

The simple scent of a guy can make women drink more, according to a new study published in the journal Experimental and Clinical Psychopharmacology.

Researchers from the University of South Florida and the University of California, San Diego found that when women smelled androstenone, a sex pheromone similar to testosterone, they drank more beer than women who didn’t. In terms of how pleasurable the two smells were, the pheromone cologne was rated worse than the water-based control fragrance.

The study was done on 103 women between the ages of 21 and 31. They were told they were participating in a consumer study on male cologne and three beverages: sparkling water, soda and beer. Half of the women received a “cologne” with androstenone, and the other half got a water fragrance. Then they were poured two 12-ounce glasses of non-alcoholic beer. Over the course of 10 minutes, the women with the androstenone drank 10 percent more beer.

“We inferred that detection of male sexual scents, even in the absence of awareness, may instigate drinking because of the longstanding cultural association between alcohol use and sex,” the study states.

A tenth more beer may not sound like a lot, but context is key here. The test was done in the middle of the day, and women had class, work and other responsibilities when they finished the study.

“Evolutionary theory says that men and women behave in ways to maximize their reproductive success,” co-author Robin Tan, a researcher at the UCSD, told the National Post. She added that “alcohol is a social lubricant,” and “people drink, and they have these sexual expectations that alcohol might help them engage in sexual activities.”

The study is a follow up of a wider ranging on one done on men. Among other tests, the previous study compared the drinking of men who smelled t-shirts worn by women and men who didn’t. The t-shirt smell caused guys to drink more. And it’s not just alcohol. Being around women encourages men to consume more of everything. A 2015 study found that men overeat around women to show off, creating dad bods and beer bellies everywhere.

The amount of research is relatively small, so further studies would be needed to confirm the findings, but two things seem clear: Being with the opposite gender makes people want to drink, and men’s natural pheromones smell worse than water.