Animals can smell fertility; can humans? A new study in iScience found that women’s body odor during their ovulatory (O) phase may subtly boost men’s moods. Here’s what they discovered:

The Women

Body odor samples were absorbed on silicone patches from the armpits of 21 healthy women, average age of early 20s, during their four menstrual phases. They were not in any state of stress when samples were taken, which could have had an effect on their body odor.

The Men

Samples from each phase were presented to 21 healthy, heterosexual males, with an average age of mid-20s. They were asked to rate the odors based on intensity and pleasantness.

What Was the Consensus?

Odors from the O-phase were rated the most pleasant and were described as “citrusy” and “fragrant” rather than “musty” o

See Full Page