University of Tokyo research team identifies body odor components that increase during women's ovulation and have physiological and psychological effects that attract men
A research group at the University of Tokyo Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences has identified components of female body odor that have positive physiological and psychological effects on men. According to the study, the body odor of women fluctuates with the menstrual cycle, and components derived from lipid metabolism that increase in amount during ovulation have an effect, indicating the possibility of 'olfactory communication' between men and women.
Human ovulatory phase-increasing odors cause positive emotions and stress-suppressive effects in males: iScience
Body odor components that increase during women's ovulation and have positive physiological and psychological effects on men have been identified | Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences, Faculty of Agriculture, The University of Tokyo
https://www.au-tokyo.ac.jp/topics/topics_20250729-1.html
Of the five human senses, smell tends to be relatively overlooked, but recent research has shown that smell plays an important role in communication. For example, there is research showing that close friends have similar body odors, that women can distinguish between partnered and unpartnered men, and that humans can read other people's emotions by smelling them.
Humans use scent to sense other people's emotions and use it to communicate - GIGAZINE
Body odor is considered to be an important means of communicating information, particularly in animal reproductive behavior. Several studies have shown that human men also find the body odor of women during ovulation more attractive than at other times, but the specific components that make body odor attractive have not been identified.
A research group led by Kazunari Higashihara of the Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences at the University of Tokyo has been investigating the optimal method for collecting odors and has been working to clarify the chemical composition of axillary odor at each stage of the menstrual cycle. Furthermore, while most previous studies have only evaluated odors as pleasant or unpleasant, this research also explores the specific qualities of odors in more detail.
The study involved collecting axillary odor samples from 21 female donors during the four phases of their menstrual cycle: menstrual (M), follicular (F), ovulation (O), and luteal (L). Because body odor under stress is thought to differ from normal body odor, a score was also used to assess the donor's anxiety state at the time of sample collection.
The results of the analysis of a total of 84 odor samples are shown in the graph below, and it was concluded that the pleasantness score for axillary odor during ovulation (O) was significantly higher than that of other periods.
The image below shows a graph of odor intensity, and no statistically significant difference was observed in odor intensity during any of the periods. Therefore, it is thought that the odor during ovulation is not evaluated as being stronger or weaker than during other periods, but rather that the components of the odor are important.
The study then identified the odor qualities of axillary odor during each of the four periods by analyzing the volatile compounds emitted from axillary odor. The analysis revealed that three lipid-related compounds—(E)-geranylacetone, tetradecanoic acid, and (Z)-9-hexadecenoic acid—increased during ovulation.
The three identified components were rated by men as 'fragrant cosmetic smell,' 'citrus smell,' and 'relaxing.' Furthermore, when mixed with base axillary odor, negative impressions of axillary odor such as 'sweaty smell' and 'fishy smell' were significantly reduced, and the odor was rated as a pleasant, feminine scent. While the effect of reducing the unpleasantness of base axillary odor was observed when mixed with any one of the components, it was also found that the greatest suppression effect was achieved when all three components were mixed.
A release from the University of Tokyo explained the importance of the discovery, saying, 'The results of this study suggest that three compounds that increase during ovulation may influence men's psychological state and their perception of a woman's face, and that the sense of smell may play an important role in communication between men and women. These findings not only contribute to elucidating the biological significance of women's body odor, but are also expected to lead to social implementation of utilizing volatile compounds derived from body odor to improve relationships between men and women.'
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