Olive oil's smell may play a role in limiting food intake.

The fact that olive oil can be good for you isn’t news, but scientists believe that its aroma alone can affect the quantity of foods people consume.

The overall goal of the recent study was to investigate what it is about some foods that make them more filling and to find ways to reduce fat contents without sacrificing satiety.

The researchers split 120 people into 5 groups and fed each of them yogurt with a different type of fat mixed in. One group ate fat-free yogurt.

Those who ate the yogurt with added olive oil showed the most promising results, showing no weight gain and an overall decrease in daily calories consumed.

In the next round of tests all participants were given fat-free yogurt, but half of them were spiked with an olive oil aromatic extract.

Once again the olive oil group came out on top, cutting calories and showing stable blood glucose levels, unlike their counterparts.

Other studies have also determined that aroma can limit food intake.

Subjects who were given an extra helping of a dessert’s smell before digging in took smaller bites and felt satisfied sooner.