Study unveils loneliness on ISS impacts astronauts' taste and smell

In a groundbreaking study, the researchers of the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology (RMIT) in Australia have unveiled reasons why astronauts often find food tasteless and struggle to meet their nutritional needs while in space.

The findings published in the International Journal of Food Science and Technology show that spatial perception can be very impactful in terms of how people smell various aromas and taste different flavours.

Additionally, the sense of loneliness on the International Space Station (ISS) can influence astronauts’ taste and smell, a study reported.

In this respect, the study involved 54 astronauts and examined their perceptions of the aromas and taste of common foods like lemon essential oil, vanilla, and almond extracts changed from a normal environment on Earth to a space environment.

Researchers found that the aroma of vanilla and almond extract was perceived as more intense in a normal environment, while lemon’s scent remained unchanged. This was the case because vanilla and almond extracts contain an organic compound called benzaldehyde.

Dr Julia Low, a fellow co-researcher on the study, said that loneliness could also be the reason for such results. She highlighted the long-term plan to increase astronauts’ nutritional intake.

“A greater sense of loneliness and isolation may also play a role, and there are implications from this study around how isolated people smell and taste food,” said Dr Julia. 

“One of the long-term aims of the research is to make better-tailored foods for astronauts, as well as other people who are in isolated environments, to increase their nutritional intake closer to 100%,” she added. 

“The results of this study could help personalise people's diets in socially isolated situations, including in nursing homes, and improve their nutritional intake.”

Earlier, researchers found that astronauts feel the difference due to the lack of gravity in space.

A former astronaut instructor from RMIT discussed the problems astronauts usually face while in space.

“What we're going to see in the future with the Artemis missions are much longer missions, years in length, particularly when we go to Mars, so we really need to understand the problems with diet and food and how crew interact with their food,” Gail Iles, former astronaut instructor and co-researcher from RMIT School of Science, said in a statement from the university.