Sunday, January 21, 2007

The Axe effect

Is it true that we choose our partner because of the odor of the body he or she has? I think so, we all have an unique body odor but it's also that a whole family can have a family odor. I think that we choose our partners not only for her or his character but also because of their scent but we are not aware of it.

I found an interesting article about how hetero and homo sexuals react on the odor of a male or female. Researchers obtained the body odors of male and female heterosexual and homosexual "odor donors" who avoid all fragrances, soaps, and shampoos for 9 days. During this time they could not shave their armpits or eat spicy food. Following this preparation they wore cotton gauze pads under their arms for three days. These pads were later cut up and places in plastic squeeze bottles for use in the study. These pads were smelled by a group who didn't know from which group it came from. The result was as follow:

Heterosexual males found the odors of heterosexual females to be the least unpleasant, and the odors of gay males to be the most unpleasant.

Gay males found the odors of heterosexual females to be least unpleasant, but the odors of gay males followed close behind.

The odors of lesbians and heterosexual males were judged most unpleasant (but the overall differences were smaller for gay males than for other "odor evaluators").

Heterosexual females found the odors of gay males and lesbians to be more unpleasant than the odors of other heterosexual females and heterosexual males.

Lesbians preferred the odors of heterosexual females and especially disliked the odors of gay males.

http://mentalhealth.about.com/od/gender/a/bosexpreference.htm

According to a study by Dr George Preti makes the smell of a sweaty male armpit a woman feel calmer. For this study they collected the sweat of male donors by placing pads under the armpits and made concentrated compounds extracted from the sweat. Female volunteers were being exposed to the smells for six hours, after six hours the women reported feeling less tense and more relaxed.

Preti and team also measured the women's' levels of luteinising hormone, which plays varied roles in triggering ovulation and in sex drive. Pulses of this hormone released from the brain increase in size and frequency as women approach ovulation. In the experiment, the researchers found when women smelt the sweat extract it induced a surge of the hormone.

http://www.abc.net.au/science/news/stories/s888984.htm

Interesting to make a relaxing perfume for women from the sweat of men. Well in the essential oil of sandalwood there is something similar as the pheromone called androstenone what also is found in the sweat of men. But would it calm me down? I'm not sure when looking at the photo of vin Diesel, somehow it didn't make me feel calm........

8 comments:

chayaruchama said...

My kind of study !

I've been very aware, since early childhood, about many of these facets, and they usually end up being medical fact.

Well, Jenny- if we want to soothe you, I guess Vin Diesel isn't the way to go ,lol...

I've always found sandalwood to be soothing.
Colette said: "All healthy brunettes naturally smell like sandalwood"- an interesting thought.

Well, the human race must continue, I suppose.
it's a good thing that most of us like the way we smell...

Jenny said...

Hi Chaya,
It is very interesting, also interesting you say that brunettes smell like sandalwood, never noticed that, uhm need to snif some burnettes now. I don't think it is as simple as that though, it has also to do with their diet for example, you know that people who eat a lot of garlic are going to smell like garlic. I never tried but I heard that when you rub a garlic at the bottom of your feed you will tate the garlic. I noticed that when I drink a lot of coffe my body odor changes as well.
What I found interesting about the study is that Gay males found the odors of the heterosexual females to be least unpleasant so this study doesn't explain exactly how we react on body odors.
Chaya when I ask you to think about the odor of one of your childeren or the odor of your husband can you 'picture' this odor in your mind? I can, it's so funny.

chayaruchama said...

Absolutely !
I can summon the olfactory memory in a wink...
[Now, I didn't say that- Colette did !- About the sandalwood, that is].

Diet makes a huge difference.
For example, I LOVE the way Indian people smell- but a lot of folks complain about it...

Jenny said...

Yes I understand that it weren't your words about sandal. I think the garlic smells of some people are not appreciated by everyone, but when you eat enough garlic yourself you don't smell it anymore.LOL

Anonymous said...

I smell of digestive biscuits. My one true love just smells wonderful...

Jenny said...

Oh my you might smell so nice that maybe someone wants to 'eat' you.

Anonymous said...

Oh my god. Okay, so living 9 days without shaving or toiletry type grooming wouldn't be THAT bad, but no spicy food???? For NINE days? That would be the longest nine days ever. How would a person live with no spicy food? Those poor brave souls who volunteered and signed up! Heh!

It is really interesting though to read the breakdown, some expected, some not so expecting. Thanks for sharing that study, J.

Jenny said...

Hi Katie,
Well I do like spicy food but would miss the toiletry grooming as well, I'm not sure which one I would miss more.