6 Foods and Drinks to Avoid If You Sweat a Lot

People sweat, it’s natural. But some people sweat more than others. It could be because you have more sweat glands than most people, your anxious or because of your diet. If you want to put a stop to some of the sweating, check out these seven foods and drinks you should avoid if you sweat a lot.

Salt



a close up of food: avoid if you sweat a lot sweet salt


© Angela Kerndl
avoid if you sweat a lot sweet salt

Rumor has it, eating excess amounts of salt will make you sweat more, because when you eat a large amount of salt, your body disposes of the excess salt through urine and sweat. Though there’s little evidence supporting this, avoiding foods with large amounts of sodium will at least help improve your heart health.  

Fatty, Processed Foods



a close up of a sandwich sitting on top of a table: avoid if you sweat a lot bacon lettuce


© Monica Cheng
avoid if you sweat a lot bacon lettuce

Fatty, processed foods like white bread, fast food and junk food are low in fiber, which makes them hard to digest. In order to make up for this, your body works twice as hard and it takes your body twice as long to digest. This causes your body temperature to rise, which will make you sweat more. 

Caffeinated Drinks



a cup of coffee on a table: avoid if you sweat a lot coffee cappuccino


© Gabby Phi
avoid if you sweat a lot coffee cappuccino

Drinking coffee not only wakes up your body up, it wakes up your sweat glands, too. Caffeine stimulates your central nervous system, increases your heart rate and raises your blood pressure. All this extra energy can lead to more sweating, so cut down on the coffee if you want to avoid pit stains

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scale workout mat with workout equipment

Alcoholic Beverages



a close up of a wine glass: avoid if you sweat a lot cocktail ice


© Keriss101
avoid if you sweat a lot cocktail ice

Ever get really hot when you drink? Alcohol increases your heart rate, causing your body to heat up. This in turn forces your body’s natural cooling system to kick in. Do you know what your body’s natural cooling system is? Yes, it’s sweating. 

Onions and Garlic



a group of garlic on a table: avoid if you sweat a lot garlic vegetable


© Kristine Mahan
avoid if you sweat a lot garlic vegetable

Onions and garlic don’t actually make you sweat more, these ingredients just make your sweat smellier. If you sweat a lot and don’t want it to be too stinky, try eating less garlic and onions. It won’t only help with the stench of sweat, but it will help with your breath, too.

Spicy Foods



a basket full of food: avoid if you sweat a lot chili pepper


© Dea Uy
avoid if you sweat a lot chili pepper

You probably aren’t shocked by this one, but eating spicy foods can make you sweat more. What might surprise you though, is capsaicin, which is in some spicy foods like hot wings and chili fries. Capsaicin tricks your body into thinking your temperature is rising, making you sweat. Even though it might sound like a harsh chemical, it actually comes from chili peppers and has some benefits if you don’t mind the extra sweat. 

Ice Cream



a close up of food: avoid if you sweat a lot cream chocolate


© Nicole Lacasse
avoid if you sweat a lot cream chocolate

Even though ice cream can fit into the fatty and processed foods category, I thought it was important to keep it separate. Many people eat ice cream to cool down their bodies on hot summer days (and it’s also delicious), but it actually makes you sweat. As mentioned before, high levels of fat take longer to digest, causing your body to heat up. 

If you like to eat or drink any of the things mentioned above, but really want to stop sweating, I would consider changing your diet. And if you don’t want to cut out all of these things completely, try to at least consume them less. 

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