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Ever since I've gone paleo, I notice that I suffer from body odour a lot more.

I never used to have sweaty or stinky armpits and now I have them on a regular basis (grooossss). I've tried various deodorants and antipersperants, even those Pit Rok mineral deodorants and homemade deodorants made with baking soda and coconut oil, but I always end up with body odour.

WOuld eating lots of red meat cause more body odour? I'm completely stumped!!

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How low is your carb intake? If you're in ketosis, you may be smelling acetone in your sweat. – Silverspeed Dec 10 2011 at 7:58
Perhaps you had a permanently blocked nose, pre Paleo ;-) – Suz - Paleo Oz Sep 18 at 0:26

16 Answers

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are you a very actice person? maybe you're magnesium deficient.

I'm not an expert on this but when I started supplementing magnesium, my body odor disappeared completely.

didn't find a really good article about magnesium + body odor but it's mentioned here: http://www.ayurvediccure.com/home-remedies/bodyodor.htm

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I'm not very active - I have a desk job and do not really exercise beyond walking me dog. I have started supplementing with magnesium but the odor persists, maybe it takes a while? Thanks for the link, very interesting! – lilliputty Dec 7 2011 at 14:57
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It sounds like you've noticed an increase in sweat. That alone could increase the smell, too, as the sweat feeds the bacteria.

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Yes, I definitely sweat more! Which is probably why my armpits smell. I don't know what to do to decrease sweat. I still don't exercise regularly (I know, I know!) so it's not a change in activity that's done it, the main lifestyle change has purely been my diet. – lilliputty Dec 7 2011 at 14:32
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I don't think you want to decrease sweat. On Dr. Kruse's site he notes that changes in sweat patterns can be a sign of regaining leptin sensitivity. So it might be a good thing. If you want to reduce odor, there's a helpful paleohacks question about it: paleohacks.com/questions/38345/deodorant-solution – Sara S. Dec 7 2011 at 16:50
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Oops, I forgot he link for Dr. Kruse's website where he mentions changes in sweat: jackkruse.com/my-leptin-prescription – Sara S. Dec 7 2011 at 16:52
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Foods in the allium family - including onion, leek, garlic and chive - contain sulfur compounds that can cause garlic-like body odor.

Could it be it?

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I eat garlic, leeks and onions on a regular basis but I have done even before going paleo so it's strange that the BO has increased since going paleo in the summer. – lilliputty Dec 7 2011 at 14:35
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Is it at all possible that you do not smell more, but that your olfactory system is working better with a paleo diet? So you notice the smell more but it's not actually any worse...could explain why nobody else notices.

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Dr K talks about the relationship between sweating and magnesium deficiency here:

http://jackkruse.com/what-can-you-find-about-your-own-health/

The gist is that the 'metabolism of carbohydrates and fats requires numerous magnesium-dependent chemical reactions.'

He lists sources of Mg depletion:

  • coffee
  • sugar
  • Mental or physical stress (cortisol)
  • alcohol in excess of 6 oz a day
  • cola type soda
  • high sodium diet
  • tobacco
  • medical drugs of all types
  • low thyroid function
  • diabetes
  • diuretics
  • chronic pain
  • a high carbohydrate diet
  • a high calcium diet (dairy)

So, while you can play around with Mg dose levels, you can also try to eliminate or reduce sources of its depletion.

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People do smell differently when they eat different things. Was paleo a drastic life change for you? (Like, were you vegan or vegetarian immediately before that?) I'm not sure if the odor you are experiencing is actually bad or just not what you are used to. Are other people commenting on your odor or moving away from you when you sit down near them? If you have stinky b.o., that has to do with sweat and bacteria as Sara S. pointed out. But, your body may just smell different now that you are eating different foods. You may just need some time to adjust to the new smell.

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People have not commented on my odour, but I can totally notice it and it's not pleasant. It's an increase in sweat and B.O. and it makes me feel really self conscious. I wasnt vegetarian or vegan before switching to paleo but I was eating a lot of brown rice and following a lax macrobiotic diet with fish and lean meats. – lilliputty Dec 7 2011 at 14:30
Perhaps the increase in sweat is caused by a faster burning metabolism which is raising your body temp? Then the B.O. increases because there is more sweat breaking down the bacteria on your skin? I'm not sure of all the science around this, so I'm totally guessing here. I haven't experienced this myself, so I'm looking forward to seeing all the other answers. – Kewpie Dec 7 2011 at 16:52
What is your age? Could the increase in sweat be caused by hot flashes associated with peri-menopause? – Kewpie Dec 7 2011 at 16:53
Oh God I hope not! I'm only 36! – lilliputty Dec 8 2011 at 10:02
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Interestingly, one thing that made my personal scent less strong was increasing my physical activity. I noticed, over time, that despite sweating more, the more I exercised, the less... ummm.. pungent my personal scent became. I'm half Sicilian, so, as someone of Mediterranean descent, there's the tendency to have a very strong personal scent. It's easier to notice changes in mine, since I've never been able to use commercial soaps/detergents/perfumes, etc., to cover it up, because of allergies. I theorize that, when I'm exercising regularly, bacteria doesn't have as much opportunity to pool in the pores, because they're being flushed regularly. shrugs I don't know... I just know that getting and staying more active made my personal scent less strong.

I've also found that bathing in Dead Sea Salts (unscented, authentic -- not simply "bath salts") twice a week helps to balance my skin bacteria and results in a less pungent personal scent.

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Are you wearing a lot of synthetics for clothing? Something that I saw in another thread here mentioned smelling worse when you sweat wearing synthetics. It's not really something I noticed before, but when I did a n=1 a few times exercising in synthetics vs cotton, whew, yah that's nasty...

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I had this problem after my last pregnancy. I did a 21-day yeast "cleanse" with my chiropractor and that fixed it. It was basically eating strict paleo, but with supplements.

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I've used baking soda and cornstarch in my pits since I was a teen (read it in Dear Abby). It's amazing, cheap, and totally biodegradable. Slightly extra messy in the bathroom though. In the beginning I made a paste of the baking soda, but that can tear up the skin. I keep it in tiny tupperware containers, and after I'm dry, I just pat some on; baking soda first, then cornstarch.

I'm thinking your hormones could be shifting and that could contribute. My age has definitely shifted things. I can now go an occasional day without anything in my pits with no noticeable stink.

I wonder if adding the exercise would amp your metabolism a bit and help things 'move' more quickly and not stink so much.

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The stink is worth the satiety.

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Vinegar. White vinegar. And a paper towel.

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I've noticed this too, but I'm losing weight so I assume it is just part of the detoxing.

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Like others said maybe your sense of smell is better.. I had congestion pre paleo from milk allergy

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ha! totally agree, one thing about eating super clean is whenever you introduce something new to your diet - you know! people used to comment that i smelt nice - not anymore I bet! i hate the smell of myself now that i'm eating eggs and liver!

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oh my goodness me too! My arm pits STINK since I have been eating a lot more meat! Usually when odors come through breath and body it means there are toxins and releasing or food is in a way rotting in your stomach...dont really know what to do about this..

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can you back that up with a link to a credible source? – sage_ Dec 7 2011 at 14:22
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This is not true. mayoclinic.com/health/sweating-and-body-odor/… – citrusfire Dec 7 2011 at 14:59

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