Pheromones And Physical Attraction

---

---

May 15, 2002

When it comes to physical attraction, new research suggests the nose knows best.

According to a recent study, certain body chemicals may help create a sexual spark between men and women. Human relationships are complex and any number of factors tend to attract people to each other and even help keep them together, but some believe the key to connecting lies in odorless chemicals excreted from the body called pheromones.

Dr. Winnifred Cutler (click for bio), a reproductive biologist says, "Pheromones are one of nature's components designed to make sure we reproduce." For those needing a biological boost, Cutler bottles and sells pheromones.

A San Francisco State University researcher used Dr. Cutlers product in a recently completed study.

According to the study (click for study details), women who had pheromone added to their perfume reported a more than 50 percent increase in sexual attention from men.

To test the potential power of pheromones we conducted a little experiment of our own. We mixed Dr. Cutler's pheromone solution with a light fragrance and divided it equally among four bottles and took our samples to the Living Waters Day Spa in Pembroke Pines where four women agreed to wear it and watch for reactions from men.

Maryann Sanchez said, "I hope I can get my husband's attention."

Yvette Acosta said, "I don't know what to expect, so we'll see."

Leslie Rudio said, "I am very curious to see if that actually works."

A few weeks later we checked back with our testers. Their results were mixed. Another tester, Janet Fletcher said, "I couldn't really say if there was any difference."

Neither could Leslie Rudio, although she did get back together with her boyfriend.

Yvette Acosta says a stranger in the grocery store told her she was beautiful. "I've been married 10, going on 11 years in June," she said. "It's been a long time since I've gotten a compliment like that."

Maryann laughed and said, "I got a little more attention than I usually do, so I had a lot of fun with it."

While scientists have confirmed the existence of human pheromones, there are still plenty of questions about their powers.

Dr. Mitch Spero, a Memorial Regional Hospital psychologist says, "Whether or not we can attract somebody is one issue -- whether or not we can keep somebody is another."

University of Chicago psychology professor Martha McClintock did a study that appeared in the science journal Nature confirming the existence of human pheromones. Dr. Luis Monti-Block of the University of Utah is among a growing number of scientists who believe that humans have a separate organ in the nose that is actually capable of detecting pheromones.

Norma McCoy, professor of psychology at San Francisco State University conducted the most recent study involving pheromones from Dr. Winnifred Cutler's Athena Institute for Women's Wellness Research.

Dr. Cutler believes that the power of pheromones goes beyond human attraction; she's studying the impact of pheromones in mother/child relationships and looking at their possible applications for therapeutic uses; attractant pheromones may be helpful to women who've undergone hysterectomies by replacing the biological chemical released during ovulation.

 

COMMENT FROM ATHENA INSTITUTE: Both Athena Pheromone 10:13tm for women and Athena Pheromone 10Xtm for men are cosmetics that can increase your attractiveness to the opposite sex. Neither product is an “aphrodisiac.”