AUTISM – MENTAL HEALTH & SENSE OF SMELL

I’d want to start by thanking you for reading this article and showing interest in the subject of mental health awareness and autism.

SENSE OF SMELL = SENSE OF WELLBEING

This hypothesis was proven to be correct by the recent health crisis globally. Still, many of us neglect the sheer delight and unique characteristics of our olfactory palette.

Nature has endowed us with the sense of smell to detect aromas, to explore the world around us. If it were not so, we human beings would not have olfactory receptors inside the body, on various tissues in many different organs.

Social media is abuzz with taste and recipes; however, the sense of smell is equally as important as taste.

MENTAL HEALTH AWARENESS – THE SMELL OF AUTISM

The most commonly accepted paradigm about autism is that it is a genetically inherited disease, but that does not take into account environmental factors in the pathogenesis of autism.

We have witnessed over the last few decades, a substantial increase in the prevalence of autism, from 4 to 5 per 100,000 in the 1960s to around one in 45 children today. This alarming 10-fold increase in autism in recent years is due to the exposure of the human population to an increasingly diverse set of  chemicals, including some  aroma-chemicals in fragrances with steroidogenic (male and female hormone-like chemicals) activity, and metals like lead and mercury. ^1–3

It is a Fact that Male and Female Hormones Interact with Some Odorant Receptors, So Hormone Mimicking Chemicals Can Bind to Odorant Receptors Inside the Human Body.

Linda Buck and Richard Axel jointly received the Nobel Prize in 2004 for their discoveries of ‘odorant receptors and the organization of the olfactory system’. ⁴

Mechanisms of the association between specific environmental factors and Autism are debated but would include endocrine disruption, neurotransmitter alterations, and interference with signalling pathways.

There are lots of myths and misunderstandings about Autism but while many Autistic people experience difficulties, with the right support Autistic people can achieve a great quality of life.

Let us respect difference and diversity – and develop autism-friendly environments.

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Olfactory Receptors are Distributed Throughout the Human Body

Olfactory receptors are responsible to detect odorous molecules, and primarily function in the perception of a smell/fragrance.

• Did you know that olfactory receptors are found in skin cells, called basal keratinocytes? BKs are a critical cell type responsible for wound healing?⁵
• Did you know that hair follicles in the scalp contain olfactory receptors?⁶

Olfactory Receptors on non-chemo sensory tissues are linked with the regulation of wound healing, muscle regeneration, hair growth, adiposity, and cancer cell inhibition.⁵

Gen Z and Millennials – Wellness Generation

Gen Z and Millennials are bombarded with much information and data daily. The information must be sieved through to find out what is true and correct. We have diligently researched and developed our products with meticulous precision; hence, we can confidently offer our perfumes so that you can explore a New Natural You!

I believe that Gen-Z holds the power to shift the trends in beauty & perfumery, demanding a new level of ethics in business.

“Tell me and I will forget, show me and I will understand, make me smell and I will remember.” A Chinese Proverb

Every other sensory system must follow a long and winding path to the brain, full of transfers and hand-offs. But smell is mainlined directly into centres for emotion and memory. So, why not delight your sense of smell for its unique, exhilarating gifts? We Have Developed Many Perfumes from The Treasures of Nature:

1. Amyris Vetiver Parfum Spray: Experience the forest bath – the fragrance combines freshness of green leaves, jungle flowers and rain.
2. Tangerine Cardamom Lavender: There is something so appealing in the aromas of fruits and spices.
3. Frangipani Neroli Ylang Ylang: A floral journey – so enchanting.
4. Geranium Rose: Experience sweet and fresh fragrance of Rose and Geranium flowers in this uplifting Rose Perfume.
5. Peta-Ann: A unique composition of oriental-woody and crispy freshness.

If after a meeting, you can’t leave a good taste in their mouth, you can certainly leave a good memorable fragrance in their nose. ? Enjoy!

Cheers,

Manoj Jain

References:

1. Sealey LA, Hughes BW, Sriskanda AN, et al. Environmental factors in the development of autism spectrum disorders. Environ Int. 2016;88:288-298. doi:10.1016/J.ENVINT.2015.12.021
2. Pelch KE, Bolden AL, Kwiatkowski CF. Environmental chemicals and autism: A scoping review of the human and animal research. Environ Health Perspect. 2019;127(4):046001-1-046001-046012. doi:10.1289/EHP4386
3. Bagasra O, Golkar Z, Garcia M, Rice LN, Pace DG. Role of perfumes in pathogenesis of Autism. Med Hypotheses. 2013;80(6):795-803. doi:10.1016/j.mehy.2013.03.014
4. Bienenstock J, Kunze WA, Forsythe P. Disruptive physiology: olfaction and the microbiome–gut–brain axis. Biological Reviews. 2018;93(1):390-403. doi:10.1111/brv.12348
5. Seo J, Choi S, Kim H, Park SH, Lee J. Association between Olfactory Receptors and Skin Physiology. Ann Dermatol. 2022;34(2):87-94. doi:10.5021/AD.2022.34.2.87
6. Chéret J, Bertolini M, Ponce L, et al. Olfactory receptor OR2AT4 regulates human hair growth. Nat Commun. 2018;9(1). doi:10.1038/S41467-018-05973-0