Is it possible that only waking up and smelling coffee gives your brain a jolt of energy (more beta brainwaves) without even taking a drink? Many people drink coffee in the morning for some caffeine-energy. However, a new study shows that just smelling coffee may have some of the same benefits. The research in the area of coffee is discovering how drinking and smelling coffee affects the gene expression and proteins in your brain.

The new “coffee bean study”

The author of this new “coffee study” was Han-Seouk Seo of Seoul National University. He wrote about how this is one of the first bits of research to look at how the smell of coffee affects our brain activity and behavior. This new study dealt with lab rats, most of which hadn’t gotten adequate sleep. Han-Seouk Seo wrote: “There are few studies that deal with the beneficial effects of coffee aroma.” Apparently, this study is the first ever with a primary focus on the effects of “coffee bean aroma” on sleep-deprived rats’ brains.

For this study, lab rats were used in combination with “Colombian coffee beans.” Researchers tested how the smell of coffee affected the brains of: adult male rats who were “stressed” and sleep deprived, and a group of unstressed adult male rats. They were compared with 2 more groups of rats: stressed and unstressed rats not exposed to the aroma of Colombian coffee beans.

The results of the study

The group of researchers then observed the rats’ brains to attempt to discover the molecular effects of the coffee bean scent. Below is what they discovered:

• The sleep-deprived “stressed” rats showed displayed different levels of activity in 17 genes in the brain. Whether they were better or worse, the study did not say… It just said the levels of activity were different than normal.

• This isn’t to suggest that sleep-deprived or “stressed” people are the exact same as sleep-deprived lab rats. Some study authors believe that since drinking caffeine can cause the same “stress” associated with sleep-deprivation, it may be better for people to sniff coffee.

Should I start sniffing Colombian coffee beans?

Does this mean that you could carry around some Colombian coffee beans to help keep your beta brainwaves roaring? Could you beat the sleep by taking a sniff of some coffee beans? The question remains to be answered! This study found that the scent of coffee affects our brain activity levels and proteins in 17 genes…

They did not find any conclusive evidence supporting the scent of coffee’s effects on the brain. I personally think that sniffing coffee beans would have some effect on us and our brainwaves. Many aromas can change our brainwaves. Taking a whiff of peppermint or chewing peppermint gum can give our beta brainwaves a boost! More coffee-brain-interaction research is in the works and is interesting to follow. Stay tuned for more, I’ll keep you updated!

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