Human Pheromones

Researchers have known for years that a large part of human psychology and response can be triggered by smells. The smell of baking bread may remind you of your grandmother’s house and make you happy, or the smell of a raincoat might remind you of the time you got locked in the coat closet at school and make you frightened.

While we understand the power of conscious smells, scientists have discovered that our behavior may also be triggered by a series of unconscious smells as well. These odors, that we aren’t aware of at a cognitive level can be the explanation behind attraction, mating and other human rituals. Let’s took a moment to look at the amazing possibility of human pheromones.

Animal Anomalies
Pheromones are a known phenomenon in the insect and animal world. Secretions a bug’s body can produce can do a number of things from mark territory so other species can smell and tell they are walking on someone else’s property to enhance mating and create an attractive scent that makes a potential mate more docile or willing.

Animal and insect experts have documented the role pheromones play in every thing from marking the trail to honey, to the reproduction cycle of monkeys. Throughout all that question and intriguing question came to light. If human beings are another kind of animal, do we have pheromones too? This led researchers to investigate human pheromones and create a startling series of discoveries.

How Pheromones Are Detected
Because Pheromones are not detected as conscious smells, it’s very hard to study the effects they may have on human beings. Most human research is done by verbal reporting or observational testing. How can you report what you smell, if you don’t know you smell anything? The answer came with the discovery of the VNO, the vomeronasal organ, located in the nose or mouth, this organ detects odors and relays the information to the brain in a subconscious way. The VNO is how a baby knows a blanket that has been touched by its mother, even though the infant has no understanding of conscious smells. Armed with this theory, researchers began testing different odors and fluids secreted by men and women to discover the role pheromones play in everyday life.

The Role of Pheromones
Human Pheromones are still undergoing scientific study and are in the peer review process where scientist’s check each other’s work and results, however early data are promising that pheromones do play a great role in attractiveness, desire and choices. Studies show men who exude certain types of pheromones were found more attractive by women, revealing that there is something in smell that drives women to choose which men are more "sexy" or "desirable".

Pheromones also play a role in human reproduction. When woman are ovulating, pheromones alert men to the possibility of mating for offspring, just like they do in animals. Although men may not be consciously aware of why they suddenly want to have sex with a certain woman, the pheromones may be driving the process forward. Studies have also showed the presence of pheromone receptors as part of the biological bases for homosexuality. In several studies, homosexual men responded to certain pheromones the same way as heterosexual women. This adds a crucial piece to the much larger puzzle of sexual orientation.

Can You Put It In A Bottle?
As soon as research on human pheromones became available, companies began to "market" the idea that certain pheromones could be sold that would attract men or create desire in women. Its important to note that no peer reviewed study suggests that human pheromones can be synthetically reproduced. They are something the body makes and each body is unique.

However, because we know pheromones are a natural attractor – the answer isn’t to buy more perfume but wear less. Don’t use heavy soaps or perfume, but let the natural smells of your body do your talking for you.

There is still a lot to learn about humans and the possibility the things we find attractive are more animal than environment. However, this intriguing notion is worth taking note of, and investigating. The next time you are looking for someone to take out on a hot date, let your nose do the choosing!