Book 9, Question 31
Why Does Hunger Make Food Smell Stronger?
Hunger makes food smell stronger because your brain turns up its attention to food cues! When you need energy, aromas suddenly seem louder and more persuasive. A hungry nose is a sharper food radar.
More fun facts
- Ghrelin is the hormone that makes you feel hungry.
- Ghrelin also makes food and food smells seem extra appealing.
- In one study, people given ghrelin had a pleasure and reward area of the brain light up for pictures they had linked with food smells.
- Pictures that had not been paired with food smells did not excite those brain areas.
- In fruit fly studies, smells like banana or balsamic vinegar acted as cues that the flies linked with food.
Sources: Scientific American, Scientific American
Questions kids ask
Why does a bakery smell so good when I am hungry?
Your hunger hormone, ghrelin, makes food smells seem even more appealing.