Do You Smell? Here Are The 12 Sneakiest Things You Had No Idea Could Be Causing Body Odor

Jul 12, 2018 by apost team

Some people envy the all-day freshness that some people have. They dread that inevitable time of day where they can smell their own body odor emitting from them and are certain that others can smell it as well. They also have tried just about every product and every means of trying to eliminate the cause of their personal stench but to no lasting solution without realizing it could be one of these reasons that they can easily avoid or take precautions:

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There is a multitude of side effects caused by certain medications. This can include excessive sweat gland production resulting in more bacteria that cause body odor. So, read the information that accompanies your medications carefully, then you can take the necessary precautions like blouses and shirts that have reinforced padding under the arms coupled with extra-strength, long-lasting deodorant.

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One of the things that stress or anxiety disorders cause is sweat that is chock full of odor-causing bacteria as opposed to “healthy” sweat caused by exercising. Regular sweat contains only 1% of the proteins that produce an odor as opposed to the nearly 20 percent of proteins caused by stress sweat. Work to reduce your stress-related sweat with impromptu breathing exercises when stress or anxiety occurs as well as regular yoga and meditation sessions.

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It seems like we should know this, but oftentimes women take their bra-washing for granted and don’t relate it to body odor. Most women experience some kind of sweating either under their boobs or arms throughout the day. This may dry by the time they arrive home and change into something more comfortable, but your bra has absorbed that excess sweat at some point through the day. Multiply this by days, weeks, and even months of sweat and you have a body odor disaster on your hands.

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It may be a fashion do, but it is a body odor don’t when you wear closed shoes without socks. Many women nowadays do not wear any nylons with their high heels. Wearing these all day, even during hot days when your feet sweat, leads to a lack of air to the sweat glands. Your feet will actually begin to absorb the smell of the leather itself coupled with bacteria and fungus that will begin to form. This will result in quite a nasty whiff of odor emanating from you the moment you remove your shoes no matter where you are and who is present.

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Women tend to be more self-conscious about their bodies during their menstrual cycle including the body odor that may result from the excretion of menstrual blood resulting in body odor. Taken extra precautions during this time can include using a body spray, changing protection more frequently, and using stronger deodorant.

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Consuming alcohol in copious amounts will eventually cause it to seep out of your pores and cause an obvious odor. Couple this with an excessive body sweat, and you will have body odor that most people can smell a mile away. Avoid excessive drinking which usually avoids the problem.

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Since body odor is caused by bacteria and fungus forming, it is not surprising that not taking proper care of your feet can lead to prolonged issues with body odor. If issues such as calluses, athlete’s foot, and if toe fungus is not properly treated, it will fester and inevitably lead to foot odor that cannot be masked until the problem is properly treated and eliminated. This includes exfoliating old, dead skin from your feet at least once a week while you take a shower.

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Magnesium as a mineral nutrient not only helps with strengthening our nails and keeping our hair thick and shiny, but it helps to reduce body odor that may occur. There are specific foods that can be consumed to increase magnesium including dark chocolate, cashews, and almonds.

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Not only do tight clothes contribute to excessive sweating by blocking the sweat glands and forcing them to overproduce, but certain materials have such as nylon, silk, polyester, and leather have the same effect. The warmer the day, the more sweat the material absorbs and traps in leading to excessive body odor. Wearing loose-fitting clothes and more breathable fabrics like cotton and linen will help with this issue.

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The spicier the diet, the more prone to body odor a person will most likely become. As foods like garlic, curry, and hot peppers are consumed and digested, the body breaks these down into gases that contain an excess of sulfur. This is emitted through the pores and ends up being body odor including halitosis, better known as bad breath. Avoiding these foods will eliminate body odor.

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Green, leafy vegetables act as a natural metabolizer for internal body odors from a diet that is full of spicy foods. So, if these type of body-odor causing foods are your favorites and you can’t quite give them up, then couple them with arugula, spinach, kale, and parsley that are natural body odor barriers.

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Cruciferous foods may be rich in vitamins A and C, but they are some of the biggest culprits when it comes to creating body odor. They can also cause digestive issues resulting in excessive flatulence, a form of external body odor. Some of the foods to avoid eating excessively from the cruciferous group are as follows:

• Bok Choy

• Broccoli

• Brussels Sprouts

• Cabbage

• Cauliflower

• Collard Greens

• Kohlrabi

• Mustard Greens

• Radish

• Rutabaga

• Turnip

Have you found other causes of body odor that you want to tell others about? Write about it here.

Our content is created to the best of our knowledge, yet it is of general nature and cannot in any way substitute an individual consultation with your doctor. Your health is important to us!