September 14, 2018
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What makes a woman's scent so alluring?
The reason some women smell better to men than others is because of their body chemicals, say scientists. Ladies at the most fertile point in the menstrual cycle release reproductive hormones that boast a more alluring smell, they found. Humans have evolved to pick up these subtle cues to pick out a partner who is most likely to give birth, researchers said.
Experts at the University of Bern in Switzerland investigated how the hormones oestrogen and low progesterone affected women's smell. The two hormones regulate the menstrual cycle, and so their levels in the body are key determinants of a woman's fertility over the course of each month.
A total of 28 women donated their body odour as part of the study, with the samples later rated from 0-100 by 57 men. During peak fertility they stuck cotton pads in their armpits overnight to 'capture' their body odour. Their hormone levels were determined using saliva samples.
The researchers found that women with high oestrogen levels and low progesterone levels - an indicator of fertility - were consistently rated as having a better smell. Researchers said the result makes sense from an evolutionary perceptive, as it means men find it easier to find a mate with whom they can sexually reproduce.
'Reproductive hormones are indicators of a woman's fertility. And the higher their levels are the more attractive the woman is to men,' said study lead author Dr Janek Lobmaier.
Researchers said they controlled the experiment to make sure other factors did not impact each of the women's smell. The women were not allowed to use hormonal contraception, were not allowed to share their bed with anyone during the time of odour collection. They washed themselves and their bed clothes using neutral detergents and did not drink any alcohol or eat any spicy foods on the days they took samples.
The contraceptive pill alters women's oestrogen and progesterone levels, and researchers suggested this may change their smell. 'It is presumed that hormonal contraception may distort the body’s own odour,' said study coauthor Daria Knoch.
Extracted from: www.dailymail.co.uk
