Men may find women more appealing during ovulation, not due to pheromones, but rather because of a unique body odor associated with this period.
Researchers at the University of Tokyo have identified three specific scent compounds in women's body odour that are more prevalent during ovulation. These compounds, (E)-geranylacetone, Tetradecanoic acid, and (Z)-9-hexadecenoic acid, have been found to influence male perception and mood, causing women's armpit odour samples to be perceived as more pleasant and feminine [1][2][3].
In the study, male participants were asked to rate the intensity, pleasantness, emotional impact, and their feelings about some female faces while sniffing the scent samples. The findings revealed that faces rated under the influence of these ovulation-linked compounds were judged more attractive, but only if they started out as average [5].
Moreover, the study found that when these three compounds were mixed together and added to a background "model" armpit odor, men judged the result as more pleasant and more feminine [1]. Physiologically, exposure to these ovulation-linked compounds was also found to reduce men’s stress levels, reflected by decreased salivary amylase, a biomarker of stress [2].
Despite these findings, it is important to note that the study did not conclusively prove that the discovered odor compounds are human pheromones. Pheromones are behaviour-altering chemicals proven in other species, and further research is needed to confirm their role in human social interactions [4].
The participants in the study were all Japanese, and cultural context and genetic variation play a role in how people perceive scent. The study aimed to investigate if human body odor can affect someone's mood or perception, and the researchers plan to investigate how ovulation odors affect activity in brain areas tied to emotion and social perception [1][2][5].
The study was conducted with the participation of biochemists and neurointelligence researchers, and the findings were published in the journal iScience. The study did not correct for multiple testing comparisons, increasing the chance of false positives [3].
In summary, the three identified ovulation-linked body odour compounds positively influence men by increasing attraction to women and reducing physiological stress, thereby modulating mood and perception in a biologically meaningful way. This underscores the role of scent in unconscious communication between men and women during female fertility peaks. The compounds may be pheromonelike, influencing mood and perception, but further research is needed to confirm their role in human social interactions.
[1] Touhara, K., et al. (2021). Ovulatory compounds in human axillary sweat enhance male attraction and reduce stress. iScience. [2] University of Tokyo. (2021, March 15). Newly discovered compounds in women's body odour increase male attraction and reduce stress. ScienceDaily. [3] Touhara, K., et al. (2021). Ovulatory compounds in human axillary sweat enhance male attraction and reduce stress. iScience. [4] Touhara, K., et al. (2021). Ovulatory compounds in human axillary sweat enhance male attraction and reduce stress. iScience. [5] Touhara, K., et al. (2021). Ovulatory compounds in human axillary sweat enhance male attraction and reduce stress. iScience.
- The study conducted by researchers at the University of Tokyo, published in the journal iScience, discovered three specific scent compounds in women's body odor that are more prevalent during ovulation.
- These compounds, (E)-geranylacetone, Tetradecanoic acid, and (Z)-9-hexadecenoic acid, were found to influence male perception and mood, causing women's armpit odor samples to be perceived as more pleasant and feminine.
- The study also found that the three compounds, when mixed together and added to a background "model" armpit odor, were judged as more pleasant and more feminine by male participants.
- Physiologically, exposure to these ovulation-linked compounds was found to reduce men’s stress levels, as reflected by decreased salivary amylase, a biomarker of stress.
- Despite the study's findings, it is important to note that the study did not conclusively prove that the discovered odor compounds are human pheromones.
- The researchers in this study, which included biochemists and neurointelligence researchers, plan to investigate how ovulation odors affect activity in brain areas tied to emotion and social perception.
- The study's findings have implications for the field of health-and-wellness, potentially impacting sexual-health and womens-health, as well as the broader field of evolutionary biology and the role of scent in unconscious communication between individuals during key periods of reproductive success.
