If you are bothered by someone’s smell, it may be because they have eaten something bad. The choice of food significantly affects body odor. Fresh onions, garlic or salami not only cause bad breath, but their digestion also has a big influence on your smell.
Therefore, it’s best to avoid these foods if you don’t want others to be bothered by your smell:
1. Tomatoes
British scientist Charles Stewart has proven that a unpleasant body odor may accompany the consumption of tomatoes. He noticed that his sweat smelled like tomato seed oil and began to investigate this event. This is how the smell of sweat came from terpenes and carotenoids contained in tomatoes. Moreover, this is also true for other vegetables which contain a lot of terpenes. Therefore, always eat your favorite vegetables in moderation, if you don’t want to give off an unpleasant odor.
2. Peppers and onions
Excessive consumption of chillies and spicy foods in general stimulates circulation and increases sweat production. If the sweat then encounters bacteria, evaporation results in unpleasant odors. But the essential oils in onions are also excreted through the skin and liver and cause bad mouth and body odor.
3. Products with high fiber content
Foods rich in fiber such as grains, legumes and nuts are very important for the daily energy needs of the body and the digestive system. However, if you eat too much of them, they cause gas. Large amounts of hydrogen, carbon dioxide and methane are formed and the body has to get rid of them. The gases then cause an unpleasant odor. If you cannot do without it, drink plenty of water to reduce the negative effects.
4. Fish
Fish contains high amounts of vitamin A. Varieties such as trout and tuna also contain a lot of vitamin B4, which can cause a strong fishy odor when consumed in excess. This phenomenon is called fish odor syndrome and can only be treated with a certain diet and medication.
5. Dairy products
Surprisingly, the people of Southeast Asia and almost all Native American tribes suffer from lactose intolerance. Their body only produces small amounts of the enzyme lactase, which is why consuming dairy products causes them to produce a lot of gas, a very swollen stomach and gas. Also, some people ‘s sweat can smell like cabbage or maple syrup because they cannot digest certain components of milk. Those who have no problem digesting dairy products can eat them without hesitation and will not smell unpleasant afterwards.
6. Green peas
If one were to make a list of the foods most likely to cause bloating, peas would be in the lead. The proteins they contain are difficult to digest and some of them are found directly in the intestine, which increases the production of gas. This does not mean that you should eliminate peas from your diet, however, as they are rich in vitamins B, B2, PP, A and C and contain a lot of iron, fluorine and hydrochloric acid. To prevent bloating and odor, soak them in water for 8 hours before eating them.
7. Red meat
Red meat is also responsible for the development of unpleasant odors, since it is difficult to digest. It stays in the digestive system for a very long time, which stimulates the growth and spread of bacteria. This leads to bad smell of sweat and bad breath, especially in men. Even eating red meat twice a week can have a negative effect on your body odor. Poultry, on the other hand, has less of an impact and can serve as an alternative if you don’t want to give up meat.
8. Radish and horseradish
Radishes and horseradish give off a rather intense smell. It also spreads throughout the body after consumption. The breath persists for hours. Cooking the vegetables reduces the odor somewhat. Unfortunately, important ingredients for the body are lost in the process.
9. Tea and coffee
On the one hand, black tea and coffee stimulate the metabolism and make you sweat, on the other hand, the high acidity leads to a dry mouth and an increase in the production of bacteria, which causes bad breath. It is therefore preferable to drink herbal teas if you want to avoid unpleasant odors. Herbal teas also do not affect the central nervous system and allow you to relax at the same time.
10. Curry and cumin
You should also be careful with curry and cumin when it comes to body odors. Because as healthy as these two spices are, they clog your pores and you still have a very special smell on you, even several days after consumption. Instead, use ginger, tormentil or cardamom to season your food.
If even the most full shower and the best deodorant don’t help, the causes of the strong body odor could be due to a poor diet. By choosing the right foods, you can make a direct contribution to preventing the appearance of unpleasant odors.
Body odor can of course also be a sign of illness. In this case, you should have your family doctor examined.
You can read even more tips about the effects of certain foods on the body in the following articles:
Cover images: © Flickr / camerabee © Flickr / Maxim B.