Few people realize that their sense of smell is an important tool when selecting a lover. Scientists have discovered that smell can attract and can repel a female, and when she is close to ovulating, that sense of smell is especially heightened.
What’s even more astonishing is that humans can identify 10,000 different odors, and scientists say women are better at it because of estrogen. This fact was discovered after researchers tested pre-pubescent girls and post-menopausal women and discovered that they were less sensitive to odors, similar to men. Women of child-bearing years, however, not only are more sensitive but when confronted with the same smell, their sensitivity increased one thousand-fold.
In addition to the estrogen-ovulation connection, there also is a link to the immune system, and that’s where the repellent factor comes in. Scientists speculate that in prehistoric times, people lived in smaller, more closely-knit communities and scent evolved to help women avoid selecting relatives as mates. The unique scent that everyone has is embedded in their DNA — a genetic code that is found in the same region as the immune system. So, if a woman finds a man’s smell particularly repellent, it could be that Mother Nature is shooing her away from a long-distant relative, or a mate whose immune system would not strengthen their offspring.
To learn more about the fascinating research into the Science of Sex Appeal, click on the link below.
