When most people think about body odor, they think about soaps, deodorants, fragrances, etc. The impact of our diet on body odor is often overlooked.

Foods That May Worsen Body Odor

• Foods that contain compounds that can cause unpleasant smells or impact skin pH and microbiome.
  • Garlic and Onions - these contain "allyl methyl sulfide," which is a sulfur-rich food that causes a strong, lingering body odor
  • Eggs and Fish - foods such as eggs and fish, which are high in choline can result in a fishy smell in certain individuals who convert choline into trimethylamine
  • Alcohol - when alcohol gets metabolized by the body, it release acetaldehyde, which results in a sour or stale odor
  • Red Meat - for some people, red meat can be hard to digest that moves slowly through the gut, which creates a foul-smelling odor 
• Foods that make you sweat
  • Spicy foods, like hot peppers, stimulate the sweat glands causing an increase in perspiration
  • Even "nasal" hot foods like wasabi or horseradish can increase sweating by interacting with nerve receptors 

Foods That May Improve Body Odor

• Leafy Greens - leafy greens are rich in chlorophyll, which has been shown to be deodorizing
• Zinc - zinc deficiency has been correlated with an increase in body odor; therefore, eating zinc-rich foods such as pumpkin seeds, cashews, or chickpeas may improve body odor and support healthy skin
• Water - staying well-hydrated dilutes the concentration of odor-causing compounds and supports detoxification of odor-causing compounds through the urine
• Citrus - citrus may alter your body's scent and make it smell fresher
• Probiotics - probiotics in fermented dairy or fermented vegetables can reduce body odor by altering the gut microbiome

Supplementation

The pharmacy team here at Undefined Health developed DeoCaps, which is an oral capsule designed to reduce body odor. It contains:

• Chlorophyllin, which is a semi-synthetic derivative of chlorophyll
  • 1 capsule contains 100mg of chlorophyllin; whereas, 1 cup of most leafy greens contains only 5-15mg of chlorophyll
• Zinc - helps to address any potential zinc deficiency and supports skin health
• Sage - supports normal sweat gland activity
• Magnesium - helps maintain body pH, which prevents the growth of odor-causing bacteria