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Foods that make you smell more attractive
15th May, 2026 12:29 PM
Garlic, alcohol, meat and even fasting can affect our body odour and alter how appealing our scent is to others.
Each person has a unique scent profile, much like a fingerprint. Everything from personality type to mood and health can influence the way someone smells.
“The past few decades have revealed that odour is shaped by our genes, hormones, health and hygiene,” says Craig Roberts, professor of social psychology at the University of Stirling in Scotland.
Many of these factors are outside human control, but diet is one major influence that can significantly affect body odour.
Researchers say the food people eat can alter not only their overall aroma, but also how attractive they appear to others.
Breath and sweat
Food affects body odour mainly through the gut and the skin.
As food is digested, bacteria inside the gut metabolise it. Some interactions between food chemicals and bacteria release gases and volatile molecules that leave the body through the breath, sometimes causing bad breath or halitosis.
Studies suggest about one third of adults worldwide experience some form of halitosis, although digestion is not the only cause.
Food chemicals can also travel through the bloodstream after digestion and eventually leave the body through sweat. When these substances interact with bacteria on the skin, they can create strong smells.
Sweat itself is naturally odourless, but bacteria thriving in sweaty areas create the smell commonly associated with body odour.
Many foods linked to strong odours contain sulphur compounds.
Fruit and vegetables
Vegetables such as broccoli, cabbage, Brussels sprouts and cauliflower contain sulphurous compounds that can resemble the smell of rotten eggs when metabolised.
Foods from the allium family, including garlic and onions, can also affect both sweat and breath because they break down into compounds such as diallyl disulphide and allyl methyl sulphide.
Interestingly, some studies suggest garlic may make body odour more attractive despite causing bad breath.
In one experiment, researchers asked men to wear pads under their armpits while consuming varying amounts of garlic. Women later rated the scent samples based on attractiveness, pleasantness and masculinity.
Men who consumed larger amounts of garlic were often rated as more attractive.
Researchers believe garlic’s antioxidant and antimicrobial properties may play a role in this effect.
Asparagus also creates a well known body odour effect. During digestion, asparagus releases sulphur compounds that can make urine smell unusually strong. However, not everyone produces or detects this smell, and genetics appear to influence both processes.
More broadly, studies suggest diets rich in fruits and vegetables may contribute to sweeter and more pleasant body odours.
A 2017 Australian study found that men who consumed more fruits and vegetables were associated with more floral and fruity smelling sweat.
Meat and fish
Meat and fish can also influence body odour because animal proteins break down into amino acids and fats that interact with skin bacteria.
Fish and beans contain trimethylamine, a strong smelling compound associated with fishy odours.
In rare cases, people may develop trimethylaminuria, also known as fish odour syndrome, where the body cannot properly process trimethylamine.
Another study found that men following meat free diets were often rated as having more pleasant and less intense body odours compared to men eating meat regularly.
Researchers noted this finding was unexpected because meat has historically been an important part of the human diet.
Alcohol and coffee
Alcohol can strongly affect both breath and sweat.
As the liver breaks alcohol down, it produces acetaldehyde, a compound with a distinct stale alcohol smell. Alcohol also reduces saliva flow, creating an environment where bacteria can thrive inside the mouth.
Studies show frequent alcohol consumers are more likely to report bad breath and higher levels of sulphur compounds in their breath.
Coffee and tea may also contribute to body odour because caffeine stimulates sweat glands, especially around the armpits and groin.
Researchers say scent likely plays a major role in social interaction because humans, like other mammals, respond strongly to smell.
However, scientists also caution that body odour is influenced by many factors, including genetics, health, hormones, hygiene and lifestyle.
Research into how food affects body odour continues to produce surprising and sometimes conflicting findings.
Still, scientists agree that what people eat can shape the way they smell more than many realise.
