Body odor is defined by three factors, genetics, overall health and personal hygiene. However, it turns out that your diet, or at least some foods, may also affect body odor.
What you eat can directly affect how you smell, in more ways than just your breath. Scientifically speaking, it also depends on how your body metabolises the foods you have consumed.
Moreover, when your body temperature rises as a result of stress, anxiety or just excessive heat, it activates your sweat glands, producing odorless sweat.
Many factors affect this process, including your diet. Here are 7 foods that impact and influence how your body smells.
1. Cruciferous vegetables
Cruciferous vegetables like cabbage, cauliflower and broccoli can affect the body odor due to the presence of sulphur compounds. These compounds are absorbed in the body and secreted through sweat. In fact, your odor may change for the worse one hour after consuming these vegetables. In order to reduce this effect, all you need to do is to parboil these vegetables in water and add a dash of salt. This process will be able to remove odor-producing compounds, including sulphur while retaining their beneficial nutrients.
2. Red meat
According to a study, the body odors of the participants who ate vegetarian foods were attractive, more pleasant and less intense, while the ones who consumed red meat had a negative impact on the body odor. Perhaps it has to do with how red meat is digested in the body, but studies show that people who are prone to unpleasant body odor could do better by bringing in more vegetables into their diet.
3. Alcohol
According to a study, most of the alcohol that we drink is generally metabolised in the liver into acetic acid, while some of it is released through your sweat and the respiratory system. Now you know, it is not just your breath that stinks of alcohol the day after, but also your body.
4. Spices including cumin, fenugreek
Widely used spices like cumin seeds and fenugreek seeds may enhance the flavour of your curries, but may also wreak havoc on your body’s natural odor by staying in your pores for more than just one day. The sweat that secretes from your pores is then bound to smell of these spices.
5. Fish oil
According to a report in 2012, certain chemicals linked to body odor were caused by specific foods, which may include fish oil. The presence of choline, which is a member of B-complex vitamin family that is found in these fish, delivers a natural fishy smell.
6. Tomatoes
According to a study, tomatoes may be the hidden culprits that are affecting your body odor; thanks to the chemical called terepenes that boost the pungent smell of your sweaty skin folds.
7. Garlic
As per a study, garlic can ooze out stink from your skin, due to the presence of allicin, a sulphur compound that is released when garlic is crushed or cut. Allicin tends to break down quickly after consumption and converts into other substances that cause bacteria to mix with sweat and this may result in a strong body odor.
While these foods may be responsible for your body odor, it is also important to take care of your personal hygiene for avoiding unpleasant odor. Make sure you intake of water is adequate too.
