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Healthy appetite retained despite loss of taste and smell
Imagine: suddenly, you can no longer smell your favourite perfume or dish. Many COVID-19 patients know all about it: they lost their sense of smell and taste. But, does losing these senses prompt different eating behaviour? And: can you recover your sense of smell? There is hope for these patients, says Elbrich Postma, set to graduate for her PhD on 15 January at Wageningen University & Research. Her research focuses on the effect loss of taste and smell has on eating behaviour and brain activity.
Losing one’s sense of smell impacts quality of life, says Elbrich Postma. ‘Patients do not enjoy their food as much and are at risk because they can no longer smell smoke or gas. Moreover, they may become self-conscious about their body-odour or even experience depression.’