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The Benefits of Peppermint, Cinnamon for your Health

If you're bored, frustrated, or worse, sleepy on long drives, a whiff of peppermint or cinnamon could help keep you alert. A study at Wheeling Jesuit University in West Virginia suggested that the scent of something pleasant such as peppermint or cinnamon stimulates the nervous system thereby increasing alertness, reducing fatigue and boosting motivation. Dr. Bryan Raudenbush, associate professor of psychology and director of undergraduate research, recruited 25 undergraduates to sniff peppermint, cinnamon or an odorless control for 30 seconds every 15 minutes during simulated driving. The undergraduate research team reported that .drivers. who sniffed peppermint noted significantly less fatigue, anxiety and frustration, and their alertness levels rose. Sniffing cinnamon had much the same results. Dr. Raudenbush suggested that mints and gum flavored with peppermint or cinnamon might work as well as scents for real-life drivers and that keeping alert with scents could lower the incidence of automobile accidents.

The study results were reported at the 2006 Third Annual Undergraduate Research Day, February 1, 2006 in the Capitol Rotunda in Charleston, W.Va.

Sources: http://news.sawf.org/Health/6631.aspx http://www.nlm.nih.gov/