Understanding the role of cholesterol in your diet
We’ve all heard that people “can smell fear,” and it turns out you can indeed! A study analyzed odor samples from two groups of women, who watched either a horror movie or a neutral film.
You smell better as you get older. The older we get, the less intense our odor gets. It seems that the "old-people smell" is probably related to external factors, rather than personal BO.
Sources: (Health Digest) (Cleveland Clinic) (Prevention) (BBC) (HuffPost) (WebMD) (Chemical Senses) (Evolution and Human Behavior) (Mayo Clinic) (Men's Health) (Healthline) (American Journal of Political Science) (Vox) (Applied and Environmental Microbiology) (Neuro Endocrinology Letters) (Nature)
See also: Stars with questionable personal hygiene
The hormone we release when we’re under stress, cortisol, is believed to have an impact on this, but a direct correlation hasn’t been confirmed. According to the study, “a hypothetical fear pheromone could have other origins.”
What if the smell is actually something that only the person who's doing the smelling detects? A chemical called androstenone, which is present in male sweat, does not actually smell the same to everyone.
This rare genetic disorder can really make you smell like fish. This is because people who suffer from this condition are unable to completely digest certain foods, and this leads to the buildup of certain chemicals.
The analysis found that the t-shirts made of polyester allowed for more odor-producing bacteria to proliferate when compared to cotton t-shirts and “smelled significantly less pleasant and more intense.”
Fabric can have an impact on how bacteria can develop and consequently make you smell when you sweat. A study analyzed the t-shirts (some made of cotton and some made of polyester) of 26 individuals after a bicycle spinning session, which were then incubated for 28 hrs before being analyzed.
Treatment for this condition, also known as "fish odor syndrome," includes avoiding certain foods and even taking antibiotics to fight off the bacteria as a way to prevent it from producing the odor-causing chemicals.
A study found that a gene actually greatly affects androstenone perception. Some people found it to smell like urine, while others perceive it as smelling like vanilla, or having no smell whatsoever.
A study comprising two control groups, each with either liberal or conservative beliefs, found that people rated the body odor of those with the same political beliefs as more attractive.
This is because you are more likely to breathe through the mouth, which consequently facilitates the breeding of halitosis-causing bacteria.
The samples of those who watched the horror movie were rated as more “aggressive,” intense, and less pleasant, overall, when compared to the odor samples of the women who watched the neutral movie.
One person described the odor of someone with the same political views as "the best perfume,” while another one described the BO of a person with opposed political beliefs as "gone rancid."
Yes, excessive earwax can smell, though a foul odor is usually a sign of a blockage or indeed an infection—both of which can be treated.
Sleep apnea is essentially when you stop breathing during sleep. In addition to affecting the quality of sleep, the condition can also cause bad morning breath.
This is a bacterial infection which usually affects the armpits and other areas where body hair grows, such as the groin. This condition is usually painless, but can produce discolored sweat and indeed a strong odor.
These glands get more active when we’re stressed, and bacteria interacting with the sweat can indeed produce chemicals that make us smell.
Interestingly, this BO might have served a purpose in our evolution as a species. Humans “may have evolved to produce this odor during stressful situations as a way to ward off predators," according to Men's Health.
Having a condition such as diabetes can have an impact on your breath. “Acetone breath” is caused by diabetic ketoacidosis, which is when the body starts producing blood acids called ketones.
Cruciferous vegetables are very rich nutritionally, so eliminating them from your diet might not be a great idea. Pre-boiling them in salty water before cooking them might help neutralize the chemicals that cause a bad odor.
Does stress make you stink? Well, it might. One type of sweat glands that we have on our bodies, called the apocrine glands (located where body hair grows, e.g. armpits), can indeed contribute to an intense BO.
This is quite a serious warning sign that the body is starting to run out of insulin, so if you suffer from diabetes and notice your breath has a fruity, acetone-like scent, seek medical assistance immediately.
In 2017, another study conducted by Evolution and Human Behavior had similar results. "Women basically found that men who ate more vegetables smelled nicer," said study author Ian Stephan.
Eating too much meat can also have an impact on the way you smell. The body odor of two control groups of men (where one ate meat and the other one didn’t) was analyzed by a group of women. The non-meat eaters were rated "significantly more attractive, more pleasant, and less intense."
Apparently there is a way to neutralize garlic breath. You can do so by eating raw apples alongside it. Mint and lettuce may also help.
These release sulfur-like chemical compounds when digested, which will then be released through your pores and breath.
Broccoli, cauliflower, and cabbage can also affect your BO. They too have sulfur-containing chemicals which are then released through your pores.
Treatment usually includes keeping the area clean and dry, shaving off the hair (which is being destroyed by the bacteria), and using topical antibiotic creams (sometimes oral ones are also needed).
Another possible culprit is cholesteatoma, which is essentially a benign skin growth that usually appears behind the eardrum and can cause smelly ear wax.
Hot peppers contain capsaicin, which is the chemical that actually makes you feel hot. The culprit though, is usually garlic and onion used in these dishes.
No one likes to smell bad, right? Sure, sometimes we make hygiene mistakes without even realizing what we're doing, but most of us try our best to stay fresh and clean. Many of us are also aware that basic personal hygiene and certain foods have an impact on our body odor and breath, but it gets much more complex than that. It turns out, some conditions, as well as emotions, and even political views, can influence our scent.
Click through the following gallery to learn all about the things you don't realize are making you smell bad.
Lesser-known factors that affect how you smell
from vegetables to earwax
HEALTH Body odor
No one likes to smell bad, right? Sure, sometimes we make hygiene mistakes without even realizing what we're doing, but most of us try our best to stay fresh and clean. Many of us are also aware that basic personal hygiene and certain foods have an impact on our body odor and breath, but it gets much more complex than that. It turns out, some conditions, as well as emotions, and even political views, can influence our scent.
Click through the following gallery to learn all about the things you don't realize are making you smell bad.