You actually have two types of sweat glands that produce stuff that looks and feels like sweat. Most of this secreted fluid serves a beneficial purpose by helping to flush toxins out of your body. It's only the apocrine sweat gland that secretes the odor-the smell that produces part of our identity, attracts mates, and makes you pick the treadmill at the other end of the gym. These glands are located in predictable locations-including arm pits and genitals.
Body Odor
Body odor can be an embarrassing, but you're not alone. The medical term for body odor is bromhidrosis, and it's caused by yeasts and bacteria breaking down sweat on the skin. Usually smells coming from the armpits can be tamed with deodorant. Excessive sweating there or on other parts of the body -- like the groin, smelly feet and under the breasts -- may call for stronger treatment, ranging from antiperspirant and medication such as Botox to a surgical procedure. Other causes of body odor include certain food, drugs and medical conditions. Find out more about how to manage body odor with expert advice from Sharecare.
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Dr. Michael Roizen, MD , Internal Medicine, answeredSee All 3 AnswersIf you smell funkier than a Rick James album, then there's probably a good explanation. Our major sweat glands (they're called eccrine glands, in case you're ever on Jeopardy) release a sterile solution that attract smelly bacteria in some people. These secretions are stored in coiled circular glands 4 feet long and covering our entire skin surface.
But the actual composition of your sweat is based on your genes and your food. Garlic will quickly pass into your skin and quickly share itself with others. Washing frequently helps, but sometimes a quick course of topical antibiotics from your doctor is the best anti-smell solution. -
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Dr. Mehmet Oz, MD , Cardiology (Cardiovascular Disease), answeredQuite simply, spicy foods increase body odor by making you sweat more. When you eat spicy foods, your output of sweat increases, leading to an increase in body odor. Although many people believe pungent foods like garlic and onions can increase body odor, there is no scientific evidence of this.
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Dr. Mehmet Oz, MD , Cardiology (Cardiovascular Disease), answered
There is no evidence that a heavier application of deodorant works better.
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Discovery Health answeredThe social taboo to body smell did not occur in most Western societies until the late 1950s, around the same time that marketing firms began ramping up advertising campaigns to sell deodorant.
The firms tapped into social insecurity among consumers by suggesting to them that they would become pariahs if they did not use deodorant to cover their body odor.
Even though deodorants, unlike soap and toothpaste, offer no real health benefits the marketing campaigns succeeded. In 2006, sales of products to prevent sweating and combat body odor reached $2.5 billion in the United States.
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Discovery Health answered
The most prolific perpetrator of a human being's natural scent is the underarm. The scent that is produced there is called axillary body odor, which is named after axilla, which is the medical term for the underarm.
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Discovery Health answered
There may be some associated risks with preventing body odor.
Some studies have found a link between antiperspirants and breast cancer. They found that the aluminum in antiperspirants has been shown to cause DNA mutation, which is a requisite for uncontrolled growth of cells (cancer).
Other studies, however, have refuted this claim. Reproducing the results have been hit or miss, so the link between antiperspirants and breast cancer remains inconclusive.
It is also important to read the labels. The labels on some antiperspirants advise users to consult with a physician before using the product if he or she suffers from kidney disease. In large doses, aluminum can provide fatal for people with impaired kidney function.
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Discovery Health answered
An antiperspirant keeps you from sweating, while a deodorant cuts down on the odor when you do sweat.
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Mother Nature Network answeredAntiperspirants aren't the most green item to have in your medicine cabinet or gym bag because they contain aluminum compounds, the key ingredients that block your sweat glands and prevent moisture. As you might know, aluminum mining is destructive, resource-intensive and polluting. Environmental damage aside, perhaps the most controversial aspect of antiperspirant use is its rumored link to breast cancer and other diseases. Even though hearsay about the correlation between the two continue to swirl, the National Cancer Institute claims that evidence linking breast cancer and the neurotoxins found in antiperspirants is inconclusive. However, the Food and Drug Administration has made it mandatory for antiperspirants to carry a warning label recommending that consumers with existing kidney disease consult with a doctor before using the product. To be clear, it hasn't been proven that aluminum is directly responsible for health issues like breast cancer and kidney disease. Yet, because of the scary but indeterminate health risks and the proven environmental hazards of aluminum-based antiperspirants, many folks opt not to use it. So do these folks use natural antiperspirant? Unfortunately, there isn't an aluminum-free, natural antiperspirant. Deodorant, however, (unless combined with antiperspirant) is always aluminum-free and can be found in natural varieties. That means that these products don't enlist chemicals like parabens, formaldehyde and triclosan to help combat underarm bacteria. You may be familiar with crystal rock deodorants that rely exclusively on the stink-busting power of natural mineral crystals. If sweat, not the stink, is your primary concern, give natural deodorant a shot. First, check out the amazing Skin Deep Cosmetic Safety Database to see how different brands stack up and see if that helps at all. If deodorant doesn't do the trick and your sweating remains an issue, drink lots of water, maintain a healthy diet, buy a jumbo-sized bucket of OxiClean for stains and see an MD.
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Dr. Mehmet Oz, MD , Cardiology (Cardiovascular Disease), answeredSee All 2 AnswersOne of the reasons people develop body odor is excessive sweating, which can also cause skin problems. Sweat is broken down by bacteria on the skin. This process gives off the unpleasant smell commonly known as body odor. Chronic heavy sweating can also cause patches of skin to turn white and wrinkly, and to crack. People who perspire heavily are often also more likely to develop skin problems such as itchiness and inflammation. If you can't control perspiration, talk to a doctor.