Are you looking for a way to curb holiday overeating? There may be a sweet solution.

Researchers at Wheeling Jesuit University in West Virginia studied the effects of peppermint and calorie consumption. The study revealed that people who were exposed to the smell of peppermint ate nearly 3,000 calories less each week.

Whether simply inhaled or eaten, peppermint increases activity in the area of the brain responsible for alertness, according to researchers.