- We may all think that we choose our perfect partners
based on their appearance, personality or even the size of their wallet,
but research by a Welsh expert reveals the key to finding your soul-mate
is the way they smell.
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- Professor Tim Jacob, head of the smell research laboratory
at Cardiff University, claims that in finding our perfect partner, we are
reacting to the subtle odour we are all born with.
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- He claims this phenomenon is nature's way of ensuring
that children are born with the strongest immune systems possible to fight
off disease.
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- And when it comes to finding your husband or wife, the
research reveals that opposites do attract.
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- "This is a subtle smell - it's not the sweaty body
odour someone has after doing hard manual labour for a few days without
washing," he said.
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- "This is an inherent smell that we all carry - you
can't change it by washing or perfume."
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- In a review, commissioned by the decongestant manufacturer
Sudafed, Prof Jacob has found that every person is born with a certain
odour-type, which is dependent on their immuno-type, or immunogenetic status
- the body's own defence mechanism against disease and illness.
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- Odour-types are not the same as pheromones, which some
believe play an important role in social and chemical interaction.
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- Sniffer dogs use odour-types to distinguish individuals,
but research has also revealed that humans not only use smell to distinguish
between individuals but we actively select our mates based on odour-type.
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- Unlike any of the other senses, smell has direct access
to the more primitive parts of the brain, which are linked to mood, emotion
and memory - brain-imaging techniques have shown that smell can activate
parts of the brain without being consciously perceived.
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- The main source of human odour is the apocrine - sweat
- glands, which are found around the nipples, sternum, genitals, underarms,
hair follicles, cheeks, eyelids, ears and scalp.
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- When people kiss they are also "tasting" a
person's odour-type, which in turn will help determine whether that person
could be their perfect mate.
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- Prof Jacob said there are thousands of different immuno
and odour-types, but rather than seek out people with a similar smell,
humans prefer to bond with people with a different odour-type, to ensure
any children born as a result of their union will inherit two different
immuno-types, bolstering their natural defence systems against disease.
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- Research has shown that women prefer male odours that
are different from their own genetic makeup - the smell from men with the
same genetic make-up was found to be unpleasant.
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- Marriages between people with similar genetic make-up
are not as frequent as expected and a high degree of genetic similarity
between parents could even increase the chances of miscarriage.
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- "Diversity is key - nature is trying to bring together
two people who will provide immuno diversity to their offspring, therefore
the child will have the benefit of both parents and increased disease resistance,"
he said.
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- It is thought that women are most sensitive to smell
at ovulation - an ideal time to smell out their perfect partner.
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- Prof Jacob added, "Smell is the most underrated
of the major senses. It's one of the most important senses we have, but
most people do not understand the true significance of smell.
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- "Smell can trigger memories, evoke disgust, pleasure
or change our mood, it can act as a warning or can be a sign of illness.
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- "We are now beginning to understand the mechanisms
by which smell can influence our first impressions of potential partners.
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- "So the sensory shutdown associated with a cold
or flu infection can have more far-reaching consequences than had ever
previously been considered."
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- Choice of perfume is a down-to-earth form of advertising
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- THE different types of perfumes we use say more about
us than previously thought.
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- Rather than using them to smell sweet, it is now believed
that we choose perfumes on the basis of how close they are to our own immuno-type,
or immunogenetic status.
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- If a group of people are offered a selection of different
perfume ingredients, such as woody or floral tones, those with the same
immuno-types will prefer the same type of perfume ingredients, according
to Professor Tim Jacob, head of the smell research laboratory, in the School
of Biosciences, at Cardiff University.
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- "What we are doing in choosing a certain perfume
ingredient is advertising our immuno-types to others, our potential partners,"
he added.
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- © owned by or licensed to Trinity Mirror Plc 2004
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