Recipe for Recovery: Cooking School Therapy Shows Promising Results for Patients with Smell Loss

By Stephanie Feuer

A recent study in the International Journal of Gastronomy and Food Science offers a new approach to recovering from smell loss. Alexander Fjaeldstad, Associate Professor, Aarhus University and founder of the Clinic for Smell and Taste Disorders, and the Flavor Institute there, looked at the impact of participation in a cooking class on olfactory function participation. The results suggest that participating in a structured cooking school program may significantly improve olfactory function in patients suffering from smell loss. This innovative approach could offer new hope for individuals with various types of olfactory dysfunction, including those recovering from COVID-19.

The research examined the effects of a five-week cooking course where participants attended weekly three-hour evening sessions. These sessions combined educational components with hands-on cooking experiences and communal dining, creating a multisensory environment for participants.

Results showed a meaningful increase in olfactory function, with participants demonstrating an average improvement of 3.0 points on the TDI score (a standardized measure of smell function) when tested three months after completing the cooking school. This improvement exceeded the results typically seen with standard olfactory training methods previously used with the same patient group.

Twenty participants achieved clinically significant improvement in their smell function. These individuals had varying causes of smell loss, including post-COVID conditions (9 participants), sinonasal issues (3), non-COVID postinfectious causes (2), idiopathic origins (4), post-traumatic injury (1), and central nervous system factors (1). The median duration of smell loss among these participants was 24.5 months before intervention.

Subjective improvements were also notable. While participants reported a modest upward trend in their perceived smell function immediately after completing the cooking school (21.9 to 25.8 points), the subjective improvement became statistically significant at the three-month follow-up (increasing to 34.0 points, p=0.001).

This study posits that cooking serves as a form of repeated olfactory exposure therapy. The program's design, which included a taste kit for basic seasoning, provided additional benefits through daily exposure to consistent odorants. By introducing participants to new dishes and ingredients during sessions—and encouraging continued practice at home—the cooking school increased sensory and olfactory stimulation in ways similar to both standard and alternative olfactory training approaches.

Interestingly, participants who had previously undergone at least three months of standard olfactory training at a specialized flavor clinic before joining the cooking school showed superior improvements compared to those referred directly to the cooking program.

This research opens new possibilities for rehabilitation strategies for individuals suffering from smell disorders, suggesting that culinary therapy could become a valuable complementary approach to traditional olfactory training methods.

Read more about cooking with a smell loss here.