How Spicy Food Can Change The Way You Smell

If you've ever gotten a weird look from your partner after you've eaten a flavorful curry for dinner, or noticed that the stench of your post-run sweat seems a little off the day after a double helping of chili con carne, then it's time to find out what's up. According to NDTV Food, the noticeable whiff others may get off us when we walk by is concocted by a lovely blend of our genetics, personal hygiene, and overall health. There is one more factor that also plays a surprisingly big role in our odor recipe, and that is the food we eat. That's right. You can scrub-a-dub-dub all day everyday and still be smelling a little um, off, if your diet is rich with spicy meals.

It's easy to point the blame at the mouth-scorching peppers in a spicy dish, but it's actually a few other ingredients that are commonly found in spicy meals that are the main culprit in manipulating our natural scent.

Of these ingredients, we can mainly place the blame on onions and garlic. According to The Science Times, both of these rather stinky foods have high VOC (volatile organic compounds) concentrations and contain a high amount of sulfur. Eating a large amount of onions or garlic will likely lead to body sweat that smells not so fresh, as well as foul breath.

In addition to onions and garlic, we can also blame a few aromatic spices. Insider states that the smell from staple spices like curry and cumin can set up camp in your pores and stick around like unwanted guests for up to a few days.

Sure, an incredibly spicy chili or jalapeno pepper can have you reaching for the napkins to blot your sweaty forehead. But when it comes to changing the scent of your breath and your sweat, we're realizing it's those unassuming ingredients that are also found in your favorite spicy dishes that are really to blame for the change in body odor.