By: THUY TRAN

Love is in the air … or is it pheromones?

Scientist Ariel Fenster spoke Tuesday night at the Chemistry of Love seminar to explain the chemistry behind love, sex, attachment and Viagra.

Fenster is a chemistry professor at the McGill University in Canada and has given over 600 lectures to over 370,000 people about various topics including forensic science and the chemistry of food. He has been an avid promoter of science for nearly three decades…

Attraction

Fenster began the discussion of “love molecules” by explaining the types of pheromones involved in insects and animals. Pheromones are substances produced by an organism to elicit a response in other members of the same species, often as an attractant of the opposite sex.

“In insects, usually females emit pheromones to males who pick them up by their antennae,” he said.

In pigs, it’s the male pig that emits the pheromone androstenol to attract the females, he said.

Humans also produce androstenol in human sweat, Fenster said.

“For some reason, women respond well to the musky smell, which has actually been used in some shaving creams and fragrances,” he said.

To demonstrate the effect of the androstenol pheromone, Fenster sprayed a fragrance containing the pheromone onto certain seats in the lecture hall before audience members entered. The seats were later filled only by women.

Fenster revealed that men are fearful of androstenol and women preferably sat in seats with the pheromone.

“Women who are exposed to male armpit secretion become calmer and more relaxed,” he said.

Passion

“The feeling of falling in love is similar to the feeling of being high on a drug,” he said. “Some people naturally have that sensation because their brains produce a lot of natural amphetamines.”

One of the amphetamines produced, phenylethylamine, is similar to the structure of speed. This amphetamine is also naturally present in chocolate.

“Chocolate, after all, is a gift of lovers,” Fenster said. “When you’re buying your lover chocolates, perhaps you’re trying to increase that level of feeling excited and high.”

Although a large amount of phenylethylamine is produced in brains of people who easily fall in love, the phenylethylamine present in chocolate cannot be absorbed by the body, he said.

A food that’s rich in this amphetamine is actually peanuts, he said.

“So for Valentine’s Day, save some money and offer your lovers peanuts instead,” he said.

Attachment

After you’ve been with a person for a period of time, a ‘cuddle’ chemical called oxytocin is involved, Fenster said.

When a woman is lactating, or breastfeeding, she produces more oxytocin to cuddle with her newborn.

Other chemicals are produced by both sexes that are linked to monogamy and sex.

“There’s a difference between love and sex, although often one leads to the other,” Fenton said.

The chemical associated with monogamy is vasopressin and that associated with sex drive in males is testosterone.

When the level of testosterone is high, chemicals such as vasopressin or oxytocin are reduced, he said.

“Chemicals that tend to lead to lower sex drive in men are present in antidepressants and carbohydrates,” Fenster said. “If you want your boyfriend or husband (or both) to perform at night, make sure not to feed them pasta.”

Sex, Love and Health

“There are a number of benefits associated with having sex,” Fenster said. “The number one health problem in America is obesity and studies have shown that sex cuts calories.”

Each session of sex, depending on intensity, burns 125 to 300 calories. Kissing burns six to 12 calories.

“So the message is, if you want to lose weight, it’s best to go all the way,” Fenster said.

People who are in love also have improved immune systems, fewer heart attacks, and longer life expectancies, he said.

“So it is true,” Fenster said. “All you need is love.”