I am embarrassed, but...

[sadinred]

I was a veggie for many years as a teenager, then in college I ate meat for a year or so, then I went vegan for about 8 years. While a vegan some of my friends and family told me they could smell a "smell" coming out of me, out of my pours, and out of my throat. ?????????? I asked my doctor who said she could smell nothing. I started eating meat, and felt great and the "smell" went away.

It is time for me to give up the meat again. I can't stand to support the practices of the meat/dairy industries any longer. I am going to try to buy Free Range once in a while, but it's so expensive!! I am afraid. My husband says: "You are going to get that smell back"!

Anyway, does anyone know anything about this "smell"? Anyone ever experienced anything like it? How can I stop it from happening again?

Please don't laugh at me. I am so self conscious about this!:scared:

[curse10]

1. hmmm- I bet elad knows

I'm not a nutrtionist or doctor but it might have been a vitamin deficiency or maybe too much of a vitamin? I know that some new vegans often turn orange :-) they eat too many carrots and haven't balanced their diet yet.

I don't have a smell or odor as far as I know. And I've known many vegans and never noticed anything odd. But my roommate, who isn't vegan but only eats cereal, cottage cheese and fruit (yeah, don't ask, he's a freak) smells really funky and repulsive. Blech.

[sadinred]

2. Maybe it's just from eating the same things day after day. n/t

[SemiCharmedQuark]

3. My husband eats almost only meat...

He smells like somethings rotting inside of him. Elad will probably know what the deal with the smell is. It's odd how our bodies work. Did you know there's an actual disease who's only effect is making people smell like fish?

[sadinred]

7. nevermind, found him! (edit: meant to reply to #1 sorry) n/t

[sadinred]

6. Who is Elad? n/t

[curse10]

12. he's our resident vegan guru

and admin :D

[theoceansnerves]

4. honestly?

they are the ones that probably smell. not eating meat gets rid of that smell and you smell different to them (yes it's true meat eaters and vegans smell and taste different.)

[sadinred]

5. Good point. n/t

[sbj405]

8. I've heard that to many other cultures Americans smell like cheese

due to the excessive amounts of dairy products we consume.

Could the smell have been attributed to any other medical condition you had at the time?

[SiouxJ]

9. I've never heard of this

But if anything, maybe it was one particular thing you were eating a lot of as a vegan. I sincerely doubt it was the lack of meat that did it. More likely it was one particular food that didn't agree with you that you may have been consuming a lot of.

[Elad]

10. It's typically the other way around

Usually, if you're paying attention and/or sensitive to such things, you can start to tell heavy meat-eaters/dairy consumers by smell. I knew a veggie who swore he could smell people who ate pizza the night before a mile away.

This is because animal flesh cell walls are very thin, and already partially putrified when consumed. Once consumed, animal products putrify extremely fast and feed bad bacteria. Basically, meat rots inside of those who eat it, which can create a smell that someone who is away from that smell for a long time can notice (most people don't notice because they're around the smell a lot).

Plant cell walls, on the other hand, are very thick, and do not rot as easily. This can be a double-edged sword, however, because this also makes plant foods (especially raw plant foods) difficult for some people to digest. This is not due to a flaw in plant foods, but more of a problem with someone not producing the proper enzymes/having a damaged digestive system due to years of junk food.

It's also possible that someone who is accustomed (subconsciously) to the smell of people who eat a lot of meat/dairy, would find the different smell of a veggie unappealing, even though I would have to say by an objective standard the smell of rotting veggies is much less offensive than the smell of rotting meat.

You said you were eating a lot of the same food, that is not a good idea no matter what diet you follow. Your body needs variety, and you'll feel better with variety.

My best guess is you simply had digestive upset of some kind. Try taking plant enzymes with every meal, and supplementing with a probiotic (acidophilus) twice a day. It wouldn't hurt to try a colon cleanse either, if you think you can handle it.

I personally agree with everyone else that veggies smell/taste better. We can stink, too, but we have to work harder to do so, hehe. :)

[sadinred]

11. You know I think it was

that I didn't eat enough. It's more difficult to get enough calories. I am thin no matter what I eat, but as a vegan I was really thin. I'll have to eat a lot more.

Anyway I appreciate your advice. I will try acidophilus and enzymes. And then I'll just see what happens.
Thank you, thank you!

[livinginphotographs]

13. My brother is a former vegan

And he did smell a bit different. I figured it could just be the deodorant he was using, since we're all used to the cologne-heavy stuff that's been tested on Thumper before it hits our shelves. But maybe it was from his diet.

As I've recently gone vegetarian, no one's commented on my odor yet. Of course, my feet smell pretty bad, but they were like that even when I ate meat. ;)

[Catchawave]

14. Also, the meat industry educates....

...on such nonsense? Also, like veg*ans are all going to die from lack of B-12?

No offense Sad, but worked in the trenches of debunking meat lobbyists for too long, and I think your post may *stink*. I'd take the advice of seeking medical help if I were you, or find a website that addresses diet concerns, other than a political one.

[sadinred]

16. well

I can either keep eating cows and not stink or I can stop and stink.
is this a political prob or a medical prob?

[Catchawave]

19. LOL....no probe, just concern...try....

http://www.health911.com/remedies/rem_bodyo.htm

[Ranec]

15. Garlic?

This is one thing I started to eat more of once I was eating vegetarian.

Now I can't eat it at all and still be allowed in my wife's presence. It isn't just my breath. Somehow it affects my body chemistry.

[kayell]

17. Have you considered that the "smell" did not actually exist?

Your doctor could not perceive it. You apparently didn't notice it, or you would have mentioned it. The only people who did were friends & family. Family often have a huge stake in maintaining a particular foodway, and you were a challenge to that as a vegan. I don't actually suspect your family of lying about your scent, but I do suspect that the power of suggestion is strong under those circumstances. Once one person noticed you smelling odd one time (for what ever reason), then attributed it to your diet (because that is what is different about you), then talked about it to other family members, they all were alerted and probably started trying to detect this strange phenomenon. Once a second family member could "smell" you, the odds dramatically increased that the whole group, with typical family togetherness and the power of suggestion, were going to start smelling you.

[sadinred]

18. Absolutely! Thank you for the reminder. Of course

it could have been that friends were just too nice. (?)
I just wanted to through it out there and see if any other veggies ever experienced something like it. I guess none here have had it happen to them.