The body odor can vary from person to person, depending on the diet they do.
First of all, sweating is great. Your body sweats all the time when it gets too hot to prevent overheating and to get rid of toxins.
However, when some people sweat the body can give off an odor that doesn’t smell great.
It’s embarrassing to smell bad in our modern world, so most people cover it up or prevent it using deodorants and antiperspirants, however, the smell is usually a sign of an illness or bad diet.
The second thing to know is that it’s not the sweat that smells. The smell is coming from the bad bacteria that lives in the moist places on your body. Healthy bodies omit only odorless sweat.
The bacteria that thrive and start to smell are usually the result of what you eat, by smelling your body is trying to eliminate the bad bacteria.
Believe it or not, healthy sweat contains excess minerals, waste, proteins, enzymes, fats, sugars and metals. It’s a complex substance. Adult sweat is also very different from a child’s sweat.
Children do not smell because they do not produce glycerol (a sugar produced by the body). It’s only when their diets change, and they reach puberty, that they begin to smell.
The causes of body odor
Chemicals, red meats and processed food can cause bacteria to produce a bad smell. Medications can also cause a similar reaction, particularly cystagon for kidney disease, metformin for diabetes, and wellbutrin for depression.
Some people can experience bad body odor if their diet is low in carbohydrates. For example, when your body has used all of its carbohydrates it will then start to use proteins, a by-product of which is ammonia, which will come out when you sweat.
The reasons can vary from person to person, and men and women can also experience different results due to the way the body produces fatty acids differently in men and women.
Some medical conditions could also be the root cause behind the odor.
For example, when toxins build up in the body (as happens with liver or kidney disease), a bleach-like smell occurs. People with diabetes over produce ketones, which can result in a fruit-like smell.
How to manage your odor
Sweating is healthy, and we can’t stop it. But in order to help tone down the bad smells, why not try some of these methods:
Soak your feet
A great way to balance the bacteria on your skin.
Apply baking soda
Massage into the affected area (i.e. your armpits) and it will eliminate the odor, just be sure to rinse it off afterward.
Take chlorella
This green detoxifying superfood freshens breath and is also great for deodorizing smells.
Stop using antiperspirants
These chemical brands have been linked to a number of illnesses, and can, in fact, make you smell worse and make your health worse.
Don’t eat processed food
Sugars and additives can cause bacteria overload, and result in bad odor. Stop eating them!
As alternatives, you can use unrefined coconut oil on your skin and lemon under your arms, as long as your skin doesn’t react to it.