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02.07.2025

Geosmin, the nootropic from freshly ploughed earth

Every farmer and every gardener knows the smell of ploughed or dug soil. As soon as people register that smell, their brains start working differently. Their stress levels go down and their ability to concentrate and perform tasks carefully increases. The active substance in the smell of soil is geosmin, Korean researchers discovered.

Geosmin
In the soil of fields and gardens, forest soil and compost there is the Streptomyces bacteria, an organism which also has many properties that you would expect from fungi. For example, Streptomyces forms threads in soil.

Streptomyces produces the substance geosmin. You can see the structure of geosmin below. When you dig or plough the soil, you smell geosmin. Humans have a receptor in their nose that detects geosmin. [J Agric Food Chem. 2024 Jul 17;72(28):15865-74.]

Study
In their laboratory, biologists from Konkuk University in South Korea had 31 test subjects plant seeds in a container with garden soil for 20 minutes. One group did this in a container with sterile soil, the other in soil in which the Streptomyces bacteria were present. Geosmin was released from this soil.

The researchers had placed electrodes on the heads of the test subjects with which they could measure the electrical activity in the brain.

Results
The brains of the test subjects worked differently when they worked with soil from which geosmin was released. The researchers registered more alpha-waves in their occipital lobe. This indicates a greater feeling of relaxation.

At the same time, the researchers registered more beta-waves. This indicates more focus.

When the researchers calculated based on their measurements, they discovered that parameters for mental focus and relaxed concentration increased by 18-20 percent due to geosmin. We have summarized these effects in the table below. Click on it for a larger version.

Conclusion
It is clear. Man is made to dig in the earth.

Source:
Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2022 Dec 5;19(23):16275.

More:
Gardening improves mental health 11.10.2024
Working in the garden may protect against dementia 02.08.2024
After the age of 45 gardening keeps your brain in shape 03.07.2024
How gardening improves brain function 13.05.2022

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