Unlocking the Secrets of Your Sense of Smell: Part 5

Women consistently outscore men with their sense of smell.  A woman’s ability to smell depends on the level of hormones in her body. During ovulation, women are 10,000 times more sensitive to the scent of male hormones than during menstruation.

According to the Sense of Smell Institute, women consistently outscore men with their sense of smell.   Interestingly, however, it has found that a woman’s ability to smell is dependent on the level of various hormones in her body.  A woman’s sense of smell is heightened during the first half of her menstrual cycle and peaks when she is most fertile and sexually responsive.

Women, it seems, have sensitivity to scented sex hormones, or pheromones.   During ovulation, women are 10,000 times more sensitive to the scent of male hormones than during menstruation.

Women sniff out the best mates via pheromones -- the undetectable scents that drive a range of reproductive behaviors. Humans have denser skin concentrations of the scent glands that release pheromones than almost any other mammal. As a result, pheromones are slinging at least some of Cupid's arrows.

However, beware: studies have found that women on birth control pills experience hormonal changes that can interfere with this law of "scent attraction" -- leading to trouble picking the right partner and potential problems with infertility down the line. Once off the pill, some women may find they have a different "sense" about their mate.

Other studies have shown that aside from a woman’s monthly cycle, her gender alone also makes her more likely to have a sharper sense of smell as female babies have a keener sense of smell than their male cohorts.  Studies conducted by Dr. Hilary Schmidt reveal genetic differences in babies’ responsiveness to scents appear to have their origins in infancy.

During her research, Dr. Schmidt noticed that female babies responded to scented rattles while male babies did not.  However, her findings also show that male babies demonstrate a preference for pleasantly-scented rattles over those with an unpleasant scent while their female cohorts demonstrate an equal interest in both.  Overall, scent—whether pleasant or unpleasant—piques the interest of female babies.

According to Dr. Schmidt’s research, children do not demonstrate adult-like preferences regarding odour in their environment until they begin to see their world through adult-like eyes.  At this time they begin to show preferences for pleasant fragrances over unpleasant fragrances.

Interestingly, another study reveals that not all scents produce gender-specific responses, suggesting that sex differences in olfactory prowess may be scent-dependent.  However, more research is needed in this area to conclude whether a woman’s menstrual cycle may play a determining factor in this occurrence.  It may be that certain scents in studies done did not elicit gender-specific responses because its female subjects were menstruating.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Luke Vorstermans

Luke Vorstermans is the founder of The Sense of Smell Lab, a world leader in the development of innovative products that use our sense of smell to influence behavior, trigger memories, manage cravings, enhance moods and improve sexual health.  To learn more about enhancing your sex drive with Scentuelle patch go to http://www.scentuellepatch.com

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Unlocking the Secrets of Your Sense of Smell: Part 4

Did you know everyone has a unique "scentprint"?  Within seconds of meeting new people, we make sensory decisions about them, one is based on how they smell.  Friendships and romantic alliances depend on what scientists identify as “olfactory bonding.”

Did you know that no two apples smell alike? It’s true. Because every scent that we perceive is composed of a specific and complex combination of molecules, the scent of every apple is unique to itself.  No two apples have identical scents because no two apples are composed of the same combination of molecules.  One apple may be larger, have been exposed to more sunlight, water, nutrients, insecticides or herbicides than its partner hanging next to it on the very same tree.

These slight differences—however miniscule they may be—have a bearing on an apple’s molecular make up, and therefore, have a bearing on its scent.  You might say that every apple has its own “fingerprint,” or “scentprint.”

Each individual also has his or her own unique “scentprint”.  As individuals, we too have our own unique scents.  Factors that determine various body scents include our age, physical condition, medications, illnesses, hormones, biorhythms, the foods we eat, the minerals in the water we drink, our skin and hair colour, and the chemicals in the air we breathe.

Remember the way your skin smelled the last time you ate garlic fingers?  Or how about the last time you ate watermelon?  Think of the scents of the vegetables that were in the salad you ate for lunch—the cucumbers, the red peppers and Spanish onions.  Have you ever noticed that the scents of these foods end up lingering on your skin long after you have washed your hands?  Sometimes even after you’ve had a shower?  Not only are you what you eat, but you end up smelling like the foods that you eat as well!

Consider this: unlike the apples we’ve discussed, whose scents are relatively uniform, every part of our bodies—our hair, mouth, eyes, elbows, underarms, feet, etc.—also have their own scents that contribute to our overall unique scent.

Now add perfume to this equation.  We know that no two perfumes have the same scent.  But did you know that the perfume you put on your throat will smell differently than that which you put on your wrist?  Because different parts of our bodies have various scents, a perfume’s odour is dependent on not only the individual, but on the part of the body of that individual to which it is applied.  And because the scent of our bodies changes from one hour to the next, depending on its exposure to the air and our own body’s biorhythms . . .

How do scents affect the way in which we relate to each other?

According to scientists, within seconds of meeting new people we make sensory decisions about them, one of which is based on how they smell.  According to the Sense of Smell Institute, “deep friendships and romantic alliances are dependent upon, what scientists identify as, ‘olfactory bonding.’”

