Research shows that certain smells kill your appetite Peppermint is probably the best-known scent to do that. It promotes a feeling of fullness, which lessens the chance that you will overeat. It also helps cut back on cravings for sweets. Sniffing peppermint oil 10 to 15 minutes before eating should help curb your appetite during a meal. A study in Iran, published in the ‘Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition’ has found that participants who inhaled the minty scent before exercising had more endurance than those who didn’t. Other useful scents are green apple, lemon oil and lavender. Now, you could smell your way to a slimmer waistline!