Sometime last week, while I was doing some research on the causes and prevention of various diseases, I ran into some information on how some diseases can cause body odor. This was remarkably interesting to me, because my understanding had always been that body odor is caused purely by poor hygiene. Body odor, typically occurs when sweat – which is odorless – encounters bacteria on the skin. The bacteria breaks down the sweat to release unpleasant smells. The more the bacteria on your skin and the more you sweat, the stronger the odor. Conversely, the more often you wash bacteria off your skin – through regular showers – and the less you sweat, the less the body odor you emit. We can probably all relate!
Things you probably did not know
Through my research, I found out that the sweat we emit are of two types, that produced by eccrine glands – located all over the body, and that produced by apocrine glands – located in the armpits, hair and groin1. Sweat from the eccrine glands primarily consists of water and its role is to cool down the body on a hot day or after exercise, while sweat from the apocrine glands releases proteins, fats and lipids – from the food we eat – that has a much stronger odor than that from the eccrine glands. Stress, including fear and anxiety, which is known to cause disease, usually triggers the apocrine glands that increases the chances of extremely strong body odor2.
During my research, I also found out that excessive body odor is hard to control if a person has a disease called Trimethylaminuria (I did not try to pronounce that!), in which the person’s urine, breath and sweat smell like fish – due to the body’s inability to metabolize a gut compound called trimethylamine3. Other chronic diseases that can cause smelly breath or body odor include, diabetes, low blood sugar, heart attacks, thyroid problems, and some types of cancers4, and physicians have occasionally used these smells to detect these and other underlying chronic diseases. This information on odors has helped me to be less judgmental of other people’s hygiene habits, because I now realize that the struggle to manage the disease and its symptoms is very real for them.
And so what?
As I thought about my new findings, It occurred to me that just as our bodies emit aromas – usually pleasant smells – or odors based on what we eat, how hygienic we are and what diseases we may be harboring, our souls also emit aromas or odors based on what our soul eats, how hygienic our souls are and what diseases (sin) our souls are harboring. I got excited about this and became interested in knowing more about soul odors and aromas. When this age – that we live in- is over, body aromas and odors will be a thing of the past, but not so with soul aromas and odors. The impact they make on earth will remain for all eternity. What smell is your soul radiating for eternity? Soul aromas or soul odors?
Soul aromas and odors – what are they?
Soul aromas radiate from those who believe in and walk in obedience to Christ and soul odors radiate from those who walk in disobedience to Christ’s law of love, and worship him in vain even though they try to please him through man-made rules. (Matthew 15:9). Your soul aromas or odors are experienced by the people you interact with on a day-to-day basis and if you pay close attention, you will also be mindful of your aromas yourself. Soul aromas are emitted when you are patient, forgiving, joyful, courageous, humble, loving, compassionate, hospitable, generous, wise, peaceful, forbearing, kind, good, faithful, gentle and self-controlled. Soul aromas radiate as you diligently practice integrative wellness for optimal health- encompassing spirit, soul and body. On the other hand, you emit soul odors when you are prideful, selfish, greedy, angry, impatient, hostile, sexually immoral, unforgiving, vengeful, and lazy among others.
How to generate and radiate soul aromas
Soul aromas are dependent on what you feed your soul with, because it is the fruit of the seeds you sow – “every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit” (Matthew 7:17). Your soul’s food is the word of God and when you eat it, the Holy Spirit empowers you to live “by every word that comes from the mouth of God” (Matthew 4:4). Living by God’s word means walking in obedience to the truth of sincerely loving one another fervently with a pure heart – which purifies your soul and keeps it clean (1 Peter 1:22). As you walk in love, you must also put to death the disease of sin that belongs to your earthly nature (Colossians 3:5). Doing these things will lead you to radiate sweet aromas that are pleasing to God.
As you go out into this new week, what steps are you going to take to please God with the sweetest possible aromas? Remember that the key lies in the moment-by-moment optimal health choices you make. Have a pleasantly sweet week!
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