Do you Stink?

“What’s that smell?”  

This is something you never want to hear people say around you…but we need to talk about it!  Although it may be humorous when someone else stinks, when it’s you, it can be embarrassing, disconcerting and cause social anxiety.  No judgement here…just hope and help!

Generally speaking, your body shouldn’t smell bad…but if it does, know that THERE IS A REASON!  Your amazing body is always seeking to communicate to you through varies symptoms and sensations in the body.  The reason that I say “generally speaking” is because there are times that having a certain not so good smell is part of a healing process…this is common when you are going though any type of detoxification program.  This could include a liver detox, a colon cleanse, a heavy metal detox or even just a radical diet change such as switching to an organic whole food plant diet after decades on a standard American diet.  

There are so many things that can impact the way you smell…hormones, medications, diet, immune function (potential low grade infections) and even emotions.¹

Let’s look at a few examples to understand more about…

What stinks and why?

• Bad breath (also referred to as halitosis)- Even in the morning…”Morning Breath” isn’t normal.  This could be caused by a dental infection or periodontal disease,² dehydration³ or any other type of detoxing that you’re doing.  Medications can also cause this issue.⁴  Of course there are also substances that may cause temporary bad breath that are not problematic health challenges (eating garlic or onions, drinking coffee, etc).
• Stinky feet- This is often caused by fungal or bacterial infections or even bacterial build up in shoes (especially shoes that aren’t well ventilated).
• General body odor- May people think it’s normal to smell bad when you exercise or sweat.  This again is common, but not normal.  If things are clean on the inside, then what comes out of you will not stink.  
• Bowel movements- You may be thinking, “Isn’t it normal for poop to stink?”  Fair question.  Yes, to a degree…it’s not that it needs to smell like roses, but if it’s abnormally foul, that is an indicator that something is going on.⁵  Again, if it’s short term (a few days to a couple of weeks), this could be part of a natural detoxification process.  This is especially true if you’ve recently changed your diet. 

This list isn’t exhaustive but hopefully it is proving helpful as some examples of how your body functions, that everything is a symptom, and that no symptom is random or without cause.  Your body is smart and always trying to get your attention when something is wrong or out of balance.

What can you do about it?

1. Hydrate- We all know that we need to drink more water…but too often these simple, foundational pillars of health are overlooked and neglected.  Half your weight in oz is a MINIMUM and I believe that most people need more than this.  For more information on water/hydration, check these out (The Second Most Important Substance on Earth: Water! and 9 Simple Ways to Increase Your Water Intake)
2. Eat clean- Learning how to adequately and efficiently nourish your body in a sustainable, simple and tasty way is no small undertaking.  But it’s so worth it.  You’re so worth it!  Start by increasing your plant intake by eating more fruits, vegetables, legumes and whole grains.  Then continue to reduce or eliminate alcohol, refined sugar, processed foods and animal products.  There’s so much to be said about this but for more information, click here (A Whole Food Vegan Diet for Health and Vitality, Whole Food Vegan Diet-Get Healthy Now, Raw-Vegan-Organic-Whole Food-AMAZING!)
3. Replete any nutritional deficiencies- Although you can start this process by eating more nutrient dense foods, the best way to go about these deficiencies is to get tested.  Every vitamin, mineral and amino acid in the body has several roles and a certain amount is required.  If you fall below that level for any reason, there will be some function in the body that suffers.  Click here for more info.

You may notice that hygiene wasn’t on the list.  It’s not the hygiene isn’t important, but this is rarely the main cause when it comes to persistent and chronic body odor challenges.  For example, you should brush your teeth twice per day…but if you don’t, that’s not reason enough to have chronic bad breath.  The same holds true for other areas of hygiene…I highly recommend showering daily but if you miss a day for any reason, you shouldn’t be excessively smelly (ha ha, but seriously).

The bottom line:  If there’s a foul smell coming out of any part of the body, suspect that it’s there for a reason and seek to find the root cause of that issue!  If you can’t figure it out, we’d love to help.  Call the clinic to schedule 269-204-6525

References:

1. Di Cicco F, Evans RL, James AG, Weddell I, Chopra A, Smeets MAM. Intrinsic and extrinsic factors affecting axillary odor variation. A comprehensive review. Physiol Behav. 2023;270. doi:10.1016/j.physbeh.2023.114307

2. Aylikci B, Çolak H. Halitosis: From diagnosis to management. J Nat Sci Biol Med. 2013;4(1). doi:10.4103/0976-9668.107255

3. Ok SM, Jeong SH, Lee CH. Dehydration as an Etiologic Factor of Halitosis: A Case-Control Study. J Oral Med Pain. 2021;46(4). doi:10.14476/jomp.2021.46.4.117

4. Izidoro C, Botelho J, Machado V, et al. Revisiting Standard and Novel Therapeutic Approaches in Halitosis: A Review. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2022;19(18). doi:10.3390/ijerph191811303

5. Mogilnicka I, Bogucki P, Ufnal M. Microbiota and malodor—etiology and management. Int J Mol Sci. 2020;21(8). doi:10.3390/ijms21082886

Nothing said or implied in this post is intended to treat, cure, diagnose or prevent any disease.  It does not take the place of a qualified health care practitioner and is intended for educational purposes only.