Invisible Attraction on Yahoo! Health

Have you ever breezed by the fragrance counter while shopping and feel like you are instantly transported back to another time and place? How about when walking into a restaurant or the familiar smell of home? Smell is a sense that's not to be underestimated -- especially when talking about sex. Of all our senses, smell is the only one that bypasses the conscious parts of our brain and goes directly to the primal, animal part of our brain: the limbic system.

The limbic system is the seat of all emotion. When we have an emotionally charged experience, it gets encoded and associated with the smell and other sensual markers. The limbic system explains why smelling an old boyfriend's cologne or sleeping in a current boyfriend's t-shirt is comforting or arousing! However, just as strong as memorable smells are the undetectable scents known as pheromones. They unconsciously draw us to certain partners. Pheromones might explain the buzz of sexual chemistry with someone you've just met or someone you don't even particularly like! Physiologically speaking, you fit together.

While you can't control your pheromones, there have been some studies done that show smell-able scents can improve your sex life. Researchers at the Chicago Smell and Taste Treatment and Research Foundation found that men's erections were boosted by the smell of pumpkin pie and lavender, and donuts and licorice. Women felt the effects of licorice most, then banana bread. So should we say it's time to get cooking?