If You Cannot Smell Peanut Butter, This is What it Means

Alzheimer’s disease can be dreadful and tragic especially at their later stage.

Let’s say the person doesn’t recognize you anymore. You may see that as one of the most horrible things in the world. You may be terribly distressed that your formerly affectionate loved one doesn’t even know who you are.

Early detection would really help lessen the effects of Alzheimer. So, a new study had revealed that this disease could now be easily detected by the use of a sandwich spread.

Yeah! You heard it right. Although it may sound bizarre, Peanut Butter Smelling Test is a promising way to confirm a disease diagnosis.

Loading…

Researchers at The University of Florida asked over 90 participants to smell a spoonful of peanut butter at a short distance from their nose.

Some participants had a confirmed early stage Alzheimer’s diagnosis, some had other forms of dementia, while others had no cognitive or neurological problems.

Of those participants, only those with a confirmed diagnosis of early stage Alzheimer’s had trouble smelling the peanut butter. Additionally, those patients also had a harder time smelling the peanut butter with their left nostril.

Generally, the right nostril was able to smell the peanut butter 10 centimeters farther away than the left nostril. The difference in smell between left and right nostril in unique to the disease.

So what exactly does a peanut butter smell test consist of?

1. Each person begins with closed eyes and mouth and they even close up one of their nostrils.

2. A researcher opens a jar of peanut butter and stands a good distance from each person, coming closer to the person until he or she can smell the peanut butter.

3. The researcher measures this distance.

4. The process is repeated using the other nostril after a 90-second break.

5. During testing, the research group is not aware of which people in the study had been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s.

At this point, the test can only be used to confirm an Alzheimer’s diagnosis, and is not a way to diagnose the disease.

Source: Alzheimers