How a Proper Diet Can Make You Smell Good

Do you smell good even without using your favorite cologne? Your natural scent reflects your personal grooming habits and lifestyle. Aside from showering regularly, maintaining a proper diet can help improve your scent and reduce body odor. It helps you stay fresh even when you sweat, especially during an intense workout session or a long day of traveling. Want to smell better and boost your pogi points? Read on to know more about what you should and shouldn’t be eating.

Eating spicy food can cause body odor. Spices like chili have the chemical compound capsaicin, which triggers nerves to make your body feel warmer, so you perspire to cool down. The more sweat you produce, the higher the risk of body odor, which occurs when perspiration comes into contact with bacteria on your skin.

It is easier said than done, but if you want to keep your natural scent pleasant, you’ve got to make a sacrifice. A proper diet in terms of minimizing body odor includes more fruits and vegetables and less meat. A journal by Oxford Academic revealed that men on non-meat diets tend to have less intense smelling sweat than those on meat diets. Researchers believe that the fatty acids in meat can cause body odor when released through the pores.

How you smell the morning after a night of drinking isn’t one of your best – and it can overstay its welcome if you don’t decrease your alcohol intake. When you have a shot of tequila, your body metabolizes it into acetate or acetic acid, a pungent substance commonly found in vinegar. Frequent alcohol drinking increases the concentration of acetic acid in your sweat, giving it a strong vinegar-like smell and worsening BO. 

It’s no secret that water is good for the body. When dehydrated, your body can't release toxins through sweat, trapping them inside. The accumulation of bacteria leads to an unpleasant odor, especially in the armpits and groin areas. Some signs of dehydration include dark-colored pee, feeling lightheaded, and tiredness.

Aside from drinking water, you can load up on caffeine-free tea, like chamomile and peppermint, and eat water-rich foods such as cucumber, watermelons, apples, peaches, lettuce, and celery.

Citrus fruits are part of a proper diet for a reason. They don't just improve immunity – they’re also perfect for keeping body odor away. Oranges, grapefruits, lemons, and pineapples have citric acid, which helps flush out the toxins that cause body odor. If you’re too full for fruit, infuse your water with a few slices of lemon to reap the same benefits.

Finally, don’t neglect your personal hygiene. Aside from showering daily, use a bodyspray that keeps BO at bay. AXE Bodyspray Dark Temptation gives you 48 hours of odor protection and leaves a decadent chocolate scent with notes of musk, vanilla, pear, coriander, ginger, and basil. You can also choose from five other Axe variants, each with a unique personality to match your different moods.

Paying attention to the food you eat can help you smell good. Maintain a proper diet, keeping in mind foods to avoid, and build your confidence knowing that you always smell fresh even when you sweat.