For most men, the fat tissue in the chest of a woman is indeed a very tempting attraction. So far the researchers still have not uncovered the exact reason behind the 'love' of men on the breast. However, many theories and studies have tried to explain this.
Reported by Live Science, Mammary gland is one of the hallmarks of mammals such as humans and lions. But in humans, this becomes unique. Whether we realize it or not, humans have given this milk gland a great sexual role.
Anthropologist Owen Lovejoy argues, evolution has given a unique sign around the part of female and male reproduction to attract mates. Not only in the reproductive organs, evolution has also given a unique sign of sexual on the female breast.
Evolution makes the breast a way to signal that the woman has enough nutrition, making it a candidate for a partner who promises to reproduce.
In a 2004 study, it was found that women with large breasts had higher levels of mid-cycle estradiol hormone. The hormone is known to increase one's fertility.
In addition, there are studies that find that men love large breasts and waist size to large hips. This supports the opinion that women with body shapes like an hourglass convey a young impression and fertility.
Experience or teach?
Nevertheless, there is much debate in this regard. One is not known for certain whether breasts are universally adored by men.
In a study of 191 cultures in 1951, anthropologist Clellan Ford and the Frank Beach ethologist reported that only 13 of the hundreds of cultures considered sex to be sexually important to men.
A total of 13 cultures have been doing stimulation of the breast during sex. But only three cultures among them who think breast has a sexual attraction.
In a book titled "Breastfeeding: Biocultural Perspectives" written in 1995, anthropologist Katherine Dettwyler explains to her friend in Mali about sexual activity using breasts. Dettwyler recounts himself getting a shocked reaction to his fears as he explains it.
"They regard it as unnatural, nasty, and find it hard to believe that men can be sexually aroused by a woman's breast, or women feel the pleasure of the activity," Dettwyler wrote.
In a cultural view, men are not biologically interested in breasts. But men can be trained from an early age to consider breasts an erotic thing.
"Humans can learn to see the breast as a sexual attraction.We can learn to like long, dangling breasts or breasts that are round, erect.We can learn to like big breasts," Dettwyler wrote.
Male attraction to the breasts in each culture proved to be different. A study in 2011 tried to compare male preference to breast size and symmetry, as well as the size and color of dark areas around the nipple.
The study was conducted in Papua New Guinea, Samoa, and New Zealand. The results were found, men from Papua New Guinea tend to prefer a larger breasts than men from two other countries.
This is because men from Papua New Guinea are considered to be from independent subsistence cultures. So women with big breasts are considered more attractive because during their food difficulty can still breastfeed their children.
Sexual Satisfaction?
The main task of a woman's breasts is certainly to feed the child. This makes the researchers suspect that sexual attraction in the breast has hijacked the nursing circuit and used it for other purposes.
Larry Young, professor of psychiatry at Emory University, who studies the neurological basis of social attitudes, suspects that human evolution has utilized naturally occurring neural circuits to strengthen the relationship between mother-infants while breastfeeding.
But the neural circuitry is now used to strengthen relationships between couples. The result, the men so behave like a baby, love the breast.
In the relationship between adult women aka mother and baby, when the nipple is stimulated while breastfeeding, neurokimia oxitosin or "medicine of love" will flood the female brain. This helps the woman to focus her attention and affection on her baby.
But research a few years ago shows that in humans, the circuit is now no longer exclusive to the baby.
In addition, in a recent study found that nipple stimulation improves sexual stimulation in most women. It also activates the same brain area when the vagina and clitoris are stimulated.
When a sexual partner touches or stimulates a woman's breasts, Young explains that it triggers the release of oxytocin in the female brain, similar to breastfeeding. But in this context, oxytocin makes a woman focus her attention on her sexual partner, reinforcing her desire to connect with her partner.
In other words, men can make themselves more attractive by stimulating the female breasts. And evolution has indirectly made men want to do that.
Young has elaborated this theory on his book The Chemistry Between Us. He explains, male interest in the breast is the result of evolution and has occurred when men enter puberty.
However, Young says he has not done enough studies to study breast stimulation during sexual intercourse in different cultures. This makes his theory that evolution has made men have sexual attraction in women's breasts is debatable.