Colchester, Vermont- What if you're a sniff away from shedding a few pounds? You may think that is crazy, but Valerie Sample, of Essex, Vt., is proof it can happen.
"It seemed to trigger something in my brain that I didn't need that cookie," said Sample.
Valerie is one of several people who participated in an experiment done by Fox44's Jackie Morlock. The goal was to see if certain scents curbed certain cravings. It's something one aromatherapy practitioner, whose name is also Valerie, is passionate about.
When Valerie Pallotta, founder of Colchester business Escential Aromatherapy, was told about Jackie's experiment, she gave her a couple of sweet smelling concoctions, including a peppermint and orange twist inhaler and a "crave waive" message oil with lavender, pink grapefruit and lemon.
Pallotta says these scents can help beat hunger in different ways. For example, if you grab food because you're stressed, she says the lavender and pink grapefruit can help with anxiety.
"It's not a cure; it's not a miracle," said Pallotta. "It's one of those tools that you can use."
"It makes a lot of sense," said Dr. Peter Bingham of Fletcher Allen Health Care.
Dr. Bingham explains there is a direct link between smell and the part of the brain that controls appetite. But, he says using scents to suppress hunger is not a proven method.
"I think it's an admirable approach that's waiting scientific proof and in the meantime I would be encouraging people to explore this on their own behalf," said Dr. Bingham.
So, Jackie put a call out for volunteers on the FOX44 Facebook page to get them involved.
Each participant used the peppermint twist inhaler and crave wave oil for about a week, recording experiences using cell phone.
"I'm actually pretty surprised it worked because I was very hungry when I made that first recording," said Sean Fontaine, of Manchester, New Hampshire.
Sean completed four testimonials with the peppermint twist inhaler failing only once.
"I had a little bit of cake that was sitting inside the fridge," admitted Fontaine.
As for all six of Jackie's testimonials, the peppermint twist inhaler didn't have much of an effect, but the crave wave oil worked a lot better.
Valerie, on the other hand, had so much success; she started using the scents on her kids.
"He went from wanting cookies to something not sugary like a cheese stick," explained Sample.
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