We know what you’re thinking already. The last time you went out for Italian food with the missus—and you leveled an entire loaf of garlic bread—you found yourself affection-less by night’s end. But a study from the University of Stirling, in partnership with Prague’s Charles University, could actually compel you to be a repeat offender.
In the study, 42 men were asked to dine on either raw garlic, garlic pills, or none whatsoever. And the results were astonishing: The body odor of the men who had eaten the garlic was perceived as “significantly more attractive” than those that did not, when judged by 82 women. Better yet, those that ate the largest quantities of garlic—the equivalent of four cloves at a time—got the best results.
Said Craig Roberts, professor of psychology at the University of Stirling:
“From an evolutionary perspective, formation of preferences for diet-associated body odors was possibly shaped by means of sexual selection. Previous research indicates that many animal species use diet-associated cues to select mates in good physical condition….As the health benefits of garlic consumption include antioxidant, immunostimulant, cardiovascular, bactericidal and anti-cancer effects, it is plausible that human odor preferences have been shaped by sexual selection.”
For more on the study, click here.
Join America's Fastest Growing Spirits Newsletter THE SPILL. Unlock all the reviews, recipes and revelry — and get 15% off award-winning La Tierra de Acre Mezcal.