Not surprisingly, studies show that fragrances have a large impact on how others feel about us and how we feel about others.  In a study by Drs. John Nezlek and Glenn Shean, subjects claimed that when they wore their favourite fragrances they felt better about themselves and felt more comfortable in social situations.  The study also indicated that fragrances were more crucial in opposite-sex interactions.  Moreover, it was shown that as an individual’s appreciation for a fragrance increases so do their social skills.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

 Luke Vorstermans

Luke Vorstermans is the founder of The Sense of Smell Lab, a world leader in the development of innovative products that use our sense of smell to influence behavior, trigger memories, manage cravings, enhance moods and improve sexual health.  To learn more about enhancing your sex drive with Scentuelle patch go to http://www.scentuellepatch.com

Source: Free Articles from ArticlesFactory.com

Unlocking the Secrets of Your Sense of Smell: Part 3

Like our eyesight, our sense of smell weakens as we age.  While researchers search for treatments to counteract the effects of aging on our sense of smell, there are four “exercises” that you can do now to keep your nose (and taste buds) young.

Does your sense of smell diminish as you age?

Like our eyesight, our sense of smell weakens as we age.  While the jury is still out in determining just when our sense of smell peaks and begins to decline—some experts say that it peaks at the age of eight and begins to decline as early as the age of fifteen—the general consensus, however, seems to be that our sense of smell remains sharp well into our fourth and fifth decades and that it largely depends on our particular state of health.

As we age, our numbers of olfactory receptor cells diminish.  Research suggests that a sixty-five year old may have as few as one-third as many receptor cells as an individual who is twenty.  And though our sense of smell is most acute between the ages of twenty and forty, we use our sense of smell to enhance our living, alert us to danger, and make important decisions about people and places throughout our lifetime.

In “Taste and Smell Losses with Age” Dr. Susan Schiffman reports that as we get older, our ability to detect odours, discriminate among different odours, and perceive the strength of odours diminishes. She found that odours for many elderly subjects are only half as intense as those for young people.

Though our sense of smell generally begins to weaken after our sixth decade, (in one study, about one quarter of subjects between the ages of sixty-five and eighty years old had a total lack of a sense of smell), Dr. Schiffman claims that the sense of smell of many of the octogenarians would rival that of twenty year olds.  She concludes that that elderly subjects who demonstrate good mental and physical health generally have a sense of smell which is comparable to that of young individuals.

Can you “exercise” your nose to keep it young?

Yes.  While researchers are searching for treatments to help counteract the effects that aging has on our sense of smell (and taste), there are “exercises” that you can do now to keep your nose (and taste buds) young.  Like our other senses, our sense of smell can be kept young with its constant and creative use that includes:

• Using your mind, not your nose to smell.  Imagine the scent of different fragrances in much the same way you imagine the notes of a song. We perceive most fragrances on an unconscious level.  Try to imagine the scent of a cinnamon candle, a peppermint stick, or lilacs in the spring.  Write a list and practice imagining these scents on a regular basis—perhaps, a few times a week.

• Purchase scented candles.  While you enjoy the benefits of their scented aromas, take the time to smell each one individually.  Smell often, but not for long.  Alternate between fragrances.  The more you do this, the sharper your sense of smell will become.  If you need to refresh your nose, step away, blow a few puffs of air through your nose, and then sniff again.   

• Stop and smell the flowers!  Everywhere around you are fragrances.  Your job is to notice and smell them.  In the course of each day, try to make a mental note of at least a couple dozen or more scents.  Try to associate what you did during the day while you experienced these fragrances.   Make fragrance diaries, recording fragrances along with your thoughts and activities.

• Vary your fragrances throughout the day.  Use one fragrance to wake up to, another to give you energy at midday, and another to calm and relax you in the evening.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Luke Vorstermans

Luke Vorstermans is the founder of The Sense of Smell Lab, a world leader in the development of innovative products that use our sense of smell to influence behavior, trigger memories, manage cravings, enhance moods and improve sexual health.  To learn more about enhancing your sex drive with Scentuelle patch go to http://www.scentuellepatch.com

Source: Free Articles from ArticlesFactory.com

Unlocking the Secrets of Your Sense of Smell - Part 2

All scent originates as a chemical. Without chemicals, our brain would not be able to perceive a scent. Our sense of smell is fully mature at birth and is one of the first senses that newborns experience.

All scent originates as a chemical.  Without chemicals, our brain would not be able to perceive, or “read” a scent.  All around us are currents of air which are in constant motion.  These currents contain myriads of complex combinations of odours that only trigger our attention when they irritate or please us.

Every time we breathe, our noses take in these chemicals, which pass over two small patch-like areas the size of a penny that contains five to six million tiny yellow receptor cells called the olfactory epithelium.  Located on these receptor cells are microscopic filaments called cilia that extend into a watery mucous that surrounds the epithelium.  On the cilia are proteins that respond to specific molecules.  Like a key in a lock, when these proteins come into contact with its corresponding odorant molecule, a series of biological interactions are initiated. 

