Nature and human well-being: The olfactory pathway

Research output: Contribution to journalReview articleContributedpeer-review

Contributors

  • Gregory N. Bratman - , University of Washington (Author)
  • Cecilia Bembibre - , University College London (Author)
  • Gretchen C. Daily - , Stanford University (Author)
  • Richard L. Doty - , University of Pennsylvania (Author)
  • Thomas Hummel - , Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus Dresden (Author)
  • Lucia F. Jacobs - , University of California at Berkeley (Author)
  • Peter H. Kahn - , University of Washington (Author)
  • Connor Lashus - , University of Washington (Author)
  • Asifa Majid - , University of Oxford (Author)
  • John D. Miller - , Wildwood/Mahonia (Author)
  • Anna Oleszkiewicz - , Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus Dresden, University of Wrocław (Author)
  • Hector Olvera-Alvarez - , Oregon Health and Science University (Author)
  • Valentina Parma - , Monell Chemical Senses Center (Author)
  • Anne M. Riederer - , University of Washington (Author)
  • Nancy Long Sieber - , Harvard University (Author)
  • Jonathan Williams - , Max Planck Institute for Chemistry, The Cyprus Institute (Author)
  • Jieling Xiao - , Birmingham City University (Author)
  • Chia Pin Yu - , National Taiwan University (Author)
  • John D. Spengler - , Harvard University (Author)

Abstract

The world is undergoing massive atmospheric and ecological change, driving unprecedented challenges to human well-being. Olfaction is a key sensory system through which these impacts occur. The sense of smell influences quality of and satisfaction with life, emotion, emotion regulation, cognitive function, social interactions, dietary choices, stress, and depressive symptoms. Exposures via the olfactory pathway can also lead to (anti-)inflammatory outcomes. Increased understanding is needed regarding the ways in which odorants generated by nature (i.e., natural olfactory environments) affect human well-being. With perspectives from a range of health, social, and natural sciences, we provide an overview of this unique sensory system, four consensus statements regarding olfaction and the environment, and a conceptual framework that integrates the olfactory pathway into an understanding of the effects of natural environments on human well-being. We then discuss how this framework can contribute to better accounting of the impacts of policy and land-use decision-making on natural olfactory environments and, in turn, on planetary health.

Details

Original languageEnglish
Article numbereadn3028
JournalScience advances
Volume10
Issue number20
Publication statusPublished - May 2024
Peer-reviewedYes

External IDs

PubMed 38748806
ORCID /0000-0001-9713-0183/work/160953539

Keywords

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Keywords

  • Humans, Smell/physiology, Olfactory Pathways/physiology, Odorants, Nature, Environment