We know that when we are hot, we sweat more. It’s our body’s way of keeping cool: every drop of sweat that evaporates from our skin helps lower our temperature.
But as necessary as it is, this process sometimes comes with unpleasant side effects.
Yes, we’re talking about odor.
Everyone smells differently when they sweat: some people barely give off any trace of odor, while in others it can be overpowering.
Professor Johan Lundström of the Karolinska Institutet in Stockholm has conducted a great deal of research on odors and smells.
He points out that the odor of our sweat depends on many different variables.
“Our body odors originate from a combination of compounds excreted by different glands, which depends in part on our genes, our body’s bacterial population (which is due to things like cleanliness and genetics) and the environment (humidity, temperature, air and pressure).
“And finally, what we eat can also have an important role to play.”
So, along with more obvious factors like genetics and how clean we are, the food we put into our bodies can play a key role in how our sweat smells.
Food that changes our body odor
We don’t know to what extent food affects the odor we emit when we sweat.
“As far as I know, this has not been formally evaluated,” says Lundström.
But we do know which foods are most likely to influence odor.
“Individuals who eat a lot of meat tend to generally smell ‘worse’ than those with a mainly plant-based diet.
“Also, as is obvious to most, someone who loves to eat garlic will probably have a stronger odor in sweat,” the expert points out.
Asparagus and various spices can also influence our natural aroma. But what is it about these specific ingredients that make them capable of changing our sweat?
“Basically, they tend to contain chemicals that fuse with the bloodstream. From there, they are secreted to the outside.
“Most of the things that enter the bloodstream are excreted in one form or another through our body odor.”
So, for example, garlic and meat are rich in sulfur, which, once consumed, exits through various channels, including sweat.
And for a more attractive smell?
While there is little research on specific foods that will make your sweat smell sweeter, some studies show which diets are most likely to result in a more “attractive” sweat odor.
One such experiment took place at Macquarie University in Australia.
The 43 male participants washed only with water before putting on cotton T-shirts (no deodorant was allowed).
They kept the shirts on for 48 hours, including an hour of exercise to stimulate sweat glands, before sending them off for a sniff test.
The result?
Men who had a higher intake of fruits and vegetables were “significantly associated with more pleasant-smelling sweat (with more floral, fruity, sweet, and medicinal qualities), regardless of sweat intensity.”
Those who had eaten fat, meat, egg and tofu also fared well.
However, those with a higher carbohydrate intake were said to have a ‘stronger and less pleasant sweat’.
In another study on the attractiveness of men’s sweat, 17 men followed either a diet rich in red meat or one that contained no meat at all. Sweat samples were then collected after two weeks.
One month later, they repeated the experiment and all participants switched to the alternative diet.
Finally, a group of 30 women evaluated the sweat in terms of how pleasant, attractive and masculine it was.
The men’s sweat was consistently found to be more pleasant when they had been following the meatless diet.
“Donors’ odor when they were on the meat-free diet was found to be significantly more attractive, more pleasant, and less intense. This indicates that red meat consumption has a negative impact on the hedonicity of perceived body odor.”
As is often the case in scientific studies, there is much less research involving female participants.
However, one small study highlighted that when the sweat of three women was analyzed before, during and after “full calorie restriction,” the men found that the women’s sweat was more favorable once they had started eating again and less pleasurable during the time of calorie restriction.
So is it worth changing your diet to improve your body odor?
Instead of eating specific foods to try to improve it, Lundström says logically, it’s “easier to use deodorants and perfumes.”
He’s also keen to point out that even if you’re particularly “smelly,” it may not always be perceived as a bad thing.
“There are differences between countries with respect to what body odors are accepted or not. And even more variation comes from the context in which body odor is perceived.
“For example, body odor in a gym or in bed with someone you love is perceived very differently than if the same odor is experienced in a context where cleanliness is especially valued, such as when you are sitting next to a stranger on a bus.
“Besides, a potential partner will like your natural body odor!”.
In fact, that’s one way to assess your compatibility with someone.