Life

Is This Food The Reason You're So Sexy?

by Amanda Chatel

When it comes to attracting the opposite sex, so many things come into play. For example, we’ve learned that wearing red makes us seem more attractive, because there’s something about the color that makes both men and women think of being flushed, as in orgasm flushed. But while that makes sense, a new study found that men who eat garlic are more attractive seems a little off, if you ask me. However, I’m no scientist.

The study done by a handful of professors in the UK and Prague found that while neither sex is big on the smell of garlic on the breath of a possible mate, when it comes body odor, garlic consumers win. The researchers asked 42 men to eat different types and amount of garlic, then had 82 women sniff the body pads that the men had worn for 12 hours after consuming the garlic. What they found was that while a minimal amount of garlic (six grams) didn’t affect the smell of the pads all that much, when the amounts were increased, the men began to smell better. By the time the men were consuming 12 grams of garlic, the women actually said their smell was even more attractive and somehow less intense than the six grams.

Although the researchers can’t really pinpoint to why this is the case, the thinking is what you put in your body conveys to a prospective partner how healthy you are (garlic is so good for you!), and from an evolutionary standpoint, hetero women want to be with the healthiest guy in the bunch. You know, because babies and keeping the species alive and all that.

Here are five other foods and drinks that will make you more attractive to the opposite sex.

1. Fruits And Veggies

While, yes, eating your fruits and vegetables is always a good idea , a study from August of this year found that this healthy eating is doing wonders for your skin, too. The study by the University of St. Andrews and the University of Newcastle found that women who eat lots of fruits and veggies have a more attractive glow than women who do not. Like an actual, visible glow.

2. Cinnamon

According to legend, Cleopatra was able to woo Marc Anthony into her clutches with a combination of rose, cardamom, and cinnamon. Cinnamon when consumed leads to both men and women smelling better and more attractive. And with it almost being the holiday season, you totally have a reason to get a little nuts with the cinnamon.

3. One Glass Of Wine

OK, before you freak out that I’m suggesting only one glass of wine because, yes, that’s impossible, let me explain the study. According to research by the University of Bristol, one large glass of wine gives you the exact amount of a rosy glow that makes you attractive to the opposite sex. It’s in that one glass of wine, that flushing and confidence are at its height...then it’s all downhill from there. Of course, I’m not telling you to give up on consuming the whole bottle; I’m just telling you about the study.

4. Celery

I realize we already covered fruits and vegetables, as a whole, but to break it down a bit, celery is also known as the “vegetable Viagra.” While fruits and veggies in general are great for that healthy glow, according to a 2010 study, when a man eats celery it actually increases his pheromone levels making him more attractive to women, especially when he sweats. No word on whether or not it has the same affect on women’s sweat.

5. Vanilla Yogurt

Vanilla yogurt makes you more attractive to the opposite sex in a few ways. For starters, the smell of vanilla alone is natural aphrodisiac which will lure anyone close enough to you into your arms. Secondly, vanilla is a mood enhancer so in eating it, you end up being more cheery than your usual cheery self, and that definitely makes you more attractive.

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