"Sniffing women's tears dampens sexual desire in men, study suggests"

"Women's tears contain a chemical signal that lowers testosterone levels and dampens sexual desire in men, according to a team of scientists in Israel."

They studied the effect on men of sniffing fresh tears, which the researchers collected in vials as they rolled down the faces of women watching weepy movies.

The surprise discovery may help scientists solve the mystery of why humans shed tears when they're distressed or sad.

Sobel said his lab is now trying to identify what chemical in tears might be responsible for the effect and whether it is also present in men's and children's tears.

"We don't think there is something special about women's tears," he said. "We definitely predict chemical signals in men's tears and children's tears too."

Ian Sample The Guardian