Body odor interferes with any fun and prevents social interactions. Understanding the causes of body odor will help you overcome this problem. Join APi to find out the causes of body odor and how to eliminate body odor in the following article!
1. What is body odor? What does body odor say?
What is body odor?
Before learning about the causes of body odor, let's learn about body odor and the "unstable" signs that accompany body odor!
Body odor is a type of odor emitted from the human body, but this type of odor makes yourself and others feel uncomfortable. Body odor is completely different from body scent - which is a pleasant scent.
Before puberty, body odor is not obvious. When an individual enters puberty, body odor begins to become stronger, especially when that person does not clean and care for their body properly.
Body odor is more evident in obese people, people who often eat spicy foods or strong-smelling foods (eg garlic, mustard, curry), etc.
In addition, some people with diabetes, hyperhidrosis (excessive sweating), etc. are also more susceptible to body odor.
Body odor often appears in some specific locations such as: Legs, armpits, groin, navel, behind the ears, genitals, anus and hairy locations. These locations need to be cleaned and cared for regularly if you want to limit body odor.
What does body odor say?
Body odor not only reflects that your body is not clean, but is also a sign that your body is really "unstable".
If your body smells fruity or sweet, you probably have diabetes. If your body has a strong odor, you should pay more attention to your digestive system because you may be facing intestinal obstruction.
Besides, a sour, slightly bitter body odor is a sign of liver disease. The body smell of rotten eggs (sulfuric smell) is a sign that you are experiencing indigestion because of eating too much meat. A fishy body odor is a symptom of Trimethylaminuria (or fish odor syndrome).
In addition, body odor also reflects that you are adopting an unhealthy lifestyle, improper body hygiene or an unreasonable diet .
>>> See more here: What does body odor say? Discover the secrets of body odor
2. Reveal the top 5 causes of body odor
Thus, body odor can be understood as the type of odor that causes discomfort emanating from the human body. Body odor is a sign of "unstable" health and unhealthy living and eating habits.
Identifying the exact cause of body odor will be the foundation to help you find a solution. So do you know what are the causes of body odor?
Bacterial activity when exposed to sweat
Sweat secreted by Apocrine sweat glands has a cooling and conditioning effect on the body. In essence, this type of sweat has no odor, so the conclusion that sweat causes body odor is inaccurate.
The main cause of body odor when sweating a lot is the activity of bacteria or fungi on the skin when they come into contact with sweat, sebum and oil secreted by Apocrine sweat glands.
Apocrine sweat glands are concentrated in the groin, armpit, etc. Bacteria are also concentrated in these areas in greater numbers, so it is not difficult to understand that these areas often have a stronger odor than other areas. .
In addition, body odor can also originate from "smelly hair" syndrome. Under certain conditions, sweating on the scalp will increase sharply. At that time, the activity of bacteria and fungi on the scalp will break down the structure of the fats in the glands, thereby causing body odor.
Anxiety and stress
When worried and stressed, the body automatically produces the hormone Cortisol to regulate many processes in the body and restore balance. Cortisol has the ability to stimulate the activity of sweat glands in the body. This causes more sweat to be secreted and when bacteria come into contact with it, it will cause the body to smell bad.
Improper diet
You may not know, some very familiar foods are the cause of body odor. So what types of foods are they? Please follow the 6 types of foods that easily cause body odor, which will be listed below!
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Food has a strong odor
Many familiar foods in the kitchen have very strong odors, such as garlic, onions, green onions, curry, etc. and some other spices. These foods and spices, when digested in the stomach, produce sulfur gas. The sulfur gas is then absorbed into the blood and excreted through the pores, thereby causing body odor.
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Convenience food
Processed foods are also a factor that makes body odor more "intense". You may not know that canned foods, sausages, sausages, smoked meats, etc. contain a very large amount of sugar, salt, hydrogenated oils, etc. These spices This taste, when digested in the stomach, will cause a putrid odor, making your breath smell bad.
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Dairy products
Dairy products (cheese, butter, etc.) are also on the list of foods that cause body odor. The reason is because they are rich in protein. When these products are digested in the stomach, methyl mercaptan and hydrogen sulfide are produced - gases that create bad odors on the body. Therefore, you should not abuse dairy products, especially on days with high temperatures.
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Fried foods
Fried foods contain a lot of fat and are often difficult to digest. If they are not digested quickly, they remain in the body for a long time and will gradually become rancid, not only affecting the digestive system but also making body odor worse. Therefore, limit your intake of fried foods and instead eat lots of green vegetables, which both limits body odor and is good for your health.
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Red meat
Unlike white meat, red meat takes a lot of time to digest. When they stay in the body for too long, they will go rancid, causing your body to smell.
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Foods rich in choline
Foods rich in choline (such as fish, eggs, liver, beans, etc.) although contain many nutrients, are the cause of body odor. Instead, you should eat foods low in choline such as: Cucumbers, radishes , tomatoes , watermelon, etc.
