Published: 09/23/2014 - Updated: 09/23/2014
Author: MSc. Miriam Reyes
Bad body odor, which is frequently concentrated especially in areas like the armpits, the feet, and the genitals, is caused primarily by microorganisms that take advantage of moist conditions in those body areas, in order to multiply. It is in these areas that the greatest number of sweat glands exists. When it’s very hot outside, bacteria accumulate, causing bad odor due to the gasses they let off.
Currently, smelling bad is seen as bad, which is why there is a large amount of products in the supermarket to prevent mad odor and to reduce sweating. However, a product is not always the whole solution.
Contents
The importance of sweating
Sweating is one of the ways our bodies help eliminate toxins from the body, and help to regulate body temperature by eliminating the body’s interior heat. This is a natural process and is carried out, as said before, in the armpits, the feet, the head, and the genitals, although it also happens in other areas of the body, just with less intensity. Sweating is frequently related to sweat, which are those small, salty drops that leave our pores when we sweat correctly. If the body were unable to sweat correctly, this would block toxins from leaving the body, which would be the same as not letting cells breath.
Sweat and bad odor
Sweating is something that happens when its hot, or when we are exercising, to compensate body temperature. We also sweat during puberty due to hormonal movements and physical changes. And to these two causes, we can add a third: we sweat when we are under a lot of stress or pressure, when we’re anxious or fearful. If we are sweating a lot, more toxins are released, which creates bad body odor. This is normal to a certain extent, although this can be a serious problem for a lot of people, as their odor could be truly strong and very unpleasant. When body odor is very strong or unpleasant, we then need to take a look at it.
Symptoms:
- Accentuated bad odor in the feet, armpits, and genitals
- Excessive sweating
Causes of bad odor and solutions:
- Shoes: poorly ventilated shoes or those that are made of synthetic materials do not allow proper sweating. They can hold sweat and make a stew for the perfect cultivation of bacteria proliferation, which can cause itching and bad odor in the feet. It’s best to use shoes made of natural fibers, or with good ventilation. Socks are excellent at absorbing sweat and preventing bad odor.
- Clothing materials: synthetic materials can cause sweat to hang around and, just like feet, generates a stew for bacteria cultivation that causes bad odor. Clothing material, especially underwear, should be cotton or some other natural fiber.
- Emotions: as previously mentioned, anxiety, stress, pressure, and fear can accelerate sweating and cause bad body odor. For this, exercising recommendable to release stress. Yoga and Tai Chi are fantastic relaxation exercises. You must reduce your white sugar consumption, which irritates the nervous system and over time, degenerates it, being one of the primary causes of anxiety, stress, or nervousness. We also recommend that you read books that help you better understand your emotions.
- Diseases: some conditions can cause bad bod odor: liver problems, diabetes, constipation, and infections are just a few.
- Menopause: in some occasions, women frequently sweat a lot more during menopause, which could release bad body odor. That’s why it is so important to have a very healthy diet, which helps keep the body’s immune system strong.
- Diet: a diet rich in salt, refined sugars, fried foods, animal fats, and packaged or processed foods, or foods with coloring, preservatives, etc., generates a lot of toxicity in the body. This could cause more toxins to be released while sweating, and this rapid accumulation generates bad odor. The best diet is one rich in vegetables, whole grains, and seeds, as well as drinking 2 liters of water a day.
- Poor hygiene: not washing your body well, or using soap and water, could cause an accumulation of bacteria, and bad odor. You must bathe daily, and change dirty clothes for clean ones so as to avoid the accumulation of toxins.
Other alternatives:
Chlorophyll: helps cleanse the body and eliminate bad body odor.
Green tea: green tea is an excellent cleanser that will help you not sweat excessive toxins.
Revised by: Dra. Loredana Lunadei on 09/23/2014
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