In an interesting discovery, scientists suggest that your ability to smell could help predict when you will die. A study from 2014 found that losing the sense of smell can predict death more accurately than heart failure, cancer, or lung disease.
Dr. Jayant Pinto, the main writer, compares losing the sense of smell to a canary in a coal mine. This loss can be an early sign of health problems. The research, which included 3,005 elderly people in the United States, tested their sense of smell by asking them to recognize five different scents: peppermint, fish, orange, rose, and leather.
The study found that most people who could correctly identify scents had a normal sense of smell. Some participants who could identify a few scents had a moderate loss of smell. A small percentage of those who had difficulty identifying scents had a significant loss of smell. After five years, 39% of the adults who had passed away had experienced a noticeable decrease in their sense of smell. This indicates a connection between problems with smelling and death.
Although a damaged sense of smell does not directly lead to death, scientists believe that a reduced sense of smell could suggest a decrease in the body's capacity to repair important parts, possibly leading to death from other reasons. The research indicates that problems with the sense of smell could be a sign of slower cell renewal or the long-term impact of being exposed to the environment.