Fighting Body odor

Body odor is the unpleasant smell caused by the mixing of perspiration, or sweat, and bacteria on the skin. Sweat is generally an odorless body secretion. When bacteria multiply on the skin and break down these secretions, however, the resulting by-products may have a strong and disagreeable odor. This odor is often due to poor personal hygiene, but excessive perspiration or some other underlying disease are sometimes involved.

People produce two kinds of sweat. Eccrine sweat glands secrete a mixture of water, salt (sodium chloride), urea, and lactic acid onto the skin. When a person is overheated, sweat seeps over the body, especially where the eccrine glands are numerous. These glands are concentrated in the armpits, the palms of the hands, the soles of the feet, and the forehead. As the sweat dries off, the skin is cooled by the surrounding air. Apocrine sweat is a heavier liquid containing various organic substances, including pheromone hormones. These glands are found mostly under the arms and around the groin. They develop during puberty, and are thought to serve a biological function in sexual attraction.

Sweat is essentially odorless when it is secreted, and the sweat from the eccrine glands remains so. It creates, however, a moist environment in which the bacteria that naturally occur on human skin can multiply. These bacteria are attracted to the sweat produced by the apocrine glands, and a strong odor is produced when these substances interact. People who sweat excessively are more likely to develop a strong body odor. 

The human body normally has a slight sweaty or musky odor. Generally, bathing with soap and water, together with the use of deodorants or antiperspirants, is sufficient to prevent a truly unpleasant, unhealthy odor. There are, however, several factors that may contribute to chronic body odor. 

Toxic buildup and diet are more covert causes of body odor. The more toxins the liver has to filter out, the more overworked and sluggish it becomes. Over time, the digestive process and the detoxification pathways become clogged, resulting in encrusted waste matter along colon walls. This, along with the putrefaction of waste materials, not only robs us of vital nutrients, but also produces bothersome symptoms like bad breath and body odor.

Eating foods like cumin, curry, garlic, fish, onion and dairy could also cause body secretions to smell. Other culprits such as sugar, a high-fat/low-fiber diet or even antibiotics and medication can upset the balance of friendly flora in the intestines. That, in turn, impairs the digestive process, which provokes body odor all the more.

Winning the battle. You need to fight on two fronts: reducing bacteria on skin and keeping your body nutritionally balanced.

Here are 9 of the best weapons against body odor:

1. Use pH-balanced soaps and skincare products to maintain the protective acid mantle of your skin. Try bathing in an apple vinegar wash twice a week. Pour 2 cups of apple vinegar in your bath.

2. Get the right underarm protection. Deodorants help destroy bacteria and disguise odors. But look out for potentially toxic, irritating ingredients. Avoid aluminum (linked to Alzheimer's disease) and products with emulsifiers (known to clog pores). Consider products with tea tree oil, known for its antibacterial and anti-fungal properties. Or use a deodorant stone, made from mineral salts. Antiperspirants reduce bacteria-feeding moisture -- but they block sweat glands and contain aluminum chlorohydrate.

3. Use one-part cornstarch to one-part baking soda to absorb moisture. Deodorize feet after bathing with a mixture of 1 cup cornstarch to 1 cup baking soda and 6 drops of either eucalyptus or peppermint oil.

4. Cut down on dairy products and sugar. Protect your gastro tract from yeast-enhancing sugar. Look out for hidden Sugars in everything from hot dogs, mayonnaise and soups to nondairy creamers and cream-style corn.

5. Take 25 mg to 50 mg of zinc daily or eat foods high in zinc. Try eggs, lean meat and pumpkin seeds.

6. Detoxify your system regularly. It's the only way to keep your liver and gastrointestinal tract functioning at optimal levels -- and potential body odor at bay. You may find my Living Beauty Detox Diet Program (HarperSanFrancisco 2000) a helpful tool. It outlines an easy-to-follow, three-day plan in sync with the body's natural detoxification cycles.

7. Include friendly flora and a fiber supplement in your regimen. Lactobacillus acidophilus and bifidobacteria can reestablish the proper pH balance in your digestive system. Adding a fiber supplement will gently whisk away that waste buildup.

8. Drink 10-12 glasses of water daily. Flush toxins from your body and keep metabolic processes humming along at peak levels.

9. Maintain a balanced diet. Overloading or cutting back in vital areas can throw your system off and aggravate glandular secretions. Adapt a diet of 30 percent lean protein, to help the liver develop a sufficient amount of enzymes for the detox process; 30 percent essential fats (such as flaxseed oil, nuts, avocados and seeds), to lubricate the GI tract; and 40 percent slow-acting/high-fiber carbohydrates to sweep out that encrusted mass.