Smell of men's sweat reveals if he is aroused, study shows

According to researchers, the smell of a man's sweat differs according to what mood he is in - and women's brains can pick up if he is interested in her.

The findings have led scientists to believe that, like animals, humans may use scent, or pheromones, to communicate with each other.

The sweat was gathered from a selection of men who had polyester pads attached to their armpits.

The "normal" sweat was gathered during a 20-minute session in which the men were asked to watch educational videos.

They were then asked to watch 20 minutes of an erotic video, during which the "sexual" sweat was gathered.

The female participants were exposed to these different scents while Prof Chen monitored their brain activity with an MRI scanner.

The women did not realise it but their brains not only recognised the scents but responded to them.