How to get taste & smell back after Covid

There are many unusual symptoms of Covid and while there are some people who test positive while remaining asymptomatic, other experienced strokes, blood clots, “COVID toes”, hearing loss and delirium.  One unusual symptom is a loss of smell/taste, which affects approximately 30-40% of those who have or have had Covid and this may last for many months. This blog offers suggestions of nutritional supplements to get the smell and taste back after Covid.

Understanding taste and smell

Taste is how we enjoy the flavours of what we eat and drink. It’s all thanks to tiny sensors called taste buds, which are mostly found on our tongue and also in the back of our throat. When we eat something, these taste buds send messages to our brain. Specifically, they communicate with a part of the brain called the parietal lobe. This area helps us understand and appreciate the flavours we’re experiencing.

Smell is detected by olfactory receptors high up in your nasal cavity. These receptors are much more complex than taste buds and can distinguish thousands of different odours. When you eat, some molecules from your food travel up the back of your throat to these receptors, creating what we call “retronasal smell.”

What we commonly call “flavour” is actually a combination of taste and smell. Your brain combines information from both senses to create a full picture of what you’re eating. This is why food often tastes bland when you have a stuffy nose – you’re missing out on the smell component of flavour.

Recovering smell/taste after Covid

Research of the specific reasons Covid affects these senses is ongoing.  The good news is that for most people, these sensory losses are temporary.  As the inflammation subsides, and cells regenerate, smell and taste typically return.

Ageusia – the loss of sense of taste

The following supplements may help alleviate ageusia:

• folic acid: a Japanese study found it helped improve taste problems and anemia in patients
• alpha lipoic acid: a study published in the European Journal of Pain showed it helped people with taste issues more than a placebo.
• hydergine:  this is a medicine made from ergot (a type of fungus), which has often been used to treat headaches and improve blood flow to the brain.  It may help produce chemicals that support brain health and nerve growth. Doctors usually start with a low dose and slowly increase it. Important: hydergine can have side effects and should only be used under a doctor’s supervision.

Anosmia – the loss of sense of smell

The following supplements may help alleviate anosmia:

• vitamin A: in the olfactory system (the body’s network for detecting and processing smells), retinoic acid (RA) plays an important role in development and may affect growth in the adult animal. A published study concluded that a vitamin A-related substance called RA (short for retinoic acid) could help with healing after injuries. They conducted an experiment with mice to test this idea. What they found was that the mice that got the RA recovered their sense of smell faster than those that didn’t get it. This suggests that RA might help speed up healing, at least when it comes to smell-related injuries.
• gingko biloba: this natural supplement may help with smell-related injuries. It works in two ways. Firstly, as an antioxidant, it helps protect cells from damage by harmful molecules called free radicals and secondly, it improves blood flow to the special tissue in your nose that detects smells.
• alpha lipoic acid: results of a study have indicated that alpha lipoic acid may be helpful in patients with olfactory loss after upper respiratory tract infection.
• hydergine:  (see suggested taste supplements above for details)

We can help

Some supplements might help with lasting nerve-related symptoms after COVID-19.  A member of our Clinical Team can recommend to you which supplements and what doses are right to address your concerns.

Always talk to a healthcare professional before starting any new supplements, particularly after an illness such as COVID-19.

How to book an appointment