Blocking Delicious Smells Could Lead to Longer Lifespans
Finding in fruit flies could lead to odor-blocking drugs that might prevent disease or boost lifespan Dieters know the powerful temptations of just seeing or smelling food. Certain odors might have such a strong effect as to actually change the body's metabolism and lead to an early grave. At least, that's the case for fruit flies on a diet, according to Science Now. Scientists have known that low-calorie diets can lengthen the lives of yeast, fruit flies and monkeys. One past study also showed that blocking the sense of smell in roundworms extended their lives. Another conducted by the University of Michigan and Baylor College showed that wafting the tasty smell of live yeast in front of dieting fruit flies shortened their lives. The new study is a follow-up to the fruit fly experiment, but focused on a brain cell receptor which allows fruit flies to smell carbon dioxide -- the olfactory trigger...