First, there is an immediate rush of electrical activity as one experiences the perception of an odour.  Our sensory nerves have long filaments, or axons, that are located on the opposite end of our olfactory nerves. The axons send messages to nerves located in the olfactory bulb which is shaped like a protracted balloon. The millions of axons that line its circumference transmit a pattern of activity that is specific to the individual cilia that come into contact with their corresponding molecules.  Just as our brains are able to store and recognize complex notes from a symphony, it is also able to store and recognize complex combinations of fragrance notes that make up our favorite perfume.

How strong is our sense of smell?

Compared to a dog that has two hundred million olfactory sensors, humans have only five or six million.  While it may seem that humans have been short-changed where noses are concerned, we still can nevertheless, recognize thousands of different scents.

Though we may not have a piranha-sharp sense of smell, we can, for instance, detect some substances in dilutions of less than one part per several billion parts air. 

How sharp is our sense of smell at birth?

Unlike our other senses, our sense of smell is fully mature at birth and is one of the first senses that newborns experience.  Their sense of smell helps them to locate their mother and her source of food.  Without this functioning sense, baby animals would not be able to locate their mothers’ milk. 

Studies indicate that a newborn can recognize his or her mother’s nipple simply by its scent.  In one study, mothers washed one of their breasts while leaving the other left unwashed.  Over two-thirds of the babies tested chose the unwashed breast.

Research conducted by Dr. Ira Lott reveals that when a baby is introduced to a fragrance while being stroked—much like a mother would do while nursing—his or her ability to remember that scent is increased.  The results of her study suggest a connection between a baby’s sense of smell and the ability to learn at an early age.  Dr. Lott suggests that touching a baby increases his or her ability to remember a scent and may help to explain why a newborn readily recognizes his or her mother by her scent.

Other studies suggest that babies are most responsive to body odors but by the age of three they essentially have the same odor likes and dislike as adults. Newborns subjected to pleasant odors reacted positively while those subjected to unpleasant odors responded with “screwed up faces.”  Studies within the womb reveal that fetuses react to fragrances introduced through their mother while newborns are able to recognize her scent in as little as forty-eight hours after their birth. 

Children’s sense of smell—their odor likes and dislikes—do not parallel those of adults until the onset of puberty. A study conducted in 1976 and repeated in 1994 indicates that nine-year olds apparently do not have sensitivity to certain musk odors. However, their ability to detect particular odors is the same as both adults and young adults.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

 Luke Vorstermans

Luke Vorstermans is the founder of The Sense of Smell Lab, a world leader in the development of innovative products that use our sense of smell to influence behavior, trigger memories, manage cravings, enhance moods and improve sexual health.  To learn more about enhancing your sex drive with Scentuelle patch go to http://www.scentuellepatch.com

Source: Free Articles from ArticlesFactory.com

Unlocking the Secrets of Your Sense of Smell: Part 1

Each day we breathe in billions of odorant molecules.  These scents have a significant impact on our physical and emotional well-being.  Learn some amazing facts about your sense of smell and its power to affect your health and pleasure.

Who among us cannot recall the smell of freshly-baked bread at dinner, the aroma of freshly-ground coffee in the morning, the heady scent of lilacs in the spring or the mouth-watering aroma of baked apples in the fall?  Interestingly, while most of us can recall these scents, quite often we also associate distinct memories with them as well.

In the course of a day each of us will take over twenty thousand breaths, inhale over 438 cubic feet of air and take in countless billions of odorant molecules.  Yet surprisingly, few of us will take notice of more than a mere handful of various scents.  Because we are constantly surrounded by swirls of aromas that enter and emanate from our bodies, we become desensitized to their various scents.

Whether or not we are aware of them, these odours have a significant impact on our physical and emotional well-being.

·         Did you know that your sense of smell is not only one of the first senses that you use as a newborn, but that it is the only one of your five senses that was fully mature at the moment of your birth?

·         Can the scent of peppermint help you to stay awake?

·         Does your hair colour affect the way you smell?

·         Did you know that most of the flavour that you “taste” actually comes from your sense of smell?

·         Did you know that your nose can help you to lose weight while helping your body absorb the maximum nutrients from your diet?

·         Do most females have better noses than males?

·         Can a loss of smell indicate the onset of Alzheimer’s or Parkinson’s disease?

·         Did you know that your sense of smell has a stronger link to your memory than any of your five senses?

·         Do overweight people have a heightened sensory pleasure of eating?

·         Did you know that no two apples smell alike?

·         Is there a link between a loss of hearing and certain learning disorders?

·         Did you know that, like your eyesight, your sense of smell diminishes as you age, but that you can “exercise” your nose to keep it “young?”

·         Was Leonardo da Vinci a perfumist?

·         Do people judge us by our scent?

This is the first in a series of 12 articles that explores the awesome power of our sense of smell and how you can harness its power for better health, pleasure and well-being.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

 Luke Vorstermans

Luke Vorstermans is the founder of The Sense of Smell Lab, a world leader in the development of innovative products that use our sense of smell to influence behavior, trigger memories, manage cravings, enhance moods and improve sexual health.  To learn more about enhancing your sex drive with Scentuellepatch go to http://www.scentuellepatch.com

Source: Free Articles from ArticlesFactory.com