An Age of Magic

Simply irresistible…are you?

Whether you are irresistible to the opposite sex or not may be a direct result of how sweet your sweat smells to the object of your desire. Research shows that clues to the genetic make-up of a woman could be held in her perspiration – or in her looks. According to Australian scientists, who studied the DNA of almost 150 university students, the secrets of attraction are hidden in immune system genes that we inherit from our parents.

Clues to this could be contained in a woman’s appearance or sweat – which signals to potential partners that children produced would have the greatest chance of fighting disease. The volunteers, including would-be doctors and engineers, also filled in detailed questionnaire about their love lives. The DNA was scrutinised for variation in genes known to influence the immune system. The more diverse these genes, the stronger a person’s defence against disease. The results of the genetic tests were then matched up with the survey answers. This showed that the women with the most varied major histocompatibility (MHC) genes, had the most sexual partners.

Previous studies have shown that the more different someone’s sweat is to yours, the more pleasant you find them – and their sweat. It is thought the phenomenon evolved to prevent us unintentionally mating with relatives – or others who are genetically similar to us.

Popularity: 53% [?]