Just the whiff of freshly baked bread conjures up hundreds of childhood memories for me. I'm sure that there are certain smells that take you back to significant places in your lives too.

I often think that smell is one of the most under-rated senses – it is the only sense that is hard-wired directly to our brains. It is also responsible for 95 percent of the taste of food!

I try to educate my patients about the importance of smell when it comes to intimacy. You can go to a lot of effort to put a romantic evening together, but it could be spoiled by something simple like your partner forgetting to brush his teeth or a dirty nappy in the dustbin.

Smell also plays a huge role in enhancing arousal. A study by Dr Alan R. Hirsch, an internationally recognised smell and taste expert, discovered that there was a definite link between certain food smells and an increase in blood flow to the penis.

The study showed that 'pleasant' smells could help increase blood flow by over 40 percent! So, if you're planning a romantic dinner for your man, try and include something with a hint of orange – the smell of orange was shown to help increase blood flow by 19.5 percent. An odd combination of lavender and pumpkin pie was the most potent at 40 percent. If you're looking for something in between, try some doughnut and black liquorice (31.5 percent).

Whether these combinations really work or not, don't underestimate the power of smell in your relationship.