Have you ever wondered why you smell the way you do? Each person has a unique body odor ? like a scent fingerprint ? that quietly influences one’s attraction to another. This personal aroma is shaped by genetics, hormones, mood, and even personality. Though we can’t do much about those, one major factor we can actually control is diet. What you eat can change how you smell to others and how appealing that scent is.
Garlic, for instance, might make your breath reek, but it could also make your sweat smell more pleasant. In one study, women rated men who ate plenty of garlic as having a more attractive and masculine scent than those who didn’t. Researchers think garlic’s antioxidants subtly boost body chemistry in a way others find appealing.
Asparagus has the opposite effect. It contains asparagusic acid, which breaks down into sulfur compounds that make sweat and urine smell especially strong. These chemicals disperse quickly, making the odor noticeable for hours. However, not everyone produces or can detect this scent, leading scientists to believe genetics may play a role.
There may be some exceptions, but fruits and vegetables make people smell better overall. A 2017 Australian study found that those who ate more colorful produce gave off sweeter, more floral scents and even had warmer, healthier-looking skin due to carotenoids ? the pigments in foods like carrots and papayas.
In contrast, meat-heavy or carb-heavy diets can dull that appeal. One study found that men who skipped meat for two weeks had a lighter, more pleasant scent than when they ate it daily. And while alcohol and coffee might make you more social, both can worsen body odor. Alcohol releases a compound that has a strong, recognizable scent of stale booze, and coffee increases sweat production, creating a favorable environment for bacteria to thrive. Both drinks also dehydrate you and reduce saliva flow, causing bad breath.
There is no single “perfect” diet for body odor. However, eating a balanced mix of fruits, veggies, and lean proteins, and cutting back on alcohol and caffeine, can help your body give off its most natural, attractive scent.
Yesel Kang Copy Editor teen/1763604983/1613367750
1. What combination of factors?such as genetics, hormones, personality, and diet?work together to create a person’s unique natural scent?
2. How does diet specifically alter body odor, and why might certain foods make someone smell either more appealing or less pleasant to others?
3. What did the research on garlic consumption reveal about how it affects the scent of sweat?
4. How do diets high in meat or carbohydrates influence the attractiveness of body odor compared with diets that limit meat intake?
1. How would you feel if you learned that certain foods you enjoy make your natural scent more or less appealing to others?
2. If you ate more fruits and vegetables, what differences would you expect to notice in your scent or overall appearance?
3. Would learning that garlic can make your body odor more attractive change how often you eat it?
4. How would you react if you found out that asparagus affects your scent differently from other people because of genetics?
Have you ever wondered why you smell the way you do? Each person has a unique body odor ? like a scent fingerprint ? that quietly influences one’s attraction to another. This personal aroma is shaped by genetics, hormones, mood, and even personality. Though we can’t do much about those, one major factor we can actually control is diet. What you eat can change how you smell to others and how appealing that scent is.
There may be some exceptions, but fruits and vegetables make people smell better overall. A 2017 Australian study found that those who ate more colorful produce gave off sweeter, more floral scents and even had warmer, healthier-looking skin due to carotenoids ? the pigments in foods like carrots and papayas.
