PARIS, Jun 24, 2005/ FW/ --- A newly released study of smells shows that the scent of grapefruit on women makes them seem younger to men - about six years.

The study was conducted by Dr. Alan Hirsch of the Chicago based Smell and Taste Institute.

In the study, several middle-aged women were smeared with broccoli, banana, spearmint leaves, and lavender. None of those scents made a difference to the men.

But the scent of grapefruit changed men's perceptions of the women. Hirsch said that when the male volunteers were asked to write down how old the woman with grapefruit odour was, they wrote ages that were considerably less than reality.

Dr. Hirsch is also the founder and neurological director of the Smell and Taste Treatment and Research Foundation in Chicago. He specialises in the evaluation, diagnosis and treatment of many smell- and taste-related disorders.

For more than 25 years, Dr. Hirsch has dedicated his medical career to helping people in overcoming the loss of smell and taste sensations. He has spoken of his more than 180 studies on numerous television programmes including FOX News, Food Network Snack, Good Morning America, Dateline NBC and Oprah.

Also many articles have also been done on him and featured in such magazines and newspapers as Prevention, Allure, Men’s Health, Elle, Self, Martha Stewart Weddings, Chicago Magazine, Cosmopolitan, US Weekly and USA Today.