Pepermint Can Make You Peppy

To stay alert behind the wheel on long road trips, skip the coffee and try sniffing peppermint or cinnamon. Researchers from West Virginia have found that getting a whiff of pleasant odors periodically while driving increases alertness, reduces fatigue, and even lowers drivers’ anxiety and frustration.

Increased driver alertness could lead to fewer accidents on the highway and decreased frustration could translate into fewer instances of “road rage,” Dr. Bryan Raudenbush from Wheeling Jesuit University told Reuters Health.

In general, prolonged driving led to increased anger and fatigue, and decreased vigor, they report. However, with the peppermint scent, fatigue, anxiety, and driver frustration ratings fell significantly, while driver alertness ratings rose impressively.

Given these results, Raudenbush said, it is reasonable to expect that periodic sniffs of peppermint or cinnamon may produce a more alert and conscientious driver and minimize fatigue associated with long road trips.

By Megan Rauscher — NEW YORK (Reuters Health)……….. Full Article: Health News Article | Reuters.com