Researchers at U C Berkeley revealed that a chemical in male sweat changes hormonal levels in women and boosts their sexual arousal, published in The Journal of Neuroscience.
Researchers say the study offers the first direct evidence that humans secrete a scent that can affect the physiology of the opposite sex.
“This is the first time anyone has demonstrated that a change in women’s hormonal levels is induced by sniffing an identified compound of male sweat,” said study leader Claire Wyart, a postdoctoral fellow at UC Berkeley. “There is much more going on than we think when we are smelling body odor.”
The study conducted last year involved 48 undergraduate women who took 20 sniffs from a bottle containing androstadienone, a compound found in male perspiration and other bodily secretions.
Researchers discovered that blood pressure, heart rate and breathing increased, mood improved and sexual arousal was boosted. While the compound can make women feel more positive and sexually aroused, it’s still unclear how it affects their behavior, Wyart said.