Columbus Standard

There are plenty of reasons to be attracted to someone, but one thing many might not realize is how smell plays a crucial part in the process.

While Valentine’s Day is behind us, there is not just one single day where romance can bloom. According to Dr. Michael Benninger with the Cleveland Clinic, the human nose is constantly taking in smells that may contribute to sexual attraction. He explained that the olfactory system could lead to attraction due to everyday things like the smell of someone’s perfume and cologne, as well as other things like their shampoo, or even their perspiration. He added that losing your sense of smell has been connected with a diminished sex drive, as well.

“It’s amazing how many of our body functions are directed toward sexual activity and reproduction,” Dr. Benninger said in a Cleveland Clinic report about the nose.

Another aspect of understanding the link between smell and attraction are pheromones, an important aspect of reproduction among most animals. Humans retain a vomeronasal organ, a small accessory organ located at the base of the nasal septum in the roof of the mouth. Just about all animals, including amphibians, have it, but in humans its function is debated as it is largely not functional. Yet some believe it plays a role in sexual arousal, to the point of some referring to it as a “sixth sense,” he said.

“In humans, the VNO is largely vestigial or non-functional, acting as an old remnant like your appendix,” Benninger said. “But some researchers believe that it still plays a role in pheromone and other chemical communication.”

To make sure your nose is functioning properly, take this Sinus Self-Assessment Quiz.