Have you been in a group and it seems like mosquitoes are just in love with only your blood? Being one of those persons that being outside on a summer evening, you are the first to hear that awful buzzing close to your head before an eventual bite will be delivered to my arm, leg, or any other exposed flesh. But why do some people attract mosquitoes like a magnet while others hardly ever get bitten? According to a recent study, your diet might be important.
A mosquito bite is typically just a mild irritation that makes the skin itchy and swells where it was bitten. In many regions of the world, certain mosquito species can spread diseases like dengue, yellow fever, zika, and malaria. In fact, the World Health Organization estimates that malaria, which would account for about 627,000 diseases in 2020, poses a risk to half of the world’s population. The threat that mosquitoes offer for spreading diseases is growing as a result of climate change.
It is now commonly known that a person’s unique scents from their breath and skin are what attract mosquitoes to bite, in addition to the colour of their clothing and their body temperature. Physiology, pregnancy, genetic make-up, underlying illnesses, and skin microbiota are among the factors that affect an individual’s body odour. According to recent research, altering what you eat and drink may affect your appeal to bothersome insects since it might affect your breathing and skin bacteria.
More than 350 distinct volatile organic compounds are produced by the human body. Some of these VOCs have a stronger attraction to mosquitoes than others. Carbon dioxide, lactic acid made during exercise, acetone released when in ketosis, ammonia, and other human-generated organic compounds are some of the VOCs examined that attract mosquitoes.
Here’s a look at the studies on dietary elements that can make you more appealing to mosquitoes.
Alcohol use may enhance body VOCs that mosquitoes find attractive, according to a few studies. In a study that was released in the Journal of the American Mosquito Control Association, researchers evaluated biomarkers in 13 study participants before and after drinking beer and discovered that the percentage of mosquitoes that bit the people increased after drinking beer.
Another study found that drinking beer made participants more attractive to mosquitoes, according to a PLOS ONE study. Beer (and probably all alcohol) is said to make people more attractive by raising body warmth and changing VOC levels after consumption.
Caffeine is a chemical that can be detected on the skin and it appears to increase appeal to mosquitos, according to a recent study that was mentioned in a review article from Current Research in Parasitology & Vector-borne Diseases. According to the scientists, other strongly scented drinks would probably improve their appeal as well.
It is commonly known that caffeine raises body temperature and, consequently, metabolism and that warmer bodies are more attractive to mosquitoes. While further research is required, avoiding coffee, other highly scented drinks, and caffeinated beverages before venturing outside in an area where you know there will be mosquitoes will help reduce your attractiveness to them.
There are simple health measures you may do to assist lessen your appeal to mosquitos as more study is conducted. Keep your skin clean, and attempt to take a shower after working out to prevent remaining perspiring. To help regulate your body temperature and the volatile organic compounds produced by respiration and skin perspiration, have a well-balanced diet and limit your intake of alcohol and caffeine.
Since burning acetones during ketogenesis results in the production of acetones, a low-carb diet may make you more seductive to mosquitoes. The Keto diet isn’t for everyone, therefore you should always see a doctor before attempting something new.
