According to a study from a team at Texas Christian University, there is an apparent link between the strength of an individual’s immune system and how attractive they are.
This isn’t exactly the best news I’ve heard, and I’m inclined to be skeptical, but the link between attractiveness and health has been speculated on for a long time. This study claims to be more comprehensive than past research and examines the link between physical appearance, health, and immune function.
The research team had 159 TCU students and local community members photographed without make-up and each had a blood test to measure the strength of their immune systems to fight disease and infection.
Nearly 500 people were then brought in to rate members of the opposite sex based on their attractiveness based solely on their photograph and no other information.
“Interestingly, the study finds men and women have very different ideas about what makes a face attractive and healthy. Researchers found that, on average, women rated men with higher levels of NK (natural killer) cells as more attractive. These cells play a key role in fighting off and killing bacteria,” reports Study Finds. “Men, on the other hand, found women with lower NK cell levels in their blood more attractive. Study authors believe the reason for this is women with lower NK levels generally have higher estrogen levels — a hormone important to sexual reproduction.”
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