How what you eat affects your body scent

YOU are what you eat, and anything you consume will be excreted from your body. Two common ways are in the form of sweat and other body secretions.

According to obstetrician-gynaecologist Dr Charles Rockhead, foods are secreted through the sweat glands and like the rest of the body, the privates, though on a lesser scale, also sweat.

He noted that all women have their own distinctive scents, some more pronounced than others.

Dr Calnette Wilson Williams, family doctor at Dunrobin Medical and Wellness Centre, said apart from the changes in scent that occur with an infection, your odour will be due to your genetics, your hygiene and your diet.

“Some foods result in a robust vaginal odour while others result in a milder type. The fresh and clean feeling that is sold by advertisers has nothing to do with the health of the vagina and feminine washes will not change your smell or flavour for that matter,” she said.

Below are some common foods and their effects:

Spices

“Some strong herbs and spices can result in a strong odour. Peppers and curry in particular result in a noticeable change,” Dr Wilson Williams said. She added that garlic and onions not only affect your breath immediately after eating, but the odours down below. “If you are concerned about the strength of the scent then you might want to cut back on the spices in your diet,” she said.

Alcohol

According to Dr Wilson Williams, a rough guide to see what foods will change your scent is to see what makes your breath smell.

Fruits and vegetables

“Fruits and vegetables have been shown to lead to a milder vaginal odour. In fact some persons swear by the sweet smells that citrus fruits and pineapples impart on their lady parts,” she said. However, Dr Wilson Williams said what is certain is that fruits and vegetables affect the composition of the bacteria in our gut, skin and in the vagina. “This may lead to a change in smell because of the change in the bacterial flora,” she said. But she mentioned that foods such as asparagus, when consumed in large quantities, result in their own distinctive odour in the vaginal secretions and urine.

Yoghurt

“Yoghurt changes the bacterial composition of the vagina and may lead to a milder scent,” Dr Wilson Williams said.

Men should note, also, that the change in odour is not specific to the female sex. Dr Alfred Dawes, general, laparoscopic and bariatric surgeon, said while most unpleasant smells in men are related to sweat and smegma which accumulate under the foreskin, good hygiene will take care of the smell, but like the vagina, the smell and taste of semen is affected by the foods men consume.

“Whatever foods affect the vagina’s smell will affect the semen’s smell and taste,” he said. “Fruits might emit a sweeter scent. Smells are an important part of the sex act and even if you are concerned about your odour it’s probably nothing to worry about if your partner doesn’t have a problem with it.”

— Kimberley Hibbert