Translated material
Anti-stress scent
Australians will be offered grass clippings as a sedative
It’s not just landscape designers who now recommend mowing lawns more often. Researchers from the Australian University of Queensland have proven that the smell of freshly cut grass causes a feeling of relaxation and even helps fight stress and thinking disorders in old age, reports Lenta.ru. Now, based on special chemicals released when cutting grass, it is planned to create a pharmacologically active flavoring agent and recommend it to people as a kind of sedative.The very idea of such an “antidepressant spray” came from scientist Nick Lavidis from the University of Queensland in Brisbane. The discovery was spontaneous - 20 years ago, during a trip to the American Yosemite National Park, the Australian noticed that he was more relaxed than ever. “After three days spent in Yosemite National Park, you feel like after a three-month vacation,” the researcher recalled in an interview with the British newspaper The Telegraph. But at first Lavidis did not think that the state of nirvana was associated with freshly cut grass. “I didn’t realize at the time that it was a combination of feel-good chemicals that made me feel so relaxed,” he says. But later, another incident led the scientist to think about the benefits of grass for a stress-weary body - after he once mowed his lawn, a neighbor shared his delight at the wonderful smell of mown grass. A phrase thrown by a neighbor reminded the scientist of the sensations he experienced in Yosemite Park. The connection seemed obvious to him, and Nick Lavidis began to seriously study the aroma of a mown lawn.
As a result, Lavidis and his associates confirmed the initial guess. Chemicals from freshly cut grass have been clinically shown to directly affect the amygdala and hippocampus in the mammalian brain. These brain structures are responsible for the formation of emotions and behavior in stressful situations. Their destruction is fraught with problems with the nervous system and memory. “If stress becomes chronic, it leads to increased blood pressure, forgetfulness and a weakened immune system,” the scientist reminds, explaining that as we age, the number of connections between nerve cells in the hippocampus inevitably decreases.
Experiments conducted by Australians on mice showed that damage to the hippocampus can be stopped. And now researchers intend to offer people a new soothing scent. Based on three substances released when cutting grass, scientists created the Serenascent flavor. It took them seven years to develop it. Nick Lavidis notes that the created flavor will help regulate the part of the brain responsible for emotions.
According to The Telegraph, industrial production of Serenascent should be established within the next four months. The fragrance will be included in the aerosol, which can be used to refresh rooms, bed linen, handkerchiefs, and clothing. The price of one bottle, according to preliminary calculations, will be about 4 pounds sterling (approximately 200 rubles).