Is Your Diet Affecting Your Body Odor?

It’s no secret that you may find a person attractive based on how they look,

but did you also know that you may find someone attractive based on how they smell?

Sure, that seems like common sense—if someone smells like a nasty gym bag before you see them,

you’re probably not going to expect them to be physically attractive, but did you know that according to some studies,

even those with attractive faces were found to be less visually attractive when they had a BO problem.

These studies used women (since women tend to use their sense of smell more than men when it comes to choosing a mate) to smell different samples of men’s sweat.

These sweat samples came from several “types” of sweat (e.g. sweat from nervousness, fear, anxiety, intimacy, etc.).

Interestingly, one study in The Journal of Neuroscience found that women, even if only subconsciously, are actually able to identify a man’s sexual sweat.

This is pretty fascinating stuff, but can you alter your body’s natural odors (apart from artificial scents like deodorant, soaps or perfumes) or are you just stuck with how you smell?

 

Your food choices make a difference!

You have probably been on the poor end of this reality when a friend or spouse has eaten too much garlic or too many onions.

But why does this happen and what other foods could alter, for good or bad, this area of your body’s output?

Sulfurous foods
Foods containing sulfur can alter your body’s chemistry and create a nasty smell that emanates from just about every surface.

In fact, to see just how pungent these foods can be, try this little experiment: crush some raw garlic and rub it onto the bottom of your feet.

In about 20 minutes, it is very likely that you will actually begin to taste garlic in your mouth! Other sulfur-containing foods are anything in the Brassica and Allium groups like cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli and onions.

Meats
Several studies have found that women preferred the scent of men who did not consume red meats.

The impact of white meats has not been studies quite as much, although depending on the type of fish and one’s genetic makeup, some people do develop a fishy smell after consuming fish.

This disorder is rare, but it is caused by an inability to break down a compound in meats called trimethylamine which then gets released through areas like the sweat and urine.

Pastas, potatoes and breads (Carbohydrates)
Carbs have been shown to impact the body’s scent in a less-than-pleasant way.

One study showed that men who consumed these foods had the most unpleasant body odor to the women who were smelling their sweat.

While eliminating some carbs is not really a bad idea (especially since you tend to eliminate a lot of unnecessary sugars as well when following a low(er)-carb diet), it can be dangerous to your body so be sure to consume foods containing complex carbohydrates!

Fruits and Vegetables
Not so surprisingly, most fruits and vegetables can cause a person to give off a more pleasant body odor than other foods.

Because most fruits and veggies tend to be less intense in their smells, they have a smaller impact on the body in terms of how it smells to others. In fact, they almost make the body smell sweeter!

Another reason this may be true is due to the carotenoid content found in a variety of fruits and vegetables.

There are over 700 types of carotenoids, and at any given time, you may have 10 or 20 of them in your bloodstream.

In one study, even just visually, those with more carotenoid-rich skin were found to be more attractive.

 

If you do have bad body odor, what can you do to help it?

As discussed, avoiding and consuming certain foods can make a huge difference, but what else can you do? Here are a few easy options:

Homemade deodorant
Deodorant was first developed in the late 1800s as an answer to surgeons having sweaty hands while performing surgery (since air conditioning wasn’t in many hospitals).

Once it was realized that it could be used to block sweat glands and essentially prevent body odor, sales soared.

The active ingredient in most deodorant, however, is aluminum chloride and/or aluminum chlorohydrate.

Both of these are known to interfere with the body’s hormone regulation. Parabens in today’s deodorants have also been linked to cancer.

Instead of using a store-bought deodorant, try using a mix of equal parts baking soda, softened coconut oil and organic cornstarch or arrowroot powder.

If you like a scented deodorant, add your choice of essential oil.

Just be aware that these ingredients can settle in warm weather so you may need to make sure it stays mixed.

Polyester fabric
Polyester material absorbs and retains sweat smells more than cotton shirts.

Athletes who wear polyester tend to have a more intense smell because of this fact.

Apple Cider Vinegar
When it comes to most things health, you can turn to apple cider vinegar (ACV) for just about anything.

Body odor is no different.

Because some odors are caused by the bacteria in the body, applying an ACV-soaked cotton ball to your underarms can help fight the bacteria while also balancing your skin’s pH level.

After a few minutes, take a shower. Doing this twice a day should provide improvement.

Lemon Juice
Rubbing half of a fresh lemon on your underarms can help reduce the amount of odor-causing bacteria.

Simply rub the lemon on, allow to dry, and take a shower.

Do this daily until your odor improves.

Herbs
Certain herbs like rosemary and sage can fight body odor while leaving a very pleasant smell in its place.

You can steep the herbs in bath water and bathe in it or use the correlating essential oil to use in your deodorant.

Note that sage should not be used by those who are pregnant or nursing.

Unpleasant body odor can be embarrassing, but the good news is that there are ways to naturally manage or even eliminate it!

Choosing a clean, nutritious diet will make the greatest impact, but utilizing other methods will also help significantly while still allowing the body to sweat healthily without the stink.

If you have digestive issues, it could be the source of body odor as your digestive system does not completely digest particular foods due to enzyme deficiencies.

Go to the next page and learn how you can strengthen your digestive system.

 

 

About the Author:

Emma Deangela is the best selling author of The Alkaline Diet Program and 80/20 Fat Loss. She has helped over tens of thousands of men and women to lose weight and transform their health with sound nutrition advice. Learn how you can lose weight fast – How to lose weight by adding these alkaline foods.

Do you like the way you smell? Which kind of food do you eat?

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