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Stimulant
In addition, overuse of stimulants (such as alcohol, other alcoholic products, etc.) is also a cause of unpleasant body odor.
>>> See more: What to eat to make your body smell good?
Certain diseases or medications
Body odor is a visible sign of certain diseases, or in other words, there are certain diseases that cause body odor. So what types of diseases are they?
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Diabetes
People with diabetes have high blood sugar levels. A sudden increase in blood sugar can easily lead to ketoacidosis. Ketoacidosis will cause your breath to smell sweet and fruity.
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Metabolic disorders in the body
This is a very rare medical condition because the cause is mainly genetic. Trimethylamine compound in the body of people with metabolic disorders will not be decomposed because it lacks the necessary enzyme. Therefore, the body is forced to eliminate it through the pores, causing the body to have an unpleasant fishy odor. This medical condition is also known as “fish smell syndrome”.
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The thyroid gland is not working normally
The thyroid gland plays an important role in metabolism. When the thyroid gland does not function normally, it will cause excessive sweating. Bacteria on the skin will break down proteins in sweat and cause body odor.
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Kidney problems
Kidney problems affect the ability to filter and excrete toxins from the body. Toxins that accumulate in the body over time will cause body odor.
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Hormonal changes
Strong fluctuations in hormones in the female body during the reproductive period or a decrease in estrogen secretion during premenopause are also causes of increased sweating, causing an unpleasant body odor.
In addition, some medications can also be the cause of body odor, such as: Antidepressants, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, codeine sulfate pain relievers, etc. causing sweating and creates unpleasant body odor.
Using antibacterial soap incorrectly
Proper body hygiene helps keep the body clean and prevents body odor. Most of you use antibacterial soap to clean and deodorize your body, especially the armpits and private areas.
However, many of you do not know that using antibacterial soap incorrectly does not help eliminate body odor, on the contrary, it will make body odor worse.
Antibacterial soap has cleaning properties and can cause dry skin. At that time, the body will secrete more sweat to moisturize the skin. Bacteria that come into contact with sweat on the skin will cause body odor.
3. Reveal the 6 most effective ways to eliminate body odor
Clean your body every day
Cleaning your body every day is the simplest and easiest way to deodorize your body. Bathing will help you remove dead cells, clean bacteria on the skin, and clean oil and dust from the skin. A clean, dry body will not have an unpleasant odor.
Bathing requires special attention on hot days. You need to pay attention to cleaning sensitive areas and don't forget to dry your body after bathing.
Besides, you need to pay attention to constantly changing clothes and socks to avoid bad odors from clothes and socks "sticking" to your body. Clothes and socks should be washed immediately after changing to avoid bacteria causing odors.
Use deodorant and body care products
Body odor mainly comes from the odor of the wings and bikini area. Therefore, you should use deodorant and body care products to eliminate odors in these areas and keep your skin dry.
However, you should use genuine products that are safe for your skin. If you are wondering which product to choose, please refer to the APi Underarm Lipstick product with ingredients such as Witch Hazel extract, Betel leaf extract and Licorice root extract that are skin-friendly and help deodorize. Prevents sweating, helps reduce dark spots, and effectively whitens skin.
Wear cool clothes, avoid tight clothes
You should use clothes made from light and airy materials, especially in the summer. Clothes made from cotton fabric are not only soft but also have good absorbency, helping to absorb sweat, keeping the body dry. Mesh fabric and chiffon fabric are also very good materials, both cool and fashionable.
In addition, you should limit wearing tight clothing, which causes the sensitive area to always be stuffy, hot and humid, not only causing body odor but also creating conditions for harmful bacteria and fungi to multiply. develop.
Change eating habits
To limit body odor, you should not regularly use foods that are spicy or have a strong odor. You should also stay away from stimulants and develop healthy eating habits.
Besides, combine a healthy diet with regular exercise habits to increase your body's resistance. Exercise and healthy eating habits help the body reduce sweating and prevent the growth of bacteria on the skin.
Shave or remove armpit hair
The hairy armpit area creates a hot and humid environment, favorable for bacteria to grow, so this area often has a "stronger" odor than other areas of the body. Furthermore, armpit hair also slows down the evaporation of sweat and body odor. Therefore, you should shave or remove armpit hair to help this area become drier.
Medical intervention
Some people with severe hyperhidrosis require armpit sweat gland surgery to prevent excessive sweat secretion in the armpit area. This medical intervention method only applies to people 18 years of age or older and in good health.
Above, the article has revealed to readers 5 causes of body odor , thereby revealing 6 ways to eliminate body odor that you can apply. Body odor makes ourselves and those around us feel uncomfortable. Therefore, you need to clearly understand the cause of body odor to take remedies. Read more articles on the topic of body odor in APi's Body Odor section!