The smell of peppermint is pretty much synonymous with the holidays—and here’s why that’s a good thing for your waistline: Regular whiffs of peppermint may help decrease hunger and slash calorie intake, a study shows.
Wheeling Jesuit University researchers had volunteers sniff the scent of peppermint oil every two hours for five days straight. At the end of the study, the volunteers reported feeling significantly lower levels of hunger, and they also took in 3,485 fewer calories over the course of the week than usual. One theory why peppermint works: The strong scent is distracting and so may keep your mind off of your appetite.
These findings come on the heels of previous research showing that athletes who whiff the minty stuff felt more motivated and energized. Thing is, to reap the benefits, you really should sniff peppermint oil or take in the scent through an inhaler (which is what the study subjects who felt less hunger used). So unfortunately, holding a candy cane up to your nose isn’t likely to cut it.