According to one study, attractive people have stronger immune systems

 

A study found that people who were rated more attractive by others have stronger immune systems. The researchers believed that people are more attracted to certain types of beauty because we are biologically programmed to seek a healthier partner.

Researchers from Texas Christian University in the US have revealed that attractiveness may play a role in fighting off infections.

The study included 159 male and female participants, all of whom were either students at Texas Christian University or members of the surrounding community. They were photographed without makeup and with neutral facial expressions, and blood tests were performed. In the second phase of their research, the scientists asked 492 people who took part in an online survey to rate people of the opposite gender on their attractiveness.

The researchers discovered that those judging the attractiveness of others based solely on a single photograph found those with stronger immune systems to be more attractive, despite knowing nothing about their immune systems—they could tell by the expressions on people's faces.

Participants who were rated as attractive had high rates of phagocytosis and low neutrophil count. Phagocytosis is a type of immune cell that kill microorganisms, ingests foreign material, and removes dead cells while having a low neutrophil count indicating that your body has no infection.

The researchers also noticed some gender differences. Men who were deemed the most attractive were more likely to have high-functioning natural killer cells, which help the body clear viral infections. While attractive women were linked to slower growth of a bacterium responsible for food poisoning and localized infections in their plasma.

Source: Medical News Today