Your DNA Can Affect How Sweet That Smell Is, Study Finds
BOSTON (CBS) - Why is that one person may find a particular odor pleasant while another might find it stinky? Researchers at the Monell Center in Philadelphia have found that small genetic changes can make a big difference in how we smell, explaining why some people may find a perfume scent pleasant while others turn up their noses.
When odor molecules enter the nose they activate about 400 hundred olfactory sensors in a variety of combinations that results in millions of different smells.
In this study, researchers had more than 300 people rate different odors and then studied their DNA. They found that genetic changes to a single sensor can affect how strong or pleasant a person finds an odor
They say differences in how we smell can affect our taste, food choices and our overall well-being.