Help Against Body Odor

Sniffing out the other sex: People do it, as do mice and lizards, but seabirds?

Looking for love? Wiggle your nose.

OK. Perhaps that is a gross generalization. Few of us (consciously, at least) choose our mates based on how they smell. But that's not to say that odors aren't important. Scientists have found that women might actually prefer the body odor of men who are, ahem, "genetically dissimilar," said Sarah Leclaire, a biologist with the Department of Zoology at the University of Cambridge. In other words, we're more attracted to people who don't smell like our relatives.

That makes sense, of course, since few species benefit from inbreeding. And when it comes to following olfactory cues, we're certainly not alone. Among some species of voles and mice, females prefer hanging out with males that smell genetically different. Same with sand lizards. In fact, links between odor and sex have been found in everything from hyenas and pandas to tortoises and boa constrictors.

But what about birds? That's what Leclaire wanted to find out.

Since birds don't exactly go around sniffing one another, the role that odor plays in mating has always been something of a mystery. For the most part it was assumed that scent wasn't all that important. Leclaire found something else entirely by tracking a handful of Pacific Northwest seabirds.

Leclaire recently spent a lot of time on a tiny island in the Gulf of Alaska where "there is nothing except many bird species, a population of rabbits, a small station of the Federal Aviation Administration (with two guys taking care of a radar and other weather recording equipments) and an abandoned tower," she wrote in an email exchange this week. She was there to see the black-legged kittiwakes.

The medium-sized gulls are found throughout the northern Pacific and can often be seen near the mouth of the Columbia River and not far from jetties near Westport in Grays Harbor County. Leclaire knew that the gulls didn't appear to choose mates based on vocal cues. So she wanted to see if kittiwakes applied a sniff test.

First she had to show that kittiwakes could even smell, which she did in a study published in 2009. But also took samples of the birds' preen oils and had them chemically analyzed. She figured out that males and females indeed smelled differently and that each bird actually had a distinct odor. That in turn suggested that preening may broadcast a bird's specific scent to other birds -- perhaps as a way to help each choose a mate. Her results were published recently in the journal Naturwissenschaften -- The Science of Nature.

Ways to Prevent Body Odor | preachermoss.com

Body odor can be an embarrassing problem, and there can be many different causes. Many people who experience body odor practice good hygiene. But good hygiene is only the beginning of controlling body odor. Frequent bathing is important to prevent body odor , as it washes away the sweat and oils that attract odor-causing bacteria. You also need to keep your clothes clean, and use a deodorant or anti-perspirant. Diet can play a big role in body odor as well, so eliminating foods like garlic, onions and peppers can help control odors. Cut back on alcohol and smoking, which can also contribute to body odor. Stress can cause sweating, and sweating produces odor, so it is important to practice good stress management. Many products are available to help control body odor, and if all else fails, you can see your doctor for an evaluation. Help is available to treat embarrassing body odor.

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