10 Foods That Make Your Body Smell Great

Do you ever feel uncomfortable because of the way you smell? Having bad body odor can be embarrassing. While our smell is primarily dictated by genetics, it can also be caused or amplified by the food we consume.

Bright Side has created a list of foods that most affect your body odor. Read on to find out which foods are okay and which ones are better to avoid before going out on a date.

Water vs beer

Drinking water helps the body flush out toxins that cause bad body odor. While drinking beer might seem to be a good way to relax after a day's work, it can cause bad body odor as some of the alcohol seeps out through the pores of the body.

Yogurt vs milk

Active cultures present in yogurt lower the amount of odor-causing sulfite compounds. Also, the vitamin D present in yogurt helps fight bacteria present in the mouth, thereby reducing bad breath. Milk on the other hand contains choline which can cause nasty body odor.

Lemon juice vs wine

Drinking wine might seem like a good way to enjoy your evenings, but a hangover from over-consumption of alcohol is not the only bad effect - you might have to go a day with your body smelling like alcohol. Try drinking lemon with water instead. Lemons help to detox the body due to its high antioxidant properties, while the water in the juice flushes out the toxins released.

Herbal tea vs coffee

Herbal tea is a great source of antioxidants. The fewer toxins the body has, the better it will smell. Coffee or any caffeinated beverage on the other hand can cause acrid body odor.

Apple vs cauliflower

Due to its natural detergent properties, apples help against bad breath. Cauliflower on the other hand contains choline, a vitamin B-like nutrient which can cause foul body odor.

Orange vs pumpkin

Citrus fruits smell great and get easily absorbed by the body, thereby giving you a fast way to improve your overall odor. On the other hand, pumpkin contains choline which gets metabolized into trimethylamine. Accumulation of trimethylamine in the body can cause bad body odor.

Cardamom and cinnamon vs garlic and onion

Cardamom and cinnamon not only make food tasty but they also make you more desirable by giving you a fresh and pleasant long lasting odor. Conversely, garlic and onion contain organic sulfur compounds which get metabolized and eliminated primarily through pores in the body causing bad body odor to emanate from the body.

Celery vs asparagus

Celery helps your body to release pheromones, thereby making you seem more attractive to the opposite sex. Asparagusic acid in asparagus gets broken down into sulfur compounds which can give you undesirable body odor.

White fish vs red meat

Abstaining from red meat might have some olfactory benefits. A study showed that women perceived the body odor of men who had a meatless diet for two weeks as more attractive and pleasant compared to those who consumed red meat. Digesting fish does not release the same unpleasant odors that are released while metabolizing red meat. So if you plan on going on a date, it's better to eat fish rather than red meat.

Fenugreek seeds vs pumpkin seeds

Fenugreek seeds help to improve your digestive health and aid in the process of removing bad odor-causing toxins from the body. Pumpkin seeds contain high choline levels and is a known bad odor-causing agent.

Bonus: Eat in moderation

While having bad body odor might seem embarrassing, the food items that have been recommended to avoid eating might still have nutritional value. Skipping these foods altogether might not be the best idea. It is advisable to eat all green vegetables, fruits, and dairy products but in moderation. After all, you are the best judge to decide what's best for your own health.

Making a choice between eating your favorite food and smelling good might be a difficult one. Did your favorite food appear on the no-no list? Let us know in the comments below.