Men, if you want to attract the opposite sex, you might consider becoming a Cardinals fan.
A new study from the University of Rochester has that found women are strongly attracted to the color red. Researchers showed pictures of men in varying shirt colors to almost 300 women, and time and time again, women believed the men in red to be the most "powerful, attractive and sexually desirable."
Although we aren't quite sure why this attraction exists, it is just one of the many ways that our senses play into our sexual desire and our selection of mates.
If you want to become an expert at attracting the opposite sex, consider the following findings on sexual attraction and the senses:
The nose knows. You might think that stand-bys like Old Spice and Chanel No. 5 are the sexiest scents, but Dr. Alan Hirsch of the Smell and Taste Treatment and Research Foundation in Chicago discovered quite interesting evidence to the contrary. Hirsch and his team had study participants sniff numerous different scents, and they then tracked sexual arousal post-sniff.
Surprisingly, scents of cucumber and licorice had the biggest impact on sexual arousal for both men and women. So, the next time you want to win over your date, try lighting a licorice-scented candle or using cucumber body wash. Every little bit helps!
Seducing with sound. If you want to let your man know that you are attracted to him, ditch the Paris Hilton baby voice. A recent study from Albright College in Reading, Penn., found that when women are sexually attracted to someone, they almost instinctively lower their voices, which might come as a surprise to people who associate hyper-femininity and high-pitched voices with sexual attraction.
Instead, try using a husky, breathy voice (reminiscent of Lauren Bacall) to let your date know that you might be into a nightcap at his place.
Using taste to tempt. We have all heard of common aphrodisiacs such as oysters and chocolate. These tempting foods purport to up our sexual desire and make date night out-of-this-world.
Personally, I believe that almost any food can be sensual, especially if you prepare it as a couple and take the time to smell and taste the food as you go along.
Though food is inherently sensual, some fare is more tempting than others. Any food that resembles a sexual organ often is quite racy think cucumbers or bananas.
Spicy foods such as jalapeno peppers get your heart rate going and can even flush your face, mimicking the reaction your body has during sex. Other foods such as creamy avocados, luscious strawberries, and fun finger foods like fondue also can be very sexy to eat and share.
And, last but not least, chocolate truly is the key to making magic in the kitchen! An Italian study found that women who consumed chocolate on a regular basis enjoyed a better sex life than women who did not, including increased levels of desire, arousal and satisfaction.
Let your fingers do the talking. The final sense is touch. While touching in the bedroom is clearly sensual, touching outside the bedroom is just as important, if not more so!
Little touches and caresses throughout the day keep you connected with your partner and increase your sexual attraction and bond. So scratch his back, play with her hair, hold hands in the grocery store -- and, of course, kiss!