It’s no secret that certain foods emit specific aromas, but the way they interact with them is intestinethe skin and other parts of the body can also change a person’s body odor.
Advances in research conducted in Europe have found that human scent contains biological information about health, age, genetic compatibility, and can also signal attraction to others.
in BBC coverageLina Begdash, assistant professor of health and wellness research at the State University of New York at Binghamton, revealed how food affects body odor at a biological level.
As food is digested, interactions between those chemicals and the food occur. bacteria in the intestine It releases gases that cause bad breath, also known as halitosis.
Experts say that as the chemical components of food are metabolized, some of them sweat through the skin and interact with bacteria to create different odors.
The “most pungent” foods contain sulfur as a common ingredient.
Cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli and cabbage, Brussels sprouts and cauliflower British nutritional therapist Kelly Beeson told the BBC that these are all “high in sulfur compounds”.
Foods in the allium family, such as garlic and onions, can also affect the scent of your breath and sweat.
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Garlic can cause bad breath, but some research in the past decade suggests that garlic can make sweat smell more appealing.
Garlic’s antioxidant and antibacterial properties may make men’s scents more “pleasant” to women, Jan Havlicek, a researcher at Charles University in the Czech Republic, told the BBC.
Other vegetables, such as asparagus, are known to cause sweat and urine odor due to sulfur as well as a compound called asparagus acid, the BBC reported.
The volatility of sulfur compounds facilitates their diffusion into the air, and the odor can last for more than five hours, according to a study by the American Society of Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics.
However, not everyone can smell asparagus in urine, according to a study published in the journal Chemical Senses. depending on genetics.
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A 2017 Australian study found that men generally eat more. fruits and vegetables According to a female tester, it is “noticeably associated” with the more pleasant scent of sweat, which is floral, fruity, sweet and savory.
Self-reported dietary data also revealed that eating fat, meat, eggs, and tofu led to more pleasant-smelling sweat, while eating more carbohydrates led to less unpleasant-smelling sweat.
Beeson told the BBC that meat and fish can produce a “unique” body odor because animal proteins can interact with bacteria on the skin as they are broken down and excreted.
fish and beans It contains a strong-smelling compound called trimethylamine, which can cause a rare syndrome called trimethylaminuria, or “fish odor syndrome.”
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Havlicek’s 2006 study compared men who ate meat for two weeks with men who didn’t eat meat. Women then rated the scent.
men above meat-free meals On average, they were rated as more attractive, as well as more comfortable and less stimulating.
“Surprisingly, people who ate meat smelled slightly worse than when they didn’t eat meat,” Havlicek told the BBC. “Eating meat every day was not common in our evolution.”
According to Begdache, large amount of alcohol A compound called acetaldehyde released by the liver can cause sweat and odor in the gastrointestinal tract.
Alcohol also causes dehydration and reduces saliva production, which allows more bacteria to fester in the mouth and increases the risk of bad breath.
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for coffee and tea Beeson, an alcoholic, said caffeine stimulates the apocrine glands that produce sweat in the armpits and groin area, which can lead to stronger body odor.
In an interview with Fox News Digital, the Los Angeles-based registrant nutritionist Ilana Muhlstein noted that certain diets, such as the keto diet, can cause “stinky, metallic” bad breath.
This can occur if you follow a high-fat, moderate-protein, low-carbohydrate or no-carbohydrate diet.
“When your body breaks down fat for energy while in ketosis, it naturally produces a variety of chemicals, including acetone, also known as nail polish remover,” she says, which is how many people describe the smell they get when they’re on a strict keto diet.
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Mulstein reiterated that bad breath is usually caused by odoriferous bacteria, so consuming plenty of probiotic-rich foods, such as yogurt and kefir, which improve the mouth and body microbiome, could potentially help.
Staying hydrated is also key to keeping unpleasant odors at bay, experts say.
“Bad breath and body odor can be a sign of dehydration, as the bacteria in your body becomes more concentrated and smells stronger, so drinking more water and staying hydrated with electrolytes may help,” she says.
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“Adding things like mint leaves or ginger to the water can increase the antibacterial content and give it a fresh scent, making it even more effective.”
