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When considering human behavior and what humans respond to most, consider how one responds to what is seen, what is felt, and what is assumed to be the way humans communicate. Most other animals primarily communicate through smell or the scents of others of their kind or other animals. How many times have you seen a dog smell another dog to get information on that new dog in their life?
Smell is the one sense that has been “dummied down” in humans. Most scientists once believed that unless a scent was offensive, a human response was not in the cards.
This has been the thought of many scientists until recently. In the animal world, scents are part of the story. New research is now looking at how people respond to the smell or scent of other people. Do humans react to the smell or scent of people? Well, I think we all know certain smells are more pleasant than others. Scientists were looking at the actual scents produced by people.
To collect these scents, researchers used silicon patches placed in the armpits of females. They then allowed the patches to remain on the participants for some time and collected the scents or smells from them. They first evaluated the samples and were able to break down the actual components of the scents.
They have identified three specific components. Interestingly, it was noted that the scents may not have been as pleasant as the absence of scent.
Now the question is, do people respond to these scents? I think we all remember the smell of a loved one or the scent of a baby or child, and how it makes one feel.
The scientists wanted to know if scents produced during certain parts of the female’s menstrual cycle would affect human males. They combined the identified scents into a concoction and then exposed it to men to observe their response.
They found that certain scents during different parts of the cycle were more calming on the male subjects than others.
Researchers exposed male subjects to both the scents and photos of females. The men found the women’s pictures more attractive during specific phases of the menstrual cycle. So, yes, there is new data that humans do respond to each other via smell. A question was raised about whether perfumes contain these scents. Although not all ingredients are listed, researchers have observed that nutmeg and tea smells align with human scents that evoke positive emotions.
Of course, I will keep an eye on this research and report more as it develops. For now, I’ll check if I have any perfume that contains nutmeg.
Dr. Veita Bland is a board-certified Greensboro physician and hypertension specialist. Dr. Bland’s radio show, “It’s a Matter of Your Health,” can be heard live on Wednesdays, 5:30 p.m. on N.C. A&T State University’s WNAA, 90.1 FM. Listeners may call in and ask questions. The show is replayed on Sirius 142 at 5 p.m. on Wed. Email Dr. Bland at ideas@blandclinicpa.com.
