Unpleasant body odor: 4 reasons why you smell bad

To understand what may cause strong body odor, it is important to first understand how it occurs. Dr., a dermatologist in New York. According to Joshua Zeichner, body odor “is caused by bacteria on the skin that break down sweat and release an unpleasant odor.” He notes that these bacteria “live on everyone and are considered part of our skin’s natural microbiome.” However, not all sweat is created equal because not all sweat contains bacteria that cause bad odor. How to find and eliminate the cause of unpleasant sweat smell, writes Yahoo Lifestyle.

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There are two types of sweat glands in our body: eccrine and apocrine. The watery sweat you see after an intense workout comes from your eccrine glands, which are found all over your body. The sweat of the eccrine glands is odorless.

Apocrine glands are located in the armpits and genital area, on the chest and even in the ears. “When sweat is produced in these glands, the odor comes not from the sweat itself, but from the breakdown of sweat proteins by bacteria,” says dermatologist Susan Massick. Apocrine glands begin to produce the chemicals that cause this odor after puberty. So what are the causes of bad body odor?

Personal hygiene

Lifestyle changes can have a big impact on body odor. This may seem obvious, but both Massick and Zeichner say personal hygiene is crucial when it comes to preventing odor. If you went to the gym and skipped the shower, the answer is obvious.

Massick says you can “minimize sweating by staying cool, avoiding overheating, and wearing loose, comfortable clothing that wicks moisture.” Deodorant will also help mask underarm odor, unlike antiperspirants that only target sweat. The dermatologist recommends hypoallergenic brands that do not irritate the skin.

Nutrition

You may be surprised, but diet can also be a factor in body odor. According to the Cleveland Clinic, some foods can affect your smell, such as:

• cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli and other kale;
• garlic;
• onion;
• spices such as cumin, paprika and paprika;
• Red meat;
• alcohol.

Massick adds that “high protein or keto diets may also be to blame” for worsening body odor. It has been found that your breath and urine smell like nail polish remover on the keto diet. This is caused by the process of converting fatty acids into chemicals called ketones, which is acetone, the same ingredient found in most nail polish removers.

Stress

If you’ve noticed that you’ve been smelling bad lately, consider whether you’re more stressed than usual. “Apocrine glands are often activated by stress,” says Zeichner. “Stress sweat is a real condition, and in some cases it can smell different than normal sweat due to the different composition of sweat produced by these glands.”

some diseases

If you ignored the above, the odor may be caused by a medical problem. As with severe cases of athlete’s foot, fungus on the skin can cause an unpleasant odor, says Zeichner. Other conditions that can cause body odor, according to Massick, include:

• Obesity.
• Liver disease.
• Thyroid disease.
• Kidney disease, which can cause an ammonia odor.
• Diabetic ketoacidosis, which can cause a fruity odor.
• Pregnancy and menopause, as well as hormonal fluctuations.
• Trimethylaminuria is a rare metabolic disease associated with enzyme deficiency that causes fishy odor.
• Taking certain medications, such as antidepressants.

If you are concerned, you should contact your doctor, who may order tests to find the true cause of the bad smell and rule out a medical problem.

Let us also remind you that the nutritionist said 5 products that will improve body odor.

Focus has previously written that we rarely pay attention to this, but body odor, and especially sweat, can indicate various problems in the human body.

This material is for informational purposes only and does not contain advice that may affect your health. If you are having problems, contact an expert.