Does Sexual Chemistry Really Exist?

Have you ever met someone for whom you felt an irresistible attraction at first sight? How do you explain that feeling? Is it about his eyes or lips? Or maybe it's just about chemistry, the answer to a given stimulus?

Recent studies have shown that human beings - like animals - produce and react to odorless substances- pheromones. And some researchers use this theory to prove that these substances determined you to choose or reject a potential partner.

It is known that pheromones affect the sexual behavior of animals, activating the attraction between males and females among snakes, hamsters and many other species. In these cases, pheromones are detected through an organ inside the nasal cavity.

In a recent study, reported in "Nature Magazine", Martha K. McClintock and Kathleen Stern from the psychology department of the University of Chicago have discovered that humans detect pheromones, being influenced by them. It was given a definition of the term: "Pheromones are chemical signals released by an individual in the air, affecting the physiology and behavior of other members of the same species."

But the research only tried to determine if pheromones really exist in humans. The experiment was conducted on 29 girls and women. Based on results, researchers concluded that the evidence is extremely clear and that human pheromones exist.

How the smell does influences libido?

Other studies tried to determine how pheromones affect behavior, including sexual attraction. Although pheromones are odorless, the researchers focused on other odors that can be detected. Alan R. Hirsch (neurologist, psychiatrist and director of the foundation "Smell and Taste Treatment and Research Foundation" in Chicago) became interested in this subject - the connection between scent and sex - when he observed that 18% of the patients who lose their sense of smell, present sexual dysfunctions. He asked if the inability to detect odors is directly related to the response to sexual stimulation.

To find the right answer, Hirsch recruited 25 male students, testing on them various flavors, including perfumes, food and floral smells.

The results proved to be amazing; Cinnamon has generated the greatest changes in sexual behavior. Noticing that the results are not very relevant, Hirsch started another experiment conducted on 31 male subjects aged between 18 and 64 years. Using 41 flavors and 46 tests, he concluded the following:

A combination of lavender and pumpkin pie recorded the largest increase in libido (40%); this time, cinnamon was less popular. But in combination with liquorices and donut, the results achieved a higher percentage (31.5%). Hirsch has found differences based on the age and character of each subject separately. Older men preferred vanilla flavor more than the younger ones. Those who claim to have a good sex life chose strawberries and lavender.

The situation changed in case of females. Hirsch studied sexual desire in 30 women between 18 and 40, by measuring the blood pressure of female genital organs. The smell preferred by most women was that of a chocolate liqueur or a combination of chocolate liquor and cucumber, which caused an increase in blood pressure by up to 13%; the combination of lavender and pumpkin pie has registered an increase of 11%;

Many women have responded negatively to some scents: cherry, which decreased up to 18%, the smoke from the grill, which decreased by 14%.

But no one knows exactly why the answers to these odors are so varied. Maybe it's because some scents remind us of happy times. What is the meaning of these studies? Do we have to get rid of perfumes, soaps and colognes? Or should we use certain foods as a perfume, instead of consuming them?

Here are some helpful tips to improve the sexual chemistry between you and your partner:

Try different smells. For example, next time when you're having sex, take with you in the bedroom some fruit salad. Take a piece of strawberry and ask your partner to taste it, paying attention to the way in which he reacts. Try different types of essential oils, scented candles and massage lotions. Try to discover what you like, finding at the same time a smell that excites you both;

Give up all scented products for two days. Many people consider the natural smell of their partner as being a strong sexual stimulant;

Keep in mind those smells that excite you, because as you get older, your senses tend to have a lower intensity. Don't overdo when it comes about perfumes; it is proved that people prefer to stay away from strong odors.

It seems that olfactory signals are the most powerful sexual stimulus; people can detect between 10,000 and 30,000 different odors.

Sources: news.softpedia.com/.../Sexual-Chemistry-Does-Exist-46597.shtml, www.askmen.com/dating/vanessa_60/95_love_secrets.html, www.eoht.info/page/Sexual+chemistry