What makes it possible to affirm that a person is “beautiful”? Because we know: the criteria of beauty (height, weight, hairiness…) are different according to the regions of the world, according to the times and even according to the individuals.
Researchers at Texas Christian University (in the United States) are now putting forward an interesting hypothesis: there is a link between a person’s beauty (that is to say: their attractiveness) and the effectiveness of their immune system (that is to say: the “defense system” of his body).
To reach this conclusion, the American researchers first brought together 159 volunteers: these men and women were photographed without makeup and with a neutral facial expression. Blood samples were also taken from them.
Being beautiful and healthy, and if it was related?
Second step: the American researchers asked 492 people to rate the physical attractiveness of the volunteers, based on the photos. Results ? Scientists have found that people with a strong immune system are, on average, considered more attractive than others.
Thus, the most “beautiful” individuals were (on average) those who displayed the highest phagocytosis rates – as a reminder, phagocytosis refers to the mechanism of destruction of pathogens by the body. More specifically, in women, physical attractiveness was related to the ability to eliminate food poisoning bacteria, while in men it was correlated with the ability to eradicate viruses.
In short, taking care of your immune system is also an excellent way to look beautiful naturally… without cosmetic surgery!
This work has been published in the specialized journal Proceedings of the Royal Society B.
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