odors from food
which foods cause bad breath and body odor?

this is a good question
a balanced whole food diet is an ideal way to nourish the body and mind
however, like some supplements, if you eat enough foods high in sulfur and other smelly compounds the odors can end up on your skin (via sweat and sebum) and breath (via the lungs)
the tolerable amount of smelly foods is different for everyone and depends on your genetics, lifestyle, environment and hormone status
some people, such as those with Trimethylaminuria (TMAU), have an extremely low tolerance for smelly compounds while others can eat fish and cabbage all day, every day
your tolerance level of smelly foods depends on your genetics and current metabolism capability of the individual
you can’t completely avoid smelly foods

there are some important things to be aware of before cutting out smelly foods:
- consumption of essential amino acids including odor causing methionine and phenylalanine are necessary for survival because the human body can’t produce them
- all identified smelly foods are nutritious and highly beneficial for some health conditions and lifestyles
here is a good approach to avoid a build up of smelly compounds in the body:
- avoid odor causing foods for three days as part of an internal cleanse in the steps to eliminate odor
- add small amounts of methionine and phenylalanine, gradually increasing to tolerable limits
- limit intake of other odor causing foods to small amounts, or consume intermittently, or find tolerable limits
you don’t smell bad to everyone

it is also worth mentioning that while you might smell bad to some people, other people might not be able to smell you at all or even find your smell to be pleasant
it all depends on the persons smell receptors and the environment you’re in
for example stale sweat type body odor is pretty well accepted in a gym but not so much in a restaurant
note – consumption of essential amino acids including methionine and phenylalanine are necessary for survival and it is important to moderate rather than eliminate these nutrients
plant based proteins tend to have less methionine and phenylalanine than animal based proteins
a high fiber and water content make many vegetables excellent deodorizing foods
there are also foods and supplements that can deodorize the body by neutralizing smelly compounds and optimizing metabolism
the table below includes some foods, their smelly compounds and their common odor description
food | smelly compound/s | odor description |
---|---|---|
alcohol | acetone, ether | acetone, stale alcohol |
Allium plants and vegetables in all forms – seed, oil, root, stem, leaf, flower chives garlic onion scallion shallot | sulfur | sulfur, rotten eggs |
amino acids abundant in red meat and organ meats methionine cystine | sulfur, choline | sulfur |
amino acid abundant in red meat and organ meats phenylalanine | phenylalanine | musty, mousy |
amino acid abundant in red meat and organ meats tyrosine | tyrosine | boiled cabbage |
asparagus | sulfur (from fertilizers) | rotting cabbage |
beetroot | methyl –> trimethylamine or TMA | fishy |
brazil nuts | selenium, selenols | decayed horseradish, garlic |
cruciferous plants and vegetables in all forms – seed, oil, root, stem, leaf, flower arugula / rocket broccoli brussels sprout cabbage cauliflower collard greens cress kale maca mustard radish rapeseed/canola rutabaga / swede turnip field pepperweed | sulfur | sulfur, rotten eggs |
carrageenan | sulfur | sulfur, rotten eggs |
cumin | terpenes, cuminal | rancid cumin |
curry | sotolon, sulfur | rancid curry |
dairy foods milk butter cream cheese | sulfur, choline, lipase | rancid butter |
eggs | sulfur, choline | sulfur, rotten eggs |
fenugreek | solotone | bacon, rancid curry |
high sulfur fruit rockmelon honeydew melon durian paw paw papaya | sulfur | sulfur, rotten eggs |
oily seafoods tuna salmon sardines anchovies trout swordfish mackeral | sulfur, choline | sulfur, rotten eggs, fishy |
sugar free foods and drinks that include aspartame | phenylalanine | musty, mousy |
tomatoes | terpenes – lycopene | tba |
know any others? get in touch |
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