Olfactory Sensory-Specific Satiety in Humans

Rolls, E. T. and J. H. Rolls. Olfactory sensory-specific satiety in humans. Physiol Behav 61(3) 461–473, 1997.—It is shown that olfactory sensory-specific satiety, measured by ratings of the pleasantness of the odour of a food eaten relative to the change in pleasantness of other foods, can be produced by eating a food to satiety. It is also shown that olfactory and taste sensory-specific satiety can be produced by chewing samples of a food for approximately as long as the food would normally be eaten in a meal. It is further shown that partial olfactory sensory-specific satiety can be produced by smelling the food for approximately as long as it would be in the mouth during a meal. These sensory-specific changes in the pleasantness of a food do not appear to reflect changes in the intensity of the foods, which were small and not highly correlated with the changes in pleasantness. The results show that at least partial olfactory, as well as taste, sensory-specific satiety does not require food to enter the gastrointestinal system, and does not depend on the ingestion of calories. The implications for the control of food intake, and the way in which the brain computes sensory-specific satiety, are considered.