Noticing a foul odor on yourself isn’t the best feeling. But hey, you are human, you have sweat glands, it happens. Your body’s got two main sweat glands: eccrine and apocrine. Eccrine glands are the all-over, keep-you-cool type, while apocrine glands hang out in your armpits and groin, producing a thicker, milky sweat. The interesting part is that sweat itself doesn’t have a smell. It only gets pungent when bacteria come into contact with the sweat your apocrine glands release. And if you are what you eat, that also defines how you smell. So, if you want to know what’s really behind those funky smells, here are 14 foods that could be the culprits.
1. Garlic
Garlic is notorious for making it evident that you ate it, and it goes beyond foul breath. When broken down, garlic produces sulfur compounds that can linger in your sweat and create a pungent odor that seeps through your pores. The good thing is you’ll definitely be safe from vampires.
2. Onions
Just like their cousin, garlic, onions have the same sulfur compounds that are absorbed into your bloodstream and later expelled through your sweat glands which ultimately leaves you with both nasty breath and a body odor that’s hard to ignore.
3. Red Meat
If you are a fan of a good steak dinner, you probably should know that it might make you sweat out eau de beef. Red meat is an unusual contributor to body odor, mostly because of how your body processes it.
When you eat red meat, odorless proteins are released through your sweat. However, when these proteins come into contact with bacteria on your skin, they produce a noticeable and sometimes unpleasant odor.
The slow digestion of red meat also means the smell can persist.
4. Broccoli
While packed with nutrients and super healthy, broccoli can lead to an off-putting body odor. As a cruciferous vegetable, it’s high in sulfur, which can contribute to a distinct odor when broken down by your digestive system. The high fiber content in broccoli also means it ferments in your gut and leads to gas. So yes, it can make you stinky and gassy, but that’s not a good enough reason to skip it for dinner.
5. Cabbage
Another member of the cruciferous vegetable family, cabbage, breaks down into hydrogen sulfide when digested. This compound gives off a smell similar to rotten eggs. This gas can escape through your pores, leading to a noticeable and somewhat funky body odor.
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6. Brussels Sprouts
You know how cooking Brussels sprouts always stinks up your kitchen? Well, sadly, these little green orbs, which are a great source of protein, can have the same effect on your body. They are rich in sulfur-containing compounds, which can turn into a rather horrid stink that seeps through your pores after digestion.
7. Asparagus
Asparagus is well-known for making urine smell funny, but it turns out it can also contribute to body odor. The sulfuric compounds produced during the digestion of asparagus are not just excreted in urine but can also be released through your skin.
8. Eggs
When digested, eggs release compounds that can lead to foul-smelling gas. In some people with a genetic condition called trimethylaminuria, the protein in eggs can cause the body to emit a fishy odor.
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9. Fish
Fish, while healthy and rich in omega-3 fatty acids, can sometimes lead to a strong body odor, particularly for those with the rare metabolic disorder trimethylaminuria. This condition prevents the body from breaking down certain proteins in fish, resulting in a well… fishy smell that can be released through sweat, urine, and breath.
10. Lentils
Lentils are high in fiber and great for digestion but come with a smelly side effects. When broken down, lentils activate gut bacteria, which can cause gas and bloating. This excess gas when is combined with the fermentation process in your intestines, can result in a noticeable body odor that might make you think twice about your portion size.
11. Curry
Curry might taste exceptional and smell even better when it’s cooking, but it leaves its mark on your body odor too. Curry is made with a lot of spices, including cumin and turmeric, which can make you sweat — and when you do, you smell a bit … ripe. But hey, for a good curry, it’s totally worth it. Who needs friends and a social life, after all?
12. Beets
While beets are healthy and packed with nutrients, they are also high in methyl compounds, which, when broken down in the digestive system, can create chemical compounds that emit an odor you cannot beet.
13. Dairy
Dairy products, especially those high in fat, can be excreted through your sweat, leading to an odor. The fat in dairy is broken down and digested by bacteria on your skin, which can cause a strong body odor.
14. Fried Food
Same as dairy, fried foods are high in fats and oils and take a long time to break down. As they sit in your stomach, they can turn rancid, resulting in bad breath, stinky burps, and flatulence.
