Fragrances in the nose control the partner selection! Why some women spread a particularly appealing scent

Certain women smell especially good for men's nose

Some women have a fragrance that seems irresistible to men. What is meant is not the latest type of perfume, but the smell of natural sex hormones women secrete. A Swiss research team now examined these hormones more closely, noting that some women are particularly attractive to menopause at certain times.

Researchers at the University of Bern have shown that one should trust the nose better than the eyes when it comes to reproduction, because women who are particularly well suited to reproduction show this through their sex hormones, which are perceived by male noses. These hormones determine the woman's monthly cycle, her fertility and body odor. At times when women are particularly fertile, they also shed the most sex hormones to unconsciously communicate to men. The study results were recently published in the journal "Proceedings of the Royal Society B".

The most effective and attractive perfume women get completely free - their own sex hormones. During the most fertile days of the monthly cycle, this scent is the strongest. A high estrogen and a low proportion of progesterone should be particularly attractive to men. (Image: Piotr Marcinski / fotolia.com)

Listen to the nose when choosing a partner

In animals, mutual sniffing is a natural act of getting to know each other. People are more discreet about this. Nevertheless, unconscious messages are transmitted via the body odor, which can cause corresponding reactions in the other person. It is already known from previous studies on the topic that women smell differently on different days during a monthly cycle. During the most fertile days of the cycle, women emit the most attractive scent on the male nose.

New insights

These findings are not new and have already been proven by past studies. The Bernese scientists started at this point and asked themselves the question, which information is conveyed exactly about these sex hormones and whether there are individual differences between the women's fragrances. As the researchers have discovered, there are some women who can create a particularly strong attraction over their scent.

Why do some women smell particularly attractive?

The research team led by Daria Knoch from the Department of Social Psychology and Social Neuroscience at the University of Bern showed that the scent of some women has a stronger effect on men. This "special" fragrance was considered attractive and attractive by all men involved in the study. The reason for this could also be found by the Swiss team. The women who spread a particularly attractive scent, have a high proportion of the hormone estrogen and a low proportion of the hormone progesterone in their smell.

Men are defenseless against this smell

"Women with high estrogen and low progesterone levels are the most attractive olfactory for men," summarizes Daria Knoch the study results in a press release from the University of Bern. From an evolutionary point of view, this would undoubtedly make sense, explain the researchers. This composition of the hormone level indicates high female fertility. According to the theory of evolution, men would look for women to successfully reproduce, the research team said.

What influence does the immune system have??

"Some studies postulate that the choice of a partner is based on the most diverse possible immune systems of men and women, so that the offspring get the best possible defense against pathogens," says first author Janek Lobmaier. In the current work, however, the researchers were unable to confirm this assumption. The results of the current study would clearly show that the immune system has no influence on the attractiveness of female odor, said Lobmaier.

Course of the study

The study was conducted with 28 women and 57 men. The female subjects donated their fragrance to strict rules, so as not to falsify the results. For example, the subjects were not allowed to use the pill, had to sleep alone in bed, were only allowed to use neutral care products for washing, drink alcohol and eat spicy foods. On their fertile days, they then pasted cotton pads into their armpits overnight to absorb the individual's scent. Furthermore, the respective hormone levels were determined by saliva samples.

The most natural and effective perfume

These cotton pads were then submitted to the male subjects for odor test. These could award up to 100 points for the respective odors. The combination of high estrogen and low progesterone levels consistently received the highest scores. "Reproductive hormones are indications for the fertility of women and the higher their levels, the more attractive the woman is to men", Lobmaier sums up the study results.

Estrogen also works on visual stimuli

Lobmaier also points to other studies that have shown that estrogen also has a positive effect on visual feminine magnetism. Accordingly, a high estrogen level leads to a more attractive appearance. How the contraceptive pill affects this natural hormone level has not been studied. "However, it can be assumed that hormonal contraception can falsify the body's own odor," comments study leader Daria Knoch. (Vb)