Foot Odor

Smelly feet resulting in foot odor affects many people, and is often similar to athlete's foot in its origin and epidemiology, if the skin between the toes or the skin along the heels becomes white, is flaky looking or itchy-then the cause of the odor is probably athlete’s foot. In certain individuals, the sweat glands occurring along the soles of the feet become overactive and secrete a lot of sweat-though all individuals have many sweat glands in the soles of the feet, it is only in some individuals that this hyperactivity occurs due to various reasons. The use of antiperspirants is not suggested when dealing with extremely sweaty feet as sweating is how the body regulates levels of water, minerals and temperature in a natural and normal fashion-therefore antiperspirants will only interfere with this regulation and their use will not solve the problem. The odor must be eliminated through natural methods and preventive measures are the best way to go about the task.

Bacterial action is the main cause of all kinds of body odor, this includes the odor produced by the feet, normal bacteria found on the skin break down the sweat released from the skin and produce chemicals which are foul smelling. Some factors may increase the chances for foot odor, for example air is not able to circulate properly if a person wears socks and shoes made only of synthetic materials-though these fabrics promote sweating, they restrict the flow of air and damp air gets trapped in the region surrounding the feet, this increases the bacterial population and encourages the growth of other pathogens. In the summer, feet often sweat excessively due to the increased temperatures; at such times walking in sandals or walking barefoot is a particularly helpful way of combating the odor and preventing the growth of bacteria. Accumulated dirt and perspiration will be decomposed by bacteria to create an odor if feet are not washed immediately after strenuous activity or following a day spent wearing shoes-it is important to wash the feet thoroughly everyday and particularly after exercising. It is important to change the shoes on a daily basis, letting them dry and aerating them properly-this practice will impede bacterial growth and resulting odor while being healthy for the foot muscles.

The presence of a kidney disorder or liver problems, where wastes cannot properly be eliminated from the body can also bring about foot odor along with bad body odor as a part of a systemic disorder due to the accumulation of toxins within the body of the individual concerned.

Supplements and herbs

The use of different food supplements cannot treat the presence of foot odor that is caused by the use of athletic shoes that restrict the circulation of air around the feet of the person. Systemic problems that cause foot odor can however, be treated by changing to dietary supplements that deodorize and detoxify the body. Deodorization and detoxification of the body can be achieved through dietary changes using green food supplements-these foods are rich in chlorophyll, the active compound that helps detoxify the body and removes odor at the same time.

Systemic elimination of foot odor is possible through the regulated use of many of the herbal remedies given here, these stimulate the liver and the kidneys and help the body to rapidly detoxify and eliminate all toxins causing odors in the body.

Use the herbal extracts or infusions made from the fir needle, and herbs like the horsetail, the sage or some oak bark infusion to wash the feet every morning and in the evenings. These herbal remedies will help in the absorption of moisture from the feet and promote healthy skin-the best method is to use these herbs to wash feet several times as a day, this is effective especially for people who have a very bad case of foot odor. If used continuously for several weeks at a stretch, the herbal extracts of sage will prove itself to be an excellent remedy in the elimination of foot odor. An herbal tea prepared from the sage can be taken at doses of about a quart of tea every day.

What else you can do

It is very essential for people affected by a foot odor problem to wash their feet every mornings and evening on a regular basis, and even washing feet several times a day, or as and when necessary will keep foot odor at bay. Use bath water fortified with a tbsp. of wine vinegar for every quart of water if excessive sweating is the problem. Walk barefoot as often as possible and try to wear open shoes made using natural fiber-sandals are a good choice in summer. It is very important to change cotton socks frequently when using them.

Usual dosage

• Supplements of green food, two tbsp.