Beating the body odor blues

Related Keywords : fetid perspiration, foul-smelling perspiration, body odor, BO, apocrine bromidrosis, eccrine bromidrosis

No one wants to smell bad  An awkward subject at best, body odor can be embarrassing, depressing and debilitating. But you can fight back ... and win.

Probable Suspects Around puberty, our apocrine glands kick into action, releasing thick secretions into hair follicles. Although odorless, the secretions produce a foul smell when mixed with bacteria on the skin. The problem worsens during emotional upsets and ovulation, when apocrine gland secretions rise. The salty mixture from our 2 million eccrine sweat glands doesn't help. It cools down the body when flushed, but it also produces a moist environment that is tailor-made for breeding bacteria.

Eating foods like cumin, curry, garlic, fish, onion and dairy could also cause body secretions to smell.

Other culprits such as sugar, a high-fat/low-fiber diet, alcohol, certain drugs (eg, penicillin, bromides) can upset the balance of friendly flora in the intestines. That, in turn, impairs the digestive process, which provokes body odor all the more.

Winning the battle. You need to fight on two fronts: reducing bacteria on skin and keeping your body nutritionally balanced.

Here are 8 of the best weapons against body odor:

1. Use pH-balanced soaps and skincare products to maintain the protective acid mantle of your skin.
2. Get the right underarm protection. Deodorants help destroy bacteria and disguise odors. But look out for potentially toxic, irritating ingredients. Avoid aluminum (linked to Alzheimer's disease) and products with emulsifiers known to clog pores). Consider products with tea tree oil, known for its antibacterial and antifungal properties. Or use a deodorant stone, made from mineral salts. Antiperspirants reduce bacteria-feeding moisture -- but they block sweat glands and contain aluminum chlorohydrate.
3. Cut down on dairy products and sugar. Protect your gastro tract from yeast-enhancing sugar. Look out for hidden Sugars in everything from hot dogs, mayonnaise and soups to nondairy creamers and cream-style corn.
4. Take 25 mg to 50 mg of zinc daily or eat foods high in zinc. Try eggs, lean meat and pumpkin seeds.
5. Detoxify your system regularly. It's the only way to keep your liver and gastrointestinal tract functioning at optimal levels -- and potential body odor at bay.
6. Include friendly flora and a fiber supplement in your regimen. Lactobacillus acidophilus and bifidobacteria can reestablish the proper pH balance in your digestive system. Adding a fiber supplement will gently whisk away that waste buildup.
7. Drink 10-12 glasses of water daily. Flush toxins from your body and keep metabolic processes humming along at peak levels.
8. Maintain a balanced diet. Overloading or cutting back in vital areas can throw your system off and aggravate glandular secretions. Adapt a diet of 30 percent lean protein, to help the liver develop a sufficient amount of enzymes for the detox process; 30 percent essential fats (such as flaxseed oil, nuts, avocados and seeds), to lubricate the GI tract; and 40 percent slow-acting/high-fiber carbohydrates to sweep out that encrusted mass.

FOR THE COMPLETE RELIEF FROM BAD ODOR, CONSULT YOUR DERMATOLOGIST FOR FURTHER EVALUATION AND TREATMENT.