Your daily habits make a big impact. Many habits you have are helpful, however some habits can lead to bad body odors. If you are struggling with body odor, try changing a few things and see if it improves.
Not Bathing
How often you should bathe is in part dependent on your lifestyle. You may need to shower more if you sweat or get dirty. Not showering can have some poor effects. Our skin has bacteria on it, both good and bad. Showering can help to increase the ratio of good bacteria on your skin which can help you stay healthy. Body odor is given off by the bacteria on the skin. The reason for bad body odor is the bacteria on the skin breaking down sweat into acid, which is why you will smell better if you shower regularly.
Eating a Poor Diet
A poor diet can contain compounds that do not smell good, which the body will excrete through sweat as well as your breath and your stools. Eating too many cruciferous vegetables can be a culprit. These contain sulfur, which smells like rotten eggs, and can cause skin bacteria to make more sulfur compounds. Spicy foods, like garlic and onion, have a high VOC concentration as well as sulfur. This can cause a bad odor when you sweat and bad breath. Eating too much meat and cheese can also cause bad breath. Eating a diet too high in carbohydrates has also been shown to affect body odor negatively.
Alcohol Intake
Alcohol is like a toxin to your body, so it wants to get rid of it. The liver can only metabolize a certain amount at a time, so it takes time for your body to flush the alcohol from your system. The body metabolizes alcohol and gets rid of it through urine, breathing, and sweat. One of the metabolites of alcohol breaking down, diabetic acid, smells like vinegar. The more alcohol you drink, the more this metabolite will be present and the more body odor you may have.
Not bathing, eating a poor diet, and alcohol intake can all contribute to a bad body odor. These are habits that may not be easy to change at first but can be very helpful in how you smell. If you do notice sudden changes in body odor that are unexplainable, it may be worthwhile to consult a physician.
Check out this article on common reasons you might have bad breath!
