but to confirm this, more research should be done. The South Korean specialists published the results of their work in one of the well-known scientific publications.
This is not the first time that nematodes have helped scientists study the mechanisms of aging. For example, at one of the public universities in the USA, researchers used roundworms to identify substances that could be used to develop effective anti-aging drugs.
Scientists have studied the existing relationship between emotional stress and accelerated aging of the body, as a result of experiments on nematodes and studying the health of a group of people, specialists have identified genes that to one degree or another control life expectancy. Scientists have found that emotional stress, sudden mood swings are associated with the work of some genes that affect life expectancy in general, but the main role in this process, according to experts, is played by the ANK3 gene.
The experts conducted experiments with regular and genetically modified nematodes, and also studied the health of mentally healthy people and those with any mental problems, including suicidal people.
As a result, stress and some mental illnesses can activate some genes, including ANK3, which can also cause accelerated aging processes and lead to premature death. High activity of the ANK3 gene has been observed in people with a hereditary predisposition to early aging.
According to experts, it is possible to develop a drug that will normalize the functioning of genes and help the body protect itself from the harmful effects of stress. Scientists noted that the composition may include vitamin D, estrogen-like compounds and other active substances.
[