The five reasons why your sweat smells – what your body odour means about your health

Chris Evans jokes about his wife sweating after a workout

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Have you noticed yourself smelling a little different recently? Most of us don’t like smelling funky, and will cover up our natural odours with deodorant or perfume, but did you know that the smell of your sweat can give you clues about your health?

There is an average of three million sweat glands on the human body, and while exercising you can lose between 700ml and 1.5 litres of sweat per hour.

We sweat all over our bodies, to cool down and to keep our skin moist, but there are three different types of sweat glands: eccrine, apocrine, and apoeccrine glands.

It’s only sweat from the apoeccrine glands – found in the breasts, face, scalp, perineum, and underarms – which can smell.

Getting hot and sweaty can be a good thing in the right circumstances: such as working up a sweat in the gym.

But, if your sweat starts smelling different, it could be down to a health problem.

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Why does my sweat smell sour?

A sour body odour can be caused by sweating more.

The more you sweat, the more your sweat mixes with bacteria which normally live on your skin, causing a sour smell.

This can be a result of a condition called hyperhidrosis, causing excessive sweating.

Eating pungent foods like garlic or oregano can contribute to this smell too.

Why does my sweat smell like urine?

Ammonia is what gives your urine that distinctive smell.

High levels of ammonia in your sweat can give it a faint urine smell, which is obviously unpleasant.

But sweat which smells like urine could also be a symptom of something more serious.

Liver and kidney disease can both cause you to have a strange and unpleasant body odour.

If your liver or kidneys aren’t functioning properly, the toxins that they normally filter out of your body can instead build up.

This can cause your sweat to smell like ammonia or urine.

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Why does my sweat smell like bread dough?

A key ingredient for the delicious smell of baking bread is yeast, which is decidedly less appetising when it appears on your body.

Most commonly associated with genital infections, did you know you can also get yeast infections in your armpits?

Having a vaginal yeast infection, or a yeast infection in your armpits can cause your sweat to smell like bread dough.

Why does my sweat smell like vinegar?

A vinegary smell could be related to a few different health conditions.

If you have kidney disease, your kidneys may be unable to break down a chemical called urea.

Your body will then excrete urea through your urine and sweat – causing both to have a vinegar-like smell.

Diabetes may also cause your sweat to smell more acrid and vinegary than usual.

This is because metabolites, including acetone, are released into your sweat.

Trichomyosis can be another cause of vinegar-like body odour. This is a bacterial infection that affects your underarm hair.

A 2013 study found 35 percent of people with trichomycosis reported a change in body odour as a symptom.

Why does my sweat smell sweet?

If your sweat or your breath smells unusually sweet, this could be because of a higher count of ketones in your bloodstream.

It might sound nice to be literally sweet-smelling, but it can actually be a sign of serious medical conditions such as unmanaged diabetes.

If you notice that you suddenly smell sweet or fruity, for no obvious reason, you should get advice from a healthcare professional.

How can I stop smelly sweat?

If you suspect there could be a medical reason behind your body odour, get that checked out first and foremost.

However, if you’re in the clear, and just want to smell a bit fresher, try these tips:

• Wash more frequently: most sweat smells are simply caused by bacteria on the skin. Washing more often and using perfumed shower gels and bath products will help.
• Wear deodorant and antiperspirants: if you find your current deodorant isn’t cutting it, look for one which offers more protection against sweat.
• Drink more water: drinking more water will dilute your sweat further, making smells less noticeable.
• Diet: your diet can alter the smell of your sweat, spices, seasonings and eating lots of meat can all impact how much you sweat, and how it smells.

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