Body odor itself is not a typical side effect of caffeine. However, large amounts of caffeine may cause excessive sweating, which may lead to body odor. Body odor may also be caused by a number of other conditions. If you are concerned about your caffeine consumption or your body odor, see a doctor.
Caffeine Consumption
Excessive sweating may occur when you consume large amounts of caffeine. Since caffeine affects everyone in a slightly different way, it’s impossible to predict the specific amount that will trigger this effect for you or even if you will experience this effect at all. Generally, most people can consume about 200 to 300 mg of caffeine each day without experiencing adverse effects. Consuming more than 500 mg of caffeine a day, however, increases your risk of side effects, including excessive sweating.
Considerations
If you typically sweat after consuming a certain amount of caffeine, try to eliminate your caffeine intake to see if that resolves the issue. It is usually best to gradually reduce your consumption rather than quitting all at once, as suddenly stopping your caffeine consumption may trigger withdrawal symptoms, which may include fatigue, irritability and painful headaches. If you still experience excessive sweating or body odor after eliminating your caffeine consumption, another condition besides caffeine is to blame.
Other Causes of Body Odor
Many medical conditions can cause excessive sweating, including hormonal changes, low blood sugar, cancer, an overactive thyroid and taking certain medications. Skin conditions, such as intertrigo, erthrasma or trichomycosis axillaris, may also cause excessive sweating and body odor. You may also sweat more than usual when you get too warm or feel a strong emotion. When the bacteria on your skin begin to break down this sweat, an unpleasant body odor may ensue.
Treatment of Body Odor
Two ways to control body odor is by keeping the amount of bacteria on your skin to a minimum and by maintaining your skin in as dry and as sweat-free a condition as possible. Washing your body, particularly your underarm area, and using topical deodorants often proves beneficial at managing regular body odor. Antiperspirants, which work by preventing you from sweating at all, are also useful. Removing underarm hair by shaving or electrolysis may also help. However, if you believe body odor is due to excessive sweating from a medical condition, contact a doctor to discuss appropriate medical treatments.
Warning
Besides an increase in sweating, caffeine may cause a number of other unpleasant effects. Caffeine may make it harder to fall or stay asleep, and it may also impair the quality of sleep you do get. It increases your rate of breathing and raises your blood pressure. It also may cause dizziness, headaches, muscle tremors or gastrointestinal side effects. You may also experience unpleasant emotions, such as nervousness, anxiety or irritability. These unpleasant effects typically show up within one hour after you consume the caffeine and could last as long as 14 hours, according to the American Academy of Sleep.
References
- U.S. Food and Drug Administration: Caffeine and Your Body
- MayoClinic.com; How Much Is Too Much?; March 2011
- MedlinePlus: Sweating; David C. Dugdale et al.; May 2009
- New Zealand Dermatological Society; Bromhidrosis; Vanessa Ngan; June 2011
- American Academy of Sleep Medicine; Sleep and Caffeine; Donald R. Townsend, PhD, August 2006
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