By Sharon Hopkins

Body odor can either make you run towards the person or runaway from him or her. This odor can be found anywhere you go, be it a mall, pub, theatre, bus, train it is everywhere. It can be one of the most disgusting things and most of the times we can’t do anything about it. It reflects improper hygiene and also shows signs of skin problem. Taking good care of your health and food would help to reduce the odor problem.

When sweat surfaces on the skin it gives out a body odor. Even though sweat is odorless, when it comes in contact with skin which has bacteria, it gives out the bad odor. The 'smelly' part of your body is the armpits and the genital area as the functionality of the sweat glands is different from the other parts of the body.

Every foot has its specific odor which gets to its peak when we cover it with socks and shoes. Having certain kind of food also gives out smelly odor as your skin passes the smell out from your skin. Sweating is one of the easiest ways to keep your body cool. It maintains the temperature of your body and can be termed as a cooler for that hot weather.

Some of the common reasons for having body odor are improper hygiene, like not having a proper bath or using dry clean clothes. You might be suffering from skin problems which have to be treated before you start pouring chemicals on yourself by use of perfume, deodorants and body wash. It can be also associated with genetic conditions, to be consulted with the doctor.

Things to avoid

* Being overweight

* Tight fitting clothes

* Spicy and oily food

* Excessive alcohol as it increases perspiration

* Excessive Coffee and tea intake

* Excessive consumption of chocolate, peanuts,

Things to do

* Have balanced diet which is less spicy and involve good amount of protein plus lots of vegetables,

* Drinking lots of fluid and juices would also help

* Take a bath everyday and wash yourself properly specially in problematic areas

* Adding tablespoon of honey at the final rinse would keep you fresh all day

* A cup of vinegar in your bath water would help too

* Adding alum in your bath water would keep the odor in check

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