How does our diet affect our body odour?

When we feel warm, we tend to sweat more to cool our bodies. Every drop of sweat that evaporates from our skin helps to lower our body temperature. However, this necessary process can sometimes have unpleasant side effects, including odour.

Everyone has a different body odour when they sweat: some people have a subtle odour, while for others it can be more pronounced.

Professor Johan Lundström from the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm has done extensive research into odours and aromas.

The smell of our sweat depends on several complex factors. It results from a combination of compounds released by different glands, partly influenced by our genes, the bacterial population in our bodies (influenced by factors such as cleanliness and genetics) and the environment (humidity, temperature, air quality and atmospheric pressure).

Even our diet can play a crucial role in our body odour. The foods we eat contain chemicals that can enter our bloodstream and then be excreted through our body odour.

For example, foods rich in sulphur, such as garlic and meat, can release odour compounds when metabolised.

So how do certain foods change our body odour?

Lundström explains that sweat is influenced by chemical compounds from our food that enter the bloodstream and are then excreted.

For example, the sulphur in garlic and meat is excreted as odour through sweat.

While there’s little research on specific foods that make sweat more attractive, some studies have identified trends.

An Australian study found that men who ate more fruit and vegetables had sweat that was perceived as more pleasant, while those who ate a high-carbohydrate diet had sweat that was more abundant and less attractive.

An another study, sweat from men on a meat-free diet was rated as more attractive than those on a meat-rich diet.

Moreover, research has shown that variations in female sweat were perceived differently by men based on their diet.

However, Lundström emphasizes that using deodorants and perfumes is more practical to improve body odour than making drastic dietary changes.

Additionally, he reminds us that olfactory preferences vary across countries and depend on the context in which the smell is perceived.

Ultimately, our natural body odour might even be attractive to a potential partner, as it could be an indicator of compatibility.

So, if you aim to enhance your body odour, it’s essential to consider various factors, including diet, while keeping in mind that simple solutions like deodorants and perfumes remain effective.