Olfactory Stimulation with Japanese Soy Sauce Improves Upper Limb Performance.
Yutaka Yano, Yoshihiro Murata, Mutsuo Taniguchi and 3 others
PMID 31656454WHAT IT FOUND
Healthy adults reached significantly farther in a seated balance test immediately after sniffing Japanese soy sauce.
Sniffing water or a pleasant rose-like odor produced no change. The effect appears specific to the food-related scent, suggesting olfactory cues may temporarily modulate motor performance.
Key findings
01Sniffing Japanese soy sauce significantly increased modified Functional Reach Test scores in healthy individuals.
02Sniffing water or phenylethyl alcohol (a pleasant rose-like odor) had no effect on modified Functional Reach Test scores.
03Participants were randomly assigned to water, phenylethyl alcohol, or Japanese soy sauce exposure groups.
STILL TO COME
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What it does not show
The study was conducted on healthy adults, so the results do not directly demonstrate efficacy for patients with stroke or other central nervous system disorders. The effect was measured immediately after sniffing, so the duration of the performance improvement is unknown. The study did not test other food odors, so it is unclear if the effect is unique to Japanese soy sauce or applies to other appetitive cues. The mechanism by which the odor modulates motor performance was not investigated in this study.
Declared interests
The authors declare no conflicts of interest. The study was performed in accordance with the Declaration of Helsinki and approved by the Ethical Committee of HITO Hospital.
The easy way to misread this
Do not assume that sniffing soy sauce will improve upper limb function in patients with stroke or CNS disorders. This study was conducted on healthy adults, and the results cannot be generalized to clinical populations without further research.