A Sweaty Man Sends Sex Signal To Women

When women detect the sweaty smell of a man there is a boost in blood flow to the part of their brains governing reproduction, say researchers.

The study by a Swedish team shows that efforts to put sexual attractants in perfumes and aftershaves has a physiological basis.

To date there has been little evidence showing how humans detect chemical signals called pheromones. Now one of the classical hallmarks, a gender specific response, is reported in the journal Neuron.

Using a brain scanner, Dr Ivanka Savic, of the Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, and colleagues at Huddinge University Hospital have found evidence that men and women react differently to pheromones.

"This is the first study to show a sex-differented effect of putative pheromones on the human brain," said Dr Savic. "Furthermore, the activation is restricted to brain regions responsible for the reproductive behaviour."


By Roger Highfield Science Editor
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