Prevent Body Odor, Causes of Body Odor

Last Updated on Sunday, 1 August 2010 07:54 Written by Natural Health Team Friday, 25 September 2009 01:58

Every individual has a characteristic odor on the body, which is caused due to several factors. Chiefly these odors are caused due to the presence of bacteria on the body of the person. These bacteria multiply in the presence of sweat. This is when the odor becomes strong enough to become offensive. Body odor has been advertised to stem from unhygienic practices. It telegraphs that the person is in need of a shower. Being told that you have body odor can upset you so much that you will drop everything and quickly jump into that shower. The natural smell of the body has recently become a foul odor, and the nose has now become nature?s enemy. Body odor is the smell that arises as a result of bacterial decomposition of secretion of the skin apocrine glands at the junction of the dermis and subcutaneous fat. The process yields ammonia and short chain fatty acids, with their characteristic strong odor. The most plentiful of the acids is the hexanoic acid which is brought to the skin surface. Bacteria living in and near the apocrine glands digest the chemicals and release even more different odors. Bacteria grow rapidly on wet skin. The social repercussions of body odor have resulted in the development of numerous chemical hygiene products promising to eliminate the problem. But most deodorants only mask the smell, and antiperspirants block the sweat glands, thereby interfering with the body?s cooling mechanism. Body odor starts when the evaporation process is hampered by clothing or body folds like the arms, breasts, thighs and the genital area. The offensive odor is the result of bacterial action. You need to brush your skin everyday. Make sure that you do this on all areas of the skin, including the back of your legs, your back, arms and buttocks. You really do not have to brush hard because it can irritate your skin. Just soft, light regular dry brushing will do the trick. Do not wet your brush to prevent development of molds, which can cause other skin problems and infections. Body odor is the unpleasant spell caused by the mixing of perspiration, or sweat, and bacteria on the skin. Sweating or perspiration is the body?s way of relieving heat from within the body. Sweat is generally an odorless body secretion; however, the skin surface provides nutrients that help bacteria grow. These bacteria break down sweat into aromatic fatty acids, which produce the unpleasant odor. To help prevent body odor, a person should eat lots of fruits and vegetables (especially raw), and whole grains. A high fiber diet generally aids in the digestion process. Drink at least 6 to 8 glasses of water a day to help keep the kidneys clear and aid in the detoxification process. Some vitamins and herbs are considered helpful in the prevention of body odor.

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