If you shower daily and still notice a lingering funk after dinner, the problem may not be your deodorant. It may be what you ate. Body odor is often blamed on skipping hygiene steps, but experts say the foods you choose can push distinct scents through your pores for hours after a meal.
Dietitians and major personal-care brands including Dove and Degree agree that what goes into your gut can shape what rises off your skin. Here is how the process works, which foods tend to be the biggest culprits and what you can realistically do about it starting today.
How Food Changes the Way You Smell
“Some foods impact body odor more than others,” New Jersey-based dietitian Erin Palinski-Wade told Fox News Digital.
The Dove website explains that when you eat, your body breaks down the food and the byproducts travel through the bloodstream, escaping through sweat. Once that sweat hits the skin, bacteria go to work on it and odor forms. Gut bacteria also produce chemicals as they digest meals, and some of those chemicals leave the body through the pores.
A diet rich in fruits may actually help keep your natural scent fresher, according to Dove, a useful reminder for anyone building a produce-forward eating pattern.
Why Garlic and Onions Are the Usual Suspects
Garlic and onions earn their reputation because of their chemistry. Dove says both “contain sulfur compounds that circulate through the body and are released through breath and sweat.”
Registered dietitian nutritionist Sandy Wolner of Pampered Chef told Men’s Health that “These foods are rich in sulfur-containing compounds.” Wolner added, “When the compounds are absorbed into the bloodstream, they will come back out through the lungs, producing the bad breath. They can even come out of your pores causing B.O.”
That is why a late-night slice of garlic bread or raw onions on a burger can keep announcing themselves long after you brush your teeth.
Why Two People Can Eat the Same Meal and Smell Different
Reactions vary from person to person. Erica Matluck, a One Medical Group provider, told VICE that the connection between food and body odor is a multi-step process. It starts with the food’s own chemistry and then depends on how your body breaks it down.
Matluck said people have different levels of the enzymes needed to process certain foods, and some lack specific enzymes altogether. Genetics also shape the mix of bacteria that live on the skin, which is where the final odor reaction actually happens.
Spicy meals can play a similar role. “Some spicy foods are known to increase body odor due to their sulfur-containing compounds and specific metabolites,” Palinski-Wade said. “When they are released, they interact with skin bacteria, resulting in specific odors.”
Seafood works differently. A fishy smell after eating fish is often tied to trimethylaminuria, a metabolic disorder in which the body cannot break down trimethylamine, according to Ohio State University Health & Discovery. The condition is rare and is diagnosed with a urine test.
How to Cut Down on Body Odor
Palinski-Wade suggested cutting sulfur-rich foods, trimming red meat and very spicy meals while drinking more water and eating more fruits and vegetables, a shift that lines up with everyday healthy eating goals.
Hygiene still matters most. Cleveland Clinic says the most effective prevention is a consistent and thorough bathing routine with regular showers and antibacterial soap focused on areas where apocrine glands sit, like the groin and armpits. Washing towels and bathrobes often also helps. If garlic or onions regularly leave you smelling off, Cleveland Clinic suggests using them sparingly or swapping in herbs and spices.
Degree notes that a sudden shift in how you smell can occasionally signal something bigger, such as hyperhidrosis, diabetes or kidney problems, and may be worth raising with a healthcare professional.
This article was created by content specialists using various tools, including AI.
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Samantha Agate is a content specialist working with McClatchy Media’s Trend Hunter and national content specialists team.
