Fjaeldstad, A.W. Using Cooking Schools to Improve the Pleasure of Food and Cooking in Patients Experiencing Smell Loss. Foods2024, 13, 1821.
Fjaeldstad, A.W. Using Cooking Schools to Improve the Pleasure of Food and Cooking in Patients Experiencing Smell Loss. Foods 2024, 13, 1821.
Fjaeldstad, A.W. Using Cooking Schools to Improve the Pleasure of Food and Cooking in Patients Experiencing Smell Loss. Foods2024, 13, 1821.
Fjaeldstad, A.W. Using Cooking Schools to Improve the Pleasure of Food and Cooking in Patients Experiencing Smell Loss. Foods 2024, 13, 1821.
Abstract
Smell loss affects around 15-20% of the population, with a major effect on the quality of life. The most common complaint is the impairment of the eating experience, with around 90% of patients reporting this issue. A study conducted at a specialized taste and smell clinic investigated if food and cooking can have a positive effect on the enjoyment of food, subjective cooking skills, and quality of life in patients with smell loss. The 49 participants in the study received a 5-week cooking school course that focused on emphasizing the other senses to regain the enjoyment of food. Participants gained more confidence in cooking, and their quality of life improved significantly. Positively evaluated recipes were adjusted based on feedback and published as free e-books in Danish, German, and English. Eating and cooking are multisensory experiences, and the perception of food depends on the complex interaction of senses and surroundings. If the olfactory input is reduced or absent, both the enjoyment and cooking experience can be negatively affected. Therefore, focusing on food and cooking can have a positive impact on patients with smell loss.
Keywords
Olfaction; Rehabilitation; Anosmia; Hyposmia
Subject
Medicine and Pharmacology, Otolaryngology
Copyright:
This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.