"Scientists at the University of Pennsylvania and the Monell
Chemical Senses Center in Philadelphia have found that exposure to
male perspiration has marked psychological and physiological
effects on women: it can brighten women's moods, reducing tension
and increasing relaxation, and also has a direct effect on the
release of luteinizing hormone, which affects the length and timing
of the menstrual cycle."
Two researchers put sweaty extracts from the underarms of male
volunteers on the upper lip of 18 women aged 25 to 45 for six
hours. The women subsequently reported feeling less tense and more
relaxed - a bit surprising, really, considering they had male
armpit sweat smeared on their faces, but that just shows we don't
always know how we're being affected by the scents of the people
around us.
What's more, after the women were exposed to the male underarm
extract, further tests showed blood levels of the women's
luteinizing hormone (one which plays a key role in ovulation)
changed in response to the male aromas. In other words - women were
more likely to ovulate quicker when exposed to sweaty male smells.
Now, with that level of sophistication in our scent systems, who
could doubt the smell of your partner is pretty damn'
important?
"This may open the door to pharmacological approaches to manage
onset of ovulation or the effects of premenstrual syndrome or even
natural products to aid relaxation," Wysocki said. "By determining
how pheromones impact mood and endocrine response, we might be able
to build a better male odor: molecules that more effectively
manipulate the effects we observed.
