You won’t smell like roses when you sweat, but new research suggests that consuming certain foods may make your sweat smell a little less than usual.
Researchers at Australia’s Macquarie University recruited 43 non-smoking men, obtained dietary information, and instructed them to take only cold showers and avoid scented products for the first 24 hours of the study. I asked for it. On the second day of the study, the men were instructed to wear new cotton T-shirts continuously and to exercise for at least an hour afterwards without showering. At the end of his second 24-hour period, the men sealed his T-shirt in a bag and handed it over to a lab technician who took a sweat sample.
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Nine women were then asked to smell the samples and judge how good or pleasant the sweat smelled.
Here’s what researchers found: Men who ate fruits and vegetables smelled best to women. Some women describe their sweat as “sweet” or “flower-like.” Women also sweated the men who ate meat, eggs, and soybeans. But men who ate lots of carbohydrates had the worst smelly sweat.
what’s happening? Researchers theorize that men’s sweat sends signals about their health. Men who eat more fruits and vegetables are more likely to be healthier (and have better mates), which is why they smell better.
Scientists only studied men, but it’s pretty safe to assume this works both ways. So…I’ll give you the fruit bowl.
Colin Miller is a freelance writer specializing in general wellness, sexual health and relationships, and lifestyle trends, and his work has appeared in Men’s Health, Women’s Health, Self, Glamour, and more. It is published. She earned her master’s degree from American University, lives near the beach, and hopes to one day own a teacup pig and taco truck.
