Have Another Slice of Pumpkin Pie, Dear

A study by The Smell and Taste Treatment and Research Foundation has found, just in time for the holidays, that the smell of pumpkin pie “increas[ed] median penile blood flow by 40%.” Ladies: to your kitchens! There’s one catch…

…the aromatic aphrodisiac is actually a combination scent of pumpkin pie mixed with lavender. The hell? I suppose you can recreate this with a dab of perfume, but why would you really want to?

Pumpkin pie on its own didn’t even crack the top ten:

Increase in Penile Blood Flow Produced by Top 10 Odors in 31 Male Volunteers

Lavender and pumpkin pie – 40%
Doughnut & black licorice – 31.5%
Pumpkin pie & doughnut – 20%
Orange – 19.5%
Lavender & doughnut – 18%
Black licorice and cola – 13%
Black licorice – 13%
Doughnut & cola – 12.5%
Lily of the valley – 11%
Buttered popcorn – 9%

Buttered popcorn! Reminds me of those Jelly Belly beans I always avoided. Guess I should have been rubbing them all over my body. Anyway, it’s important to note that this study had a sample size of a whopping 31 men. The best part is how they were lured:

The team recruited volunteers literate in English through solicitation on classic rock radio broadcasts. Thirty-one men, aged 18 to 64 years, signed up.

BRB, looking up the number to my local affiliate. Oh, and according to this shadowy About.com article, which is actually written with a sense of humor (one section is titled: “So Should I Forget the Sex Toys and Stock Up on Pumpkin Pie?”) a similar survey of women was done a few years ago.

Sexyladymaking scents included:

Good and Plenty candy and cucumber – 13%
Baby powder – 13%
Pumpkin pie and lavender – 11%
Baby powder and chocolate – 4%

They should just call that last one “postpartum depression.” Sadly, the study included no word on the lady-throb levels associated with the smell of money. Bon appetit!