Introduction
Mosquitos are pesky little creatures that can ruin a summer evening or a camping trip. But did you know that your diet can actually make you more attractive to mosquitos? That’s right, the food you eat can make you more likely to be bitten by these annoying insects. In this article, we’ll explore how your diet can make you more attractive to mosquitos and what you can do to reduce your chances of being bitten. We’ll also discuss the potential health risks associated with mosquito bites and how to protect yourself from them. So, if you’re looking for ways to keep mosquitos away, read on to learn more!
Can Your Diet Make You More Attractive to Mosquitos?
Mosquitos are pesky little creatures that can ruin a summer night or a camping trip. But did you know that your diet can make you more attractive to mosquitos? It’s true! Certain foods and drinks can make you more attractive to mosquitos, and understanding what they are can help you avoid being bitten.
What Makes You Attractive to Mosquitos?
Mosquitos are attracted to certain smells and chemicals that are found in certain foods and drinks. For example, they are attracted to the smell of beer, which contains yeast. They are also attracted to the smell of certain fruits, such as bananas and melons. Additionally, they are attracted to the smell of sweat, which is why people who exercise or work outdoors are more likely to be bitten.
How Can You Avoid Being Attractive to Mosquitos?
The best way to avoid being attractive to mosquitos is