It's Your Own Stinking Fault
By Logan Wright
Thanks to scientists at Duke and Rockefeller Universities, the next time someone comments on your “outrageous B.O.” you can politely inform them, “It’s your own bloody fault”. The addition of a heartfelt “Jackass!” may or may not be necessary.The American researchers have concluded that a single gene is responsible for the way different people experience the smell of body odour. As only scientists could, they began by forcing 400 participants to smell a sweaty man. When sniffers shared their smell-stories with the scientists, the results were intriguing.
By analysing the DNA of the participants, the researchers concluded that small variations in one particular gene, OR7D4, are the reason people perceive bodily stenches differently. More specifically, it’s due to the way our noses interact with a manly sounding steroid called androstenone.
Androstenone not only sounds manly, it is manly. It is found in much larger amounts in men than in women and is what causes body odour. It’s classified as a sex steroid, which is awfully misleading. So before you grab some androstenone pills and hit the town, briefly consider the side effects. It has not yet been extensively studied in humans, but researchers have found that, in addition to being responsible for body odour, it’s highly effective at seducing female pigs.
Researchers found that people could be grouped into three main groups: those who found the smell of andostrenone offensive, those who didn’tsmell anything and those who smelled a sweet vanilla smell. Yes, a sweet, vanilla smell.
Thus, if you happen to suffer from a bit of a stench, take consolation in knowing that your B.O. problem is not your own but everyone else’s. Additionally, feel free to get excited about the possibility of over-the-counter androstenone
supplements. As Duke University’s Hiroaki Matsuami says, “It facilitates the courtship behaviour in females.” You know what he’s talkin’ ‘bout!Check out some other odd news stories from recent weeks:
- Just wrong - Salmon give birth to trout
- Yuk - Leeches invade Japan
- Dumbass - Nail gnashers pay through the nose
- Rock on, not - Rock stars die young
Image: JR Goleno
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