Adult males with strong immune systems are seen as more sexually
attractive to females, researchers from the University of Abertay
Dundee, Scotland, wrote in the journal Nature Communications. They added that a strong immune system plays a greater role in attracting women to men, than great bodies or muscles.
There appears to be an association between testosterone levels, facial attractiveness, and cortisol, the authors informed. Cortisol is a stress hormone.
The researchers explain that men with healthy immune systems tend to have higher testosterone levels, and it is the healthier immune system that impacts on attractiveness.
A man's face is more attractive, usually, if he has high levels of testosterone. However, nobody has fully understood how testosterone affects immune function. Dr Fhionna Moore and team gathered data on the immune responses of 74 young adult Latvian males to a hepatitis vaccine. Their blood levels of cortisol and testosterone were measured. Latvian women in the same age group were asked to look at photographs of the men and rate them according to attractiveness (1 to 10 with 10 being the most attractive).
The researchers found that:
The authors suggest that human females may be following a similar instinct seen in other animals, such as birds, namely seeking out mates who can pass on their healthy immune system genes.
Birds tend to seek out male mates that can pass on good immune system genes to their offsprind
The team are soon to determine whether their findings are the same across different cultures and age groups.
In an Abstract in the journal, the authors wrote:
There appears to be an association between testosterone levels, facial attractiveness, and cortisol, the authors informed. Cortisol is a stress hormone.
The researchers explain that men with healthy immune systems tend to have higher testosterone levels, and it is the healthier immune system that impacts on attractiveness.
A man's face is more attractive, usually, if he has high levels of testosterone. However, nobody has fully understood how testosterone affects immune function. Dr Fhionna Moore and team gathered data on the immune responses of 74 young adult Latvian males to a hepatitis vaccine. Their blood levels of cortisol and testosterone were measured. Latvian women in the same age group were asked to look at photographs of the men and rate them according to attractiveness (1 to 10 with 10 being the most attractive).
The researchers found that:
- Males with a strong immune response had higher levels of testosterone
- Males with a strong immune response, higher levels of testosterone were given the highest attractiveness ratings by the women
- Lower testosterone levels were linked to higher cortisol levels. The researchers suggest that cortisol inhibits immune response
The authors suggest that human females may be following a similar instinct seen in other animals, such as birds, namely seeking out mates who can pass on their healthy immune system genes.
Birds tend to seek out male mates that can pass on good immune system genes to their offsprind
The team are soon to determine whether their findings are the same across different cultures and age groups.
In an Abstract in the journal, the authors wrote:
"We conclude that our results provide support for a role of glucocorticoids in hormonally mediated sexual selection."
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