HALO PhD student Jessica McNeil discussed some of her recent research in a story, “Nose for fertility? Sense of smell may let women know best time to conceive,” that ran in the Ottawa Citizen on December 5th.
From the story:
Do women’s noses know when it is the best time to conceive? That is the possibility raised in a study by a team of researchers at the University of Ottawa and the University of Leeds that suggests sense of smell is among subtle clues to fertility.
The study found that sense of smell among women was heightened when they were most fertile, immediately after ovulation. Researchers said the findings indicate a women’s sense of smell changes throughout her menstrual cycle, although variations likely often go unnoticed.
Jessica McNeil, who is a PhD candidate at the University of Ottawa’s School of Human Kinetics, said those changes in olfactory sensitivity are tied to the functions of the reproductive system.
McNeil and other researchers also studied cravings for high fat foods, which also increased among the women studied during the period of highest fertility in the menstrual cycle.
Click here to read the story in full.
