[Jim-P]

Why do black people have such a strong and offensive odor when they get warm or sweat?

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Name : Jim-P, Gender : M, City : Clearwater, State : FL Country : United States, 

[Jahi-B]

I suspect this supposed bad odor that emanates from the armpits and bodies of black folk when they are warm or sweating is the same odor that white folk give off when they are perspiring. All people (or those without glandular problems that may inhibit sweating) perspire; it's not something unique to people of African descent.

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Name : Jahi-B, Gender : F, Race : Black/African American, City : Alexandria, State : VA Country : United States, 

[Bridget]

This is just like the question some blacks ask: "Why do white people smell like a wet dog when they get wet?" If someone stinks, they just stink. It has nothing to do with whether they are white or black. My suggestion to you: Find some friends who shower.

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Name : Bridget, Gender : F, Sexual Orientation : Lesbian, Race : Black/African American, Age : 25, City : Los Angeles, State : CA Country : United States, Education level : 2 Years of College, 

[Dan-C]

White people don't exactly smell so good either when they get sweaty. I've lived in a suite with athletes, and it didn't exactly smell pretty.

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Name : Dan-C, Gender : M, Race : White/Caucasian, Age : 20, City : Uxbridge, State : MA Country : United States, Occupation : Student, 

[A. Adams]

That's a very interesting observation that causes me to ask: Have you not ever smelled an offensive odor when around other whites, Asians, Indians, Native Americans, etc.? Everyone sweats, and sometimes we just don't smell clean or fresh (lack of deodorant, hormonal imbalances, uncleanliness, etc.) Are you sure it's the "odor" that offends you and not just being in proximity to a black person?

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Name : A. Adams, City : Los Angeles, State : CA Country : United States, Education level : Over 4 Years of College, 

[Renata-G30135]

For the same reason whites smell like wet dogs, Koreans smell like garlic, alcoholics smell like musty closets full of old rotting clothes, people who smoke cigarettes smell like rotting, burnt flesh, people who smoke marijuana on a regular basis smell like molded wood trying to burn in a fireplace: Some people don't have good hygiene, regardless of their race. Sweaty whites have offensive odors, and some blacks smell like wet dogs. All people with body odor ought to bathe and use cologne, period - or at least a good skin freshening soap. There are plenty of products on the market for all of us - speaking of which, women, health warning: Antiperspirants are part of the reason why one out of three women are diagnosed with breast cancer. Sweating has to happen in order to eliminate poisons and toxins from the body, and when we use antiperspirants, we block the sweat, and the poisons have to turn around and go back into our systems, where they begin to infiltrate the body in other forms. Let nature do what God designed it to do. Use natural deodorants, without the aluminum chlorhydrate and alcohol. You need to sweat and can do it without the odor. FYI: The other places the body gets rid of toxins are behind the ears, in the groin area and behind the knees. We're dying of unneccesary cancers because, well, it's just not nice to fool with Mother Nature. To me, black people with good hygiene habits have a very distinct 'sweet' odor when they sweat - it's earthy and rich, a nutty, fruity type of scent that smells even fresher when they begin to cool off. Been there. Done that.

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Name : Renata-G30135, City : Atlanta, State : GA Country : United States, 

[Sig]

Body odor we create by what we eat; our skin and sweat glands reflect exactly what we eat; plus how we feel: Anxious, afraid, joyful... So as to our food intake, it has been said that back at the end of World War II in Japan, the meat/animal eating Americans could be smelled before they were even seen as they moved thoughout the country. And when you want to move about without being bothered by mosquitoes when hunting/ fishing/gardening,you simply eat lots of garlic, so your skin exudes the smell of garlic, to which mosquitoes are not attacted. Of course, no one else may want to be around you, either!

Once animal products are eliminated from your diet, body odor almost disappears. Yes, you continue to perspire, but with no odor (unless you are into garlic). Then, you are simply left with your anxiety, and we all find ourselves in anxious situations. But who will stop eating animals to change the smell of their body odor? The deodorant business would dry up. What would we do with all those dead carcasses? So, smell of body odor has nothing to do with the color of our skin, but with what we put in our mouths. All over the globe, change what we eat and our body's smell changes correspondingly.

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Name : Sig, Gender : F, Race : White/Caucasian, Age : 54, City : Jacksonville, State : FL Country : United States, Occupation : Professional, Education level : Over 4 Years of College, Social class : Middle class, 

[debbie25774]

people do give different odors when they sweat ,however it is not because of race it has to do with diet and health.having lived with peoples of all nationality i,ve found differences in each .my mexican roomate smelled different ,her diet consisted of alot of fried foods and spices,my blsck roomate smelled different her diet consisted of alot of greeens,pork,southern cooking.my asian roomate was a vegetarian and she smelled much different too.then i had a relative dye in my house that had cancer and that was a different smell altogether

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Name : debbie25774, Gender : F, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : White/Caucasian, Religion : Christian, City : kansas city, State : MO Country : United States, Occupation : student, Education level : 2 Years of College, 

[Hallie]

I don't believe that simply being a vegetarian will get rid of body odor. I've been an lacto-ovo-vegan all my life, and I (unfortunately) can assure you that I still need my deodorant, more or less the same as carnivores. Body odor is natural human musk. Certain groups of people (such as Americans) find that smell repugnant, while others consider it a turn-on. As far as race goes, I don't think that has much to do with body odor.

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Name : Hallie, Gender : F, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Age : 16, City : Frankfort, State : KY Country : United States, Occupation : Student, 

[Turtle]

I noticed that body odor can come from diet. A Latina friend smells of a combination of garlic/peppers/oil. An East Asian friend smelled of curry/garlic/oil. I wonder what my odor reminded them of? I also notice that all my friends' homes have distinct smells, but mine does not - to me.

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Name : Turtle, Gender : F, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Disability : narcolepsy/ms, Race : White/Caucasian, Age : 38, City : Wichita Falls, State : TX Country : United States, Occupation : writer, Education level : Technical School, Social class : Lower middle class, 

[Haze]

Everyone is missing an important aspect of this question. Yes, of course everyone sweats, and people with bad hygeine smell. But the question is based on the observation that people of a certain race smell consistently like each other and DIFFERENT than other races. Smelly blacks have a distinct smell unlike any other race. Why is the smell different? And, of course, smelly whites have a smell similar to other smelly whites. It's been said that whites smell like a wet dog, caused by oils in the hair, plus I would imagine normal body odor. So, if blacks don't have oily hair, what is the explanation for this odor, when said odor is present? It is a strong, rich, earthy, almost spicy smell. It ranges from slightly unpleasant to nauseatingly thick. Like I said, it's not all blacks who smell, but those who do, seem to smell like this. We've already answered the question about why whites smell like they do; now let's turn the microscope in another direction.

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Name : Haze, Gender : M, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : White/Caucasian, Religion : Pagan, Age : 23, City : Mountain View, State : CA Country : United States, Occupation : Engineer, Education level : 4 Years of College, Social class : Upper middle class, 

[David]

It's got nothing to do with color. A meat and dairy-rich diet will cause any race to become pungent. A Korean friend told me a word used to describe Americans that, translated, means 'butter stinker.' Dairy-free people can literally smell a meat and dairy person coming. I can attest to diet changing your body odor; a year ago I went vegan, for three months no dairy or eggs. I had NO B.O.! My wife said I smelled kind of sweet. Then a four-cheese pizza came into my life and the B.O. came back. I'm still vegan, with forays into cheese, and the B.O. is still with me. As soon as there's a good soy substitute for cheese, I'll be smelling like roses.

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Name : David, Gender : M, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : White/Caucasian, Religion : spiritual, Age : 49, City : Battle Creek, State : MI Country : United States, Occupation : factory, Education level : High School Diploma, Social class : Middle class, 

[C-Brown19309]

It is not race, what you have noticed is a feature of lower-income lifestyle in general. I don't think many people would argue that black people have lower incomes in general. People of lower incomes end up more often in situations where it is natural to sweat and therefore work up a smell. Many them tend to have jobs working outdoors or where there is no air conditioning. Many do not have air conditioning in their own homes. Plus, there are high concentrations of the black population in the South where it is hotter. Probably you have encountered this one or two times and are now generalizing from it. Also, some cultures just think it's weird to wear deodorant, that you're supposed to stink at the end of the day. Really, (mostly white) Americans are alone in their obsession with not only being clean but smelling nice.

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Name : C-Brown19309, City : Atlanta, State : GA Country : United States, 

[Joel-C]

In response to the issue of black odor,I can only say that while some black people smell less offensively than others,as a people they have a distinctive smell,noticeably so! Any honest person can distinguish between a black person,and anyone else,simply by this skunky smell,but only when they have not bathed recently.The women are the same as the men in this respect,and if they are offensive to white people,or any other ethnic group,why lie and say this is not so? I can't fault Black men for desiring White women,at all...-whew! A dead cat smells more appealing!

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Name : Joel-C, City : Atlanta, State : GA Country : United States, 

[Stacey T.]

Why does ANYBODY stink when sweaty? Athletes, gardeners, mechanics and dog walkers of every race that I know of get stinky. Now if you're talking cultural body odor unrelated to the sweat of heat and exertion, I'm sure diet has alot to do with it. East Indian people who eat garlic and curry can smell very differently than White Russians who eat onions & beets. And a person not familiar with a particular smell will be more attuned to it. Sometimes I swear I can smell asparagus tips a mile away in an air conditioned mall. You'd be amazed by what stinks to some people.

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Name : Stacey T., Gender : F, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : Black/African American, Religion : Christian, Age : 32, City : Conway, State : AR Country : United States, Occupation : State Employee, Education level : 2 Years of College, Social class : Lower class, 

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