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Some people with body odor suffer from severe problems in their personal and social relationships, as well as wrecked promotion prospects at work, educational under- achievement because of teasing and bullying along with enormous degrees of stress.
Feelings of shame, embarrassment, low self-esteem, isolation, frustration, anxiety and depression are extremely common where Body Odor is present.
Certainly the answer does not lie in antiperspirant and deodorant sprays which at best only mask the problem, although safe forms of these might well prove useful in the short-term.
Body Odor Causes and Solutions
The reason why some people smell offensively can have various causes:
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When Body Odor is simply a result of inadequate bathing (and/or cleaning/washing of clothes) the solutions are equally simple - better hygiene, regular bathing/showering as well as the regular washing of clothes - which should ideally always be of natural fiber such as cotton. |
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Much Body Odor is caused by skin bacterial activity on sweat which has dried on the skin - and this makes people who sweat excessively more likely to be affected. In some people (the excitable 'greyhound/racehorse' types) the sympathetic aspect of the nervous system is dominant and they tend to sweat more, whereas in others (the calmer 'bulldog/carthorse' type) the parasympathetic aspect dominates and they tend to stay calmer. So keeping stress levels low is important for people who sweat a lot. |
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In women menstruation and stress often dramatically increases the degree of body odor experienced and careful attention to personal hygiene and dietary excellence is called for.
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The efficiency or otherwise of our internal detoxification processes are commonly affected by nutrient imbalances - for example the micro-element zinc has been reported as being deficient in people with body odor.
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Body Odor is sometimes associated with specific health problems including liver dysfunction, diabetes, digestive problems (parasites etc) and yeast infections and these conditions require professional attention and advice. |
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Some people with body odor have imbalances affecting the 'friendly bacteria' which live inside all of our digestive systems. If these vital micro-organisms are unbalanced through use of medication (antibiotics and steroids in particular) or not healthy diet (high fat, high sugar, high red-meat, low fiber diet) –special attention should be paid to healthy diet and limitation of medication (as much as possible). |
Anyone with Body Odor should supplement daily with good quality Lactobacillus acidophilus and Bifidobacteria in order to boost their intestinal flora quality.
In addition detoxification via a one day juice or water or fruit only day, two or three times a month (all day Saturday for example) is a useful strategy (but not for people on prescription medication, diabetics or people with eating disorders without supervision by a qualified health care professional).
A balanced diet includes ideally 20% of protein (fish, poultry or vegetarian combinations of pulses and grains), 20% of oils and fats (avoiding animal fats as much as possible) with the balance from vegetables, fruit, pulses and grains.
This should be supported by a daily high potency multivitamin /multimineral supplement.
Some people (about 7% of people complaining of body odor) do not completely digest particular foods because of in-born enzyme deficiencies, or due to acquired digestive problems, and this leads to a body odor in which a strong 'fishy' smell is noted -especially
around period time (or when the contraceptive pill is being used). The substance which causes this smell is called trimethylamine.
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For people with this particular "fishy odor" form of Body Odor the following foods which are rich in lecithin or choline or carnitine/lysine should be avoided or kept to a small part of the daily diet. These include: chocolate, peanuts, nuts, raisins, cereals, eggs, Soya products, corn, wheatgerm.
Instead of these there needs to be greater emphasis on eating vegetables, rice and fruit - with fish or poultry as protein sources for non-vegetarians.
Although true 'Fish Odor Syndrome' is probably the worst sort of Body Odor - it fortunately affects a relatively small number of people - and the strategies outlined above can usually deal with its worst aspects.
Preventing Body Odor
Daily baths will prevent body odor, obviously. If you do suffer from hyperhidrosis (intensive sweating), taking more than one shower a day will help. Moisturizing body washes leave a pleasant smell, but sometimes leave people feeling sticky, especially if they have hard water.
Powdering after showers will prevent excessive perspiration. Some people like to pat themselves down with an absorbent like talcum powder. Don't use stuff like baking soda.
Make sure it's safe for your skin and not too basic on the PH scale. Use under armpits, folds of skin, anywhere on your body moisture tends to accumulate.
Watching what you eat will help you control body odor. Apparently, eating a lot of meat causes more bad smells than eating fruits and vegetables. Onions and garlic should be avoided as well. Coffee or any substance that contains caffeine will cause unnatural amounts of perspiration, too..
Certain fabrics help prevent body odor. Fabrics like cotton, wool, and silk, which breathe naturally, help to keep your body dry. Cotton, particularly, tends to absorb moisture pretty well, but make sure you do your laundry often-this includes bedding as well.
Relaxation will inhibit excessive perspiration. Breathing techniques, yoga, hobbies - anything to get your mind off of work and other stressful situations will be better for your health and your smelly armpits.
Discover Natural Remedies for ilimination of unpleasant Body Odor - on next page.
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