Eating garlic has non-obvious capacity to attract women

That women prefer men who consume large quantities of garlic must rank as one of the most counterintuitive conclusions on human behaviour ever sniffed out.

But this discovery by researchers in Scotland and Czech Republic does, indeed, seem to scientifically vindicate the age-old notion of garlic being an aphrodisiac.

This, of course, does not mean garlic should replace leather or patchouli as the most ‘attractive’ base note — the longest-lasting fragrance of any blended perfume — in men’s aftershaves and deodorants. It could, however, be the hitherto unexplained reason why men from some cultures appear to have more of a ‘je ne sais quoi’ when it comes to attracting the ladies than others.

For instance, does the so-called Mediterranean diet — that stars garlic in addition to olive oil, fish and fresh vegetables — impact more than just cholesterol levels? Presumably, only vampires remain steadfast about their garlic odium.

The crux appears to be the observation that while bad breath adversely affects public interactions, ‘axillary odour’ plays a catalytic role in more intimate relationships.

In other words, it’s the underarm way to get the girls. Sadly, as at least four fat cloves of garlic must be eaten each day to get the desired emanations, the purpose of the exercise may be defeated by the very means of its conduct.