The smell of old people is a real thing and that's why it happens

Von Natur.wiki Autoren-Team

Der „Alter-Geruch“ – ein Begriff, den die meisten schon einmal gehört haben und der von manchen vielleicht sogar mit dem Alter in Verbindung gebracht wird – ist ein wissenschaftlich anerkanntes Phänomen. Es handelt sich nicht nur um ein Produkt eines Mythos oder eines abfälligen Stereotyps, sondern um eine reale, greifbare Erfahrung, deren Mechanismus ein interessanter Forschungsgegenstand in der wissenschaftlichen Gemeinschaft ist. In Japan wird dieser ausgeprägte Geruch als Kareishu1 bezeichnet. @media(min-width:0px){#div-gpt-ad-healthy_holistic_living_com-box-3-0-asloaded{max-width:468px!important;max-height:60px!important;}} Unser Verständnis dieses „Geruchs des Alterns“ vertieft sich durch eine bahnbrechende Studie2, die Beweise lieferte, die die Annahme stützen, dass Menschen, ähnlich wie andere Tiere, das Alter ausschließlich anhand …
The "age smell"-a term that most of them have heard and which may even be associated with age-is a scientifically recognized phenomenon. It is not just a product of a myth or a derogatory stereotypical, but a real, tangible experience, the mechanism of which is an interesting subject of research in the scientific community. In Japan, this pronounced smell is called Kareishu1. @Media (Min-Width: 0PX) {#div-ad-healthy_holistic_living_com-Box-3-0-Asloaded {Max-Width: 468px! Important; max-Height: 60px! Important;}} Our understanding of this "smell of aging" is deepened by a groundbreaking study2 The assumption that people, similar to other animals, are based exclusively on the basis of ... (Symbolbild/natur.wiki)

The "age smell"-a term that most of them have heard and which may even be associated with age-is a scientifically recognized phenomenon. It is not just a product of a myth or a derogatory stereotypical, but a real, tangible experience, the mechanism of which is an interesting subject of research in the scientific community. In Japan, this pronounced smell is called Kareishu1.

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Our understanding of this "smell of aging" is deepened by a groundbreaking study2 that provided evidence that supports the assumption that, like other animals, people can only distinguish age based on body smell.

reveal the smell of aging: a fascinating experiment

In order to research this fascinating aspect of human sensory perception, a study has developed a fascinating experiment. They recruited volunteers from different age groups and let them sleep five nights in a row in T-shirts with armpit pads. The goal? To collect the body smells of each individual.

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The pads soaked with sweat were cut and filled into separate glasses. Then came the most exciting part: A group of happy volunteers between the ages of 20 and 30 was asked to evaluate the "pleasure" of the smells and to assess the age of the donor.

The results of this experiment suggest that people can distinguish age based on body smell. The unique smell of older people, which is often referred to as the "smell of old people" or "smell of nursing homes", seemed to be a cross -cultural phenomenon that is generally recognized regardless of geographical or racial differences.

The perception of the "old person smell": not necessarily uncomfortable

Contrary to the popular opinion that this unique smell is associated with discomfort, the younger subjects found the armpit smell of the older people rather neutral and not particularly uncomfortable. This discovery of the leading author of the study, Johan Lundström, a sensory neuroscientist, was surprising.

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lundström also mentioned that the smell, which is released by other parts of the body such as skin or breath, may have different qualities. This implies that a comprehensive understanding of the "smell of old people" may comprise more than just armpit smells.

The biological components behind the "smell of old people"

A separate study3 identified the odor-generating connection 2-nonal, which is described as "unsaturated aldehyde with an unpleasant greasy and grass smell", as well as specific skin lipids, which tend to increase with increasing age. The presence of these elements indicates their possible role in the development of the pronounced age fragrance. @Media (Min-Width: 0PX) {#Div-Gpt-Ad-Healthy_holistic_Living_Com-Large-Leader Board-2-0-Asloaded {Max-Width: 336px! Important; Max-Height: 280px! Important;}}

The purpose of the "smell of old people": an evolutionary perspective

For the time being,

Lundström's team proposed a possible evolutionary purpose for this phenomenon. Like other animals, people can extract signals from body smells that enable us to determine the biological age, avoid sick people, select a suitable partner and to distinguish relatives from non-relatives. This ability could improve our chances of survival and our reproduction success, as certain insects show in which older males are preferred to younger people, which indicates their adaptation skills that have made it possible for them to survive into old age.

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final remarks: The search for knowledge continues

While these results significantly improve our understanding of the "smell of old people", further studies are necessary to determine the exact cause of this smell and to determine the advantages that he could offer for humans

These studies illustrate the complicated and sophisticated functions of our body and how our sensory perceptions can collect meaningful information about our surroundings and our fellow human beings. The more we immerse yourself in the realm of these seemingly insignificant details, the closer we get to understand the complex symphony of life and human existence.

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