Get Rid Of That Odour
Body odour, also known as bromhidrosis, is the unpleasant smell that can occur when you sweat. The sweat itself doesn't smell. The unpleasant odour is produced by bacteria on the skin that break down the sweat into acids.
Sweat glands
There are 3-4 million sweat glands on the human body. The two types of sweat gland are:
Eccrine glands – which are spread across the skin and regulate body temperature by cooling the skin with sweat when you get hot.
Apocrine glands – which are mainly found in hairy areas of the body, such as the armpits and genital area; apocrine glands develop during puberty and release scented chemicals called pheromones.
Sweat produced by the eccrine glands is usually odourless, although it can smell if bacteria start to break it down. It can also take on an offensive odour if you consume certain food and drink, such as garlic, spices and alcohol, as well as some types of medication, such as antidepressants.
However, it's the apocrine glands that are mainly responsible for body odour, because the sweat they produce contains high levels of protein, which bacteria find easy to break down.
People who sweat excessively from their apocrine glands, or have a lot of bacteria on their skin, tend to have worse body odour.
Who gets body odour?
Anyone who has reached puberty (when the apocrine sweat glands develop) can produce body odour. Men are more likely to have body odour, because they tend to sweat more than women. Things that can make body odour worse include:
- Being overweight,
- Eating rich or spicy foods,
- Certain medical conditions, such as diabetes.
Get rid of it
Although, there are countless deodorants and products to blend and neutralize body odour, not all of them are healthy. Many of them clog your sweat glands, not allowing them to perform one of their main functions – getting rid of bodily toxins. While sweat in itself is odourless, when your body’s processes malfunction it’s your sweat glands that tend to body odour issues. What can you do to stop body odour from becoming a problem for you? The solution begins with the right food.
Dietary habits that may result in body odour:
Red meat intake without adequate attention to vegetables, fruits and cereals is a primary cause of body odour. This does not mean that someone who consumes a lot of red meat smells bad. As with everything else, moderation is the answer. Excessive red meat intake in the absence of a well balanced diet can wreak havoc with your body’s digestive functions. A well-rounded, balanced meal is crucial to avoid body odour worries through over-the-top red meat consumption.
An overdose of processed foods results in impaired digestion as well. Foods lacking fiber and made with refined white flour and sugar, hydrogenated oils and other heavily processed ingredients are also big culprits. While your body is accustomed to taking care of and controlling toxins, too much processed food ends up burdening your digestive system, and could lead to a toxin build up.
If you think that a vegetarian has it better, think again. Though many nutrients found in plants help cleanse your body from the inside, many vegetarians do not eat a healthy diet and consume a lot of processed food. If you’re a vegetarian who eats a lot of fried, oily, packaged and salty foods, then your chances of developing body odour issues are just as high.
So what can you do to improve your diet in order to deal with body odour?
When you eliminate heavily refined food from your diet and shift to a 100% healthful diet made of whole grains, massive quantities of leafy vegetables, fresh fruits, soy products, greens, lots of sprouts, white meat, raw nuts and seeds, and healthy oils, body odour will all but disappear in a matter of weeks. Some of the best foods to fight body odour are parsley, cilantro, celery and all mint species. Aromatic herbs such as sage, rosemary, thyme, and oregano are also helpful. If a person doesn’t manage fighting body odour despite a healthy diet, the problem might be more severe, and could require the attention of a doctor.
Another way to avoid getting body odour is to keep areas of your body that are prone to sweating clean and free of bacteria. Use soap to wash every day, paying particular attention to the areas that produce the most sweat, such as your armpits, genital area and feet. Washing removes sweat and reduces the number of bacteria on your skin. Changing and washing your clothes regularly will also help.
Using an antiperspirant or deodorant daily will help prevent body odour. Antiperspirants work by reducing the amount of sweat your body produces. Deodorants use perfume to mask the smell of sweat.
Regularly shaving your armpits can also help reduce body odour. The hair in your armpits trap sweat and odour, providing ideal conditions for bacteria to multiply.
In very severe cases of body odour, surgery or treatment with botulinum toxin may be possible options.
Sweat glands
There are 3-4 million sweat glands on the human body. The two types of sweat gland are:
Eccrine glands – which are spread across the skin and regulate body temperature by cooling the skin with sweat when you get hot.
Apocrine glands – which are mainly found in hairy areas of the body, such as the armpits and genital area; apocrine glands develop during puberty and release scented chemicals called pheromones.
Sweat produced by the eccrine glands is usually odourless, although it can smell if bacteria start to break it down. It can also take on an offensive odour if you consume certain food and drink, such as garlic, spices and alcohol, as well as some types of medication, such as antidepressants.
However, it's the apocrine glands that are mainly responsible for body odour, because the sweat they produce contains high levels of protein, which bacteria find easy to break down.
People who sweat excessively from their apocrine glands, or have a lot of bacteria on their skin, tend to have worse body odour.
Who gets body odour?
Anyone who has reached puberty (when the apocrine sweat glands develop) can produce body odour. Men are more likely to have body odour, because they tend to sweat more than women. Things that can make body odour worse include:
- Being overweight,
- Eating rich or spicy foods,
- Certain medical conditions, such as diabetes.
Get rid of it
Although, there are countless deodorants and products to blend and neutralize body odour, not all of them are healthy. Many of them clog your sweat glands, not allowing them to perform one of their main functions – getting rid of bodily toxins. While sweat in itself is odourless, when your body’s processes malfunction it’s your sweat glands that tend to body odour issues. What can you do to stop body odour from becoming a problem for you? The solution begins with the right food.
Dietary habits that may result in body odour:
Red meat intake without adequate attention to vegetables, fruits and cereals is a primary cause of body odour. This does not mean that someone who consumes a lot of red meat smells bad. As with everything else, moderation is the answer. Excessive red meat intake in the absence of a well balanced diet can wreak havoc with your body’s digestive functions. A well-rounded, balanced meal is crucial to avoid body odour worries through over-the-top red meat consumption.
An overdose of processed foods results in impaired digestion as well. Foods lacking fiber and made with refined white flour and sugar, hydrogenated oils and other heavily processed ingredients are also big culprits. While your body is accustomed to taking care of and controlling toxins, too much processed food ends up burdening your digestive system, and could lead to a toxin build up.
If you think that a vegetarian has it better, think again. Though many nutrients found in plants help cleanse your body from the inside, many vegetarians do not eat a healthy diet and consume a lot of processed food. If you’re a vegetarian who eats a lot of fried, oily, packaged and salty foods, then your chances of developing body odour issues are just as high.
So what can you do to improve your diet in order to deal with body odour?
When you eliminate heavily refined food from your diet and shift to a 100% healthful diet made of whole grains, massive quantities of leafy vegetables, fresh fruits, soy products, greens, lots of sprouts, white meat, raw nuts and seeds, and healthy oils, body odour will all but disappear in a matter of weeks. Some of the best foods to fight body odour are parsley, cilantro, celery and all mint species. Aromatic herbs such as sage, rosemary, thyme, and oregano are also helpful. If a person doesn’t manage fighting body odour despite a healthy diet, the problem might be more severe, and could require the attention of a doctor.
Using an antiperspirant or deodorant daily will help prevent body odour. Antiperspirants work by reducing the amount of sweat your body produces. Deodorants use perfume to mask the smell of sweat.
Regularly shaving your armpits can also help reduce body odour. The hair in your armpits trap sweat and odour, providing ideal conditions for bacteria to multiply.
In very severe cases of body odour, surgery or treatment with botulinum toxin may be possible options.
Culled and edited. Images: Google
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