5 things your sweat says about your health
Here is what your sweat could be saying about your health.
1. You need more sodium
Salty sweat is your body’s request for more sodium. If your sweat stings your eyes, burns in an open cut, leaves a gritty feeling on your skin, or produces white streaks on your face or clothes, it could be your cue to amp up your sodium intake. Add salt to foods such as eggs, vegetables, or meats, and drink a sports drink rather than plain water when you exercise, advises Runner’s World.
2. You might need to kick the coffee habit
Too much coffee could be to blame for the sweat circles that appear on your morning commute. “Coffee increases perspiration in two ways,” Liz Lyster, MD, told Huffington Post. “First, caffeine stimulates the central nervous system, activating sweat glands so the more caffeine you have, the more you sweat. Secondly, the heat from the drink itself can make your body feel hot enough to sweat.” If you can’t kick your coffee habit completely, opt for iced or decaf.
3. You’re applying antiperspirant at the wrong time
“Antiperspirants are most effective when applied to very dry skin,” David Pariser, MD, founding member and secretary of the International Hyperhidrosis Society, told Woman’s Day. “If you apply them in the morning right before you head out, or right after you get out of the shower, you’ll likely already be sweating or have wet underarms. If the skin’s surface is wet, the chemical reaction that forms from the aluminium [in the antiperspirant] will happen on the surface of the skin instead of in the pores, preventing the sweat glands from getting blocked.” Even if you’re a morning shower taker, use antiperspirant at night before bed. When applied to totally dry skin, the product can last for a few days. Post-shower, apply a deodorant for fragrance and you’ll be good to go.
4. You’re scared
A US military experiment suggests that people can literally smell fear. For the study, researchers collected sweat samples from 20 novice skydivers before and during their first tandem jump, and then again as they ran on a treadmill for a similar duration of time. Volunteers in brain scanners were asked to take a whiff of each sample. The brain regions associated with fear were more active when the volunteers sniffed the skydiving sample than the treadmill sample. The results make sense from an evolutionary standpoint – one person’s fear pheromone would alert those around him that danger is in the air.
5. You’re overcoming an illness
Think your partner smells a bit off this week? They might just be sick. One Psychological Science study found that healthy people are able to detect the amped-up immune system of someone fighting an infection. The results suggest that smell is an important warning signal against contagious illnesses.
Written by Juliana LaBianca. This article first appeared in Reader’s Digest. For more of what you love from the world’s best-loved magazine, here’s our best subscription offer.