Forget trying to disguise the advancing years with Botox and hair dye – your age is an open secret to anyone with a good sense of smell, a study has shown.
Volunteers were able to distinguish between young, middle aged and elderly individuals by body odour.
But contrary to popular perception, the ‘old person smell’ was rated less intense and unpleasant than other age groups.
Volunteers were able to distinguish between young, middle aged and elderly individuals by body odour. It is thought the connection is to do with mate selection (picture posed by models)
Scientists collected armpit odour samples from three groups of donors aged 20-30, 45-55 and 75-95.
Donors were asked to sleep for five nights in T-shirts containing underarm pads which were cut up and placed in glass jars.
These were assessed by 41 evaluators aged 20-30 who were given samples to sniff.
They had to decide which sample was from the older donor and to rate the intensity and pleasantness of each odour.
Evaluators were able to discriminate between the three age categories, the American researchers reported in the online journal Public Library of Science ONE.
‘Similar to other animals, humans can extract signals from body odours that allow us to identify age, avoid sick individuals, pick a suitable partner and distinguish kin from non-kin,’ said lead researcher Dr Johan Lundstrom, from the Monell Chemical Senses Centre in Philadelphia.
In the animal world, age-related odours are believed to guide mate selection. Older males might be desirable because they contribute genes linked to longevity, while older females with fragile reproductive systems may be avoided.
Unique: An 'old person smell' is recognised across human cultures. In Japanese it is called kareishu (picture posed by models)
A unique "old person smell" is recognised across human cultures. In Japanese it even has a special name, kareishu.
Dr Lundstrom said: ‘Elderly people have a discernible underarm odour that younger people consider to be fairly neutral and not very unpleasant. This was surprising given the popular conception of old age odour as disagreeable.’
Body odours originate from a "complex interaction" between skin gland secretions and bacterial activity, the researchers wrote.
Skin gland composition and secretion were said to change in "age-dependent manner throughout development".
Skin gland composition and secretion were said to change in "age-dependent manner throughout development".
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2152441/With-sniff-tell-persons-age-Forget-botox-hair-dye--waste-time.html#ixzz1wTEqOJch
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