Smells of nature have powerful impact, study finds

BOSTON – New research says getting a whiff of the great outdoors is good for you.

Time spent outdoors has long been known to promote physical and mental well-being. Now researchers at the University of Kent have found that the smells found in nature can have a powerful impact. 

They recruited 194 people to spend time in woodlands and forests over all four seasons and make observations. 

They found people associated the smells in nature frequently described as "fresh air" or "earthy" with feelings of relaxation, comfort, rejuvenation, and pleasant childhood memories.  

While the absence of unpleasant smells associated with urban living like pollution, exhaust, and garbage also had a calming effect.  

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Mallika Marshall, MD

Mallika Marshall, MD is an Emmy-award-winning journalist and physician who has served as the HealthWatch Reporter for CBS Boston/WBZ-TV for over 20 years. A practicing physician Board Certified in both Internal Medicine and Pediatrics, Dr. Marshall serves on staff at Harvard Medical School and practices at Massachusetts General Hospital at the MGH Chelsea Urgent Care and the MGH Revere Health Center, where she is currently working on the frontlines caring for patients with COVID-19. She is also a host and contributing editor for Harvard Health Publications (HHP), the publishing division of Harvard Medical School.

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