In their study, which followed nearly 1,800 participants over 10 years, they found that having a consistent strong sense of smell was associated with less risk of dementia onset. The study also considered the relationship between the efficacy of other senses (like hearing and vision) and dementia but concluded that the association with smell was the strongest.
— MindBodyGreen, reporting on a study done at the University of California at San Francisco. Read more in A Continued Strong Sense Of Smell Is Associated With Lower Dementia Risk, Study Says.
Some doctors are starting to conduct sniff tests, a relatively simple way to flag people who might have dementia.
Or who have covid-19.
Smell is part of enjoying good food, and eating good food helps overall health. This may be part of what helps.