Can perfume help you lose weight? Doctor: Limited effect is just a gimmick

Can you lose weight just by smelling perfume? British media reported that the French Robertet perfume factory has developed a perfume that can reduce appetite and help achieve weight loss. However, domestic doctors said that there are not many studies on which smells can effectively control food desires, and the effect of using perfume to achieve weight loss is limited and may be just a gimmick.

Regarding the "slimming perfume" launched by a French company, Dr. Xiao Dunren believes that smell can indeed control appetite, but the effect of using perfume to achieve weight loss is quite limited.

According to a report in the Daily Mail, the slimming perfume developed by the French Robertet perfume factory uses caffeine, spirulina and arnitine as its main ingredients, and the scent changes to bergamot, citrus and grapefruit in sequence. This perfume was tested by the BIO-EC Biological Research and Skin Testing Center. After using it for 28 consecutive days, the subjects were able to reduce their desire for snacks by more than 75%. This perfume was snapped up by the public as soon as it was launched.

However, domestic doctors are conservative about the effectiveness of perfume in helping to lose weight. Dr. Hsiao Dun-ren, executive director of the Taiwan Obesity Medical Association, said that although most medical studies have confirmed that appetite can be controlled through smell, for example, smelling the aroma of angelica duck can stimulate the brain and make people want to eat delicious food, if they smell a disgusting odor, it may reduce their appetite.

It is worth noting that people's likes and dislikes of fragrance are related to their living habits. There are not many research papers on which fragrances can really suppress the appetite of most people, so they cannot be used as a reference. As for the perfume scents such as bergamot, citrus and grapefruit claimed by manufacturers, they are generally used as essential oils. Whether they have the effect of controlling diet can only be determined by reviewing the experimental methods and reports.

In addition, regarding the ingredients of perfume, Dr. Xiao Dunren pointed out that caffeine can promote metabolism and "somewhat" helps with weight loss; there is no relevant research on carnitine for weight loss; as for fiber-rich spirulina, although it contains a variety of nutrients, it can currently only be used as an auxiliary product for weight loss treatment and cannot be directly used as the main treatment for weight loss.