Body odor relation to hair loss

I believe I have came across a clue to what causes premature hair loss, I want to know if any other people who are premature balders (in their 20's) have had the same experience. Please follow my logic and let me know if you think I am on the right track.

Since puberty I have had a onion body odor from my armpits, very strong. After wrestling practice in high school the whole school bus would cringe and yell when I got on board and I didn't have deodorant. So I found an article that talks about women body odor smelling like onions, and male body odor smelling like cheese:

http://www.environmentalgraffiti.com/sciencetech/men-smell-like-cheese-women-smell-like-onions/7992

So I have a female body odor, probably because of an excess of estrogen causing this sulphur to be present in my sweat. On this forum we have talked a lot about how premature baldness is basically the male version of PCOS, which basically results in a loss of all hair on the top of the scalp, and in the end the only part that remains is a little tuft of hair in the front. (Wheras people who lose their hair in their 40's and beyond have gradual recession and they do lose that tuft of hair in the front.

Anyway, being that I am 25 and started losing my hair at 22, I think it's safe to say that my hair loss is related to male-PCOS. My SHBG was always low when I checked (it was 19), my free testosterone was always high, and my total testosterone was mid to low range. Unfortunately I never checked my estrogen but I believe it is high because one time when I was taking DHEA supplements I had a night sweat problem, so I suppose that I had estrogen dominance because all that DHEA was being converted to estrogen instead of testosterone.

Now how does this relate to body odor? When I went on a no gluten and no egg (both I believe i am sensitive to), my odor went away. JDP has posted a study that showed that 85% of people with PCOS have gluten sensitivity. So I am thinking that eating gluten was causing my hormones to shift into estrogen dominance, which gave me the onion body odor.

Now last week I suddenly started eating grains again, because my girlfriend makes delicious bread, and my parents bought me a few pizzas here and there. So a few nights ago we were lying down and she said "Wow your onion odor is back again, and really strong!"

So do any of you other premature balders (hair loss in 30's and earlier) have this issue of an onion body odor? I'm thinking that maybe our odor can be a gage for if we are on the right track.

Very, very interesting theory

I am starting to be very glad I have cut gluten from my diet (even more so now!). It's so hard to judge one's own odor though lol xD Especially as I use a rock salt... thing, that is bacteriostatic and so stops my underarm sweat from smelling lol

I guess mine does smell a bit oniony, but I would really need to like, smell a group of male friends to compare lol, and I doubt my m8's would appreciate that xD

Is there any kind of test we can do for underarm sulphur/thiol?

I too have pretty diffuse thinning all over my scalp, which came on all of a sudden.

Again, good theory, and I look forward to keeping up with this thread and seeing people's responses!

Hey Espio,

FWIW, I rarely need deodorant since my change in diet. Previously, I would say my body odor smelled more of onions rather than cheese.

Here is some good info regarding gluten with one symptom being "body odor."

hope this helps

-------------------------------------------------------------------


What are the symptoms of gluten sensitivity? There are so many =
that it's best to categorize them as a) deficiency symptoms, brain =
effects, c) immune system effects, and d) miscellaneous.=20

The classic reaction is Celiac Disease, a slow progressive damage to the =
villi of the small intestine. It begins in the duodenum, where iron =
should be absorbed, lactase should be made, and where the hormone to =
tell the gallbladder to dump should be made. Thus iron deficient anemia, =
lactose intolerance, and gallbladder problems should be red flags for =
this condition. Poor gallbladder function means poor absorption of fats =
and oil soluble vitamins, with dry skin a common symptom. As the damage =
spreads, the celiac may eat more and more just to maintain a normal =
weight, or may lose weight no matter how much they eat. Deficiency =
symptoms that eventually occur can include anemia, sore mouth, numb or =
tingly feet, even senile dementia, from B12 deficiency. Poor dream =
recall, stiff hands, sciatica or carpal tunnel syndrome, and eventually =
arthritis may result from B6 deficiency. Depression or grouchiness from =
B3 deficiency. Anemia, fatigue, cervical dysplasia, fibrocystic breasts, =
miscarriage, or birth defects from folic acid deficiency. Low thyroid =
function and fibrocystic breasts from iodine deficiency. Poor sense of =
taste and smell, stretch marks, body odor, smelly feet, white flecks on =
the fingernails from zinc deficiency. Poor night vision from zinc and =
vitamin A deficiency. In general the damage done to the intestine =
probably leads to leaky gut and susceptibility to Candida overgrowth. =
But intestinal damage is only the classic reaction, and years of other =
symptoms may precede them.=20

Gluten and a similar protein found in dairy products, casein, both =
resemble opiates. Some people become very sleepy after meals containing =
wheat. Severe cases have been diagnosed as "narcolepsy". Others may =
develop panic attacks. ADD and ADHD have been associated with gluten =
intolerance. Autism has been repeatedly been associated with gluten =
and/or casein. Many cases of schizophrenia have been caused or worsened =
by gluten. Any regular intake of an opiate-like substance implies that =
addiction could take place, and certainly many people have admitted a =
sort of addiction to baked goods or dairy products.=20

Many "incurable" autoimmune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, =
lupus, MS, thyroiditis, pancreatitis, and juvenile diabetes have been =
linked to gluten and/or casein. In vitro tests have shown that when =
gluten is added to the blood of celiacs, the cells that fight cancer =
stop working. Non Hodgkins Lymphoma is the #1 cause of death in =
untreated celiacs.=20

Miscellaneous effects: Irritation to the gut affects valve function and =
leads to acid reflux at the "cardiac valve" and autointoxication from =
the iliocaecal valve not closing properly so bacteria get into the small =
intestine where they don't belong and overload the liver with metabolic =
byproducts.=20

Now for the really little known information:=20

Gluten intolerance is often associated with poor Sulfation. Glucosamine =
sulfate builds joints, but other sulfates are needed to repair the =
lining of the gut to keep out undigested food. Poor sulfation may cause =
or worsen allergies or gluten sensitivity, and may cause the dark =
circles around the eyes known as "allergic shiners".=20

The antigliadin test is notoriously insensitive, so another test is =
often done with it, for "endomysial antibodies". This is a very =
sensitive test, but all it means is that you are attacking your own =
muscles. This may explain why so many people with Fibromyalgia turn out =
to have gluten sensitivity.=20

Espio - Very interesting theory!

http://www.biomedcentral.com/1471-2458/9/82

The study above may relate to this as well.

Here's a link on bad odor in dogs with skin/alopecia problems

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16581994

Very interesting. I think im in a very similar situation to you Espio. Ive read a few of your posts and we seem to have the same issues - adrenals, thyroid, low basal body temp, cant eat whatever i want whenever and not gain a pound etc. I used to sweat like mad a few years ago roughly 23 when i started to thin out. Had to lay on the aluminum deodorant and then even had to resort to over the counter antiperspirant, the strong stuff, to keep from soaking my armpits. I still seemed to smell after a few hours of sweating. I dont sweat as much anymore but it does seem to get stinky fast.

Question, do you have thinning sides as well? Sideburns and up a few inches? One of my temples recedes a great deal more than the other as well

Does this mean garlic (sulphur) and MSM (sulphur) are out if you have this problem? Does MSM cause this problem because of a build-up of sulphur?

Also, are probiotics bad?

Gluten and a similar protein found in dairy products, casein, both =
resemble opiates.

Whip - I would say no because the primary health benefit of garlic is directly due to its production of hydrogen sulfide.

Garlic is a broad range of anti-inflammatory effects. When the allicin component of garlic is broken down, it generates sulfenic acids which are believed to be the most power type of antioxidant.

Hydrogen sulfide smell is product a problem with digestive issues. There is a positive correlation between those with the odor (breath) and H. Pylori for example.

Wow, some great posts!

So, I was reading your post JDP as I find it really interesting - is sulfation a likely problem also then? Will general health improvements help there, a great multivit, etc, or might those with gluten sensitivities need a more specific means of tackling it?

And... is there a reason dropping my MSM might be advisable? I have Biotin now anyway which is quite stimulatory, and I didn't plan on buying more MSM once I'm through with this lot anyway.. hmm o.O

When i was taking fina and others anti Dht , i had the side effects that everybody knows and i had this onion odor and my hair wasn't in good shape, very thin . My estrogen level was surely too hight.
Since i'm back to normal, i don't have this onion odor anymore or very rarely and my hair is thicker and in good shape!

elan164 wrote:Very interesting. I think im in a very similar situation to you Espio. Ive read a few of your posts and we seem to have the same issues - adrenals, thyroid, low basal body temp, cant eat whatever i want whenever and not gain a pound etc. I used to sweat like mad a few years ago roughly 23 when i started to thin out. Had to lay on the aluminum deodorant and then even had to resort to over the counter antiperspirant, the strong stuff, to keep from soaking my armpits. I still seemed to smell after a few hours of sweating. I dont sweat as much anymore but it does seem to get stinky fast.

Question, do you have thinning sides as well? Sideburns and up a few inches? One of my temples recedes a great deal more than the other as well

Elan- I don't think I've lost a lot of hair on the temples, it's mostly on the top of my scalp, the sides are very thick. But here are some pictures I just took of myself let me know if I have what you have:



Here's some other pictures at different lighting angles, taken at same time:

http://i40.photobucket.com/albums/e239/grossen/DSC00932.jpg
http://i40.photobucket.com/albums/e239/grossen/DSC00931.jpg
http://i40.photobucket.com/albums/e239/grossen/DSC00930.jpg

JDP, thank you for that article. I definitely have the white specks on fingernails- denoting a zinc deficiency, but at the same time I have a high iron level. Over 16 hemoglobin every time I donate blood, and my ferritin was 160 a year ago. So I don't know why I would retain iron but lose a lot of zinc.

Another symptom I have noticed is that when I do mess up and have a bit of pizza or a slice of bread, I'll wake up with a sticky coating on my tongue and mouth. I have had this my whole life until I went on a no gluten diet, but it comes back the very same day that I start eating bread again.

Also, I need to point out to you guys that are saying "well maybe I smells more like onion than cheese i guess, i'd have to check." I'm talking about whenever I would lift my arms someone would say "dude you freaking STINK!!!" The only women I could attract would be really fat women who would walk up to me and say, "Wussup, you smell like cheeseburger, boy!" This is a really obvious onion smell.

Skywalker- thank you for your observation, I'm glad to know someone else had the onion odor and concluded that it was because of high estrogen.

Hippo- The onion odor issue went away about the same time I began taking MSM because it was in my regimine to battle adrenal fatigue, so I don't think there is any issue with it.

CS- thank you for that article, I was there is a study that has already been done which compared the onion odor to MPB

Hippo?


lol xD

lol

Elan- I don't think I've lost a lot of hair on the temples, it's mostly on the top of my scalp, the sides are very thick. But here are some pictures I just took of myself let me know if I have what you have:

hard to say since your hair is long, my sideburns and a bit of the hair above that and my ears is slowly starting to turn in to facial type hair-coarse, sparse etc. i dont think i could have my hair that long anymore as i think it would fall down as there isnt as much volume to it anymore