Old and young people do give off distinctive odors, according to a study just published online in the journal PLoS ONE. Researchers from the Monell Chemical Senses Center in Philadelphia and Sweden's Karolinska Institute found that people can reliably distinguish the body odor of elderly people from a whiff of the young or middle-aged. But contrary to the stereotype, the characteristic odor of the elderly is actually pretty neutral. And it's a lot more pleasant than the body odor coming from younger folks — especially the guys.
Context matters:
[Sensory neuroscientist Johan Lundström] says that people who find the elderly smell unpleasant may be setting it in an unattractive context, like a dreary nursing home or a stuffy parlor. "Context is an important part of the human sense of smell," he notes. "Many people think parmesan cheese smells like vomit if they don't realize what it is."
The Dish 