Caffeine and memory: the delicious benefits of the smell of coffee on the brain

The smell of coffee delights and stimulates us; In fact, nothing can be more comforting than letting ourselves be enveloped by its aroma every morning. It is a pleasure for the senses, the palate and also for our brain. In fact, a recent study reveals that even its fragrance is capable of motivating us, enhancing our cognitive processes and even improving our mood.

Most of us have experienced it more than once. All you have to do is open the coffee packaging, whether it’s the box where the classic capsules go or that bag that contains the whole or already ground grain to feel an indefinable olfactory pleasure.. We love its smell, its nuances and that velvety depth that transports us to other warmer and more pleasant places.

These suggestive experiences are caused by him, our wise and always skillful brain, governed in turn by one of the most powerful senses in most living beings: smell. The smell of coffee travels from the cerebral cortex directly to the limbic systemto those fabulous regions where emotions and memory share the same circuits, the same routes.

If that coffee fragrance improves our performance, it is not at all because it gives us any power or sudden capacity. We are only talking about emotions and well-being, about a simple placebo effect.. It is undoubtedly a fact full of interest that is worth delving into…

Our brain loves coffee

It is often said that No place is as full of ideas as the inside of a coffee cup.. Writers, students, philosophers and anyone who uses it in the morning to activate themselves or at night to endure long hours of study or work know it. Now, if this drink was Napoleon’s favorite before starting each battle (although his stomach did not think the same) it is not by chance.

Caffeine is one of the alkaloids that our brain likes the most. It is a natural stimulant of the nervous system, its effects are perceived after 15 minutes and can last up to 6 hours. It is something sensational, there is no doubt, and it is all due to its molecular structure. Caffeine is capable of blocking adenosine receptors, those molecules that make us sleepy or feel tired.

However, there is still more. Coffee not only helps us wake up in the mornings and even perform a little better at our jobs. In addition to this, it gives us a pleasant feeling of pleasure, and the person responsible for this is none other than dopamine.. This neurotransmitter induces a very characteristic state of activation, well-being and motivation; Of course, it is also responsible for sometimes becoming real coffee addicts…

The smell of coffee, a resource of great power but unknown to most

A study published in June of this year in the Journal of Environmental Psychology reveals something really interesting. The smell of coffee improves our cognitive abilities, that is, it optimizes attention, the ability to analyze and solve problems. and work and academic performance in general. It seems like magic, there is no doubt, however, the author of the work, Dr. Adriana Madzharov, explains something as striking as it is curious: it is a simple placebo effect.

Something that those responsible for this investigation were able to demonstrate is that It is enough for a room or a room to give off the smell of coffee, for 90% of people to experience well-being. Likewise, something we already know is that the brain is passionate about coffee. Caffeine stimulates you, generates pleasure and activation. Therefore, the simple aroma can also activate all these processes due to that neuronal pathway that occurs between the cerebral cortex and the limbic system: we feel motivated when remembering its benefits.

The placebo effect undoubtedly has great power in humans. Furthermore, something that neuromarketing experts suggest to us is that we often neglect the great effect that our sense of smell has on us. We are facing a brain resource that is practically underused.when in reality, it is a direct link to our emotions and memory, an exceptional channel capable of giving us inspiration, calm or activation, of improving our attention and introspection, of making us more creative, receptive to the environment…

Helen Keller, the famous writer and political activist, lost her senses of sight and hearing at 19 months old. From this episode, Helen learned very early to be in tune with smells. Her world acquired shapes and nuances by paying attention to every fragrance, every change, every nuance of the wind, the land, the people who surrounded her…

The smell of coffee was also one of his favorites. So, Faced with a world of darkness and without any sound, his universe became infinite and immensely rich thanks to the power of smell.. This is something that the marketing industry knows well and it is something that, without a doubt, the world of work and organizations will begin to take into account. Sometimes, a fragrance of vanilla, cinnamon, coffee or chocolate is enough to improve the well-being and productivity of workers… We are facing a topic full of possibilities.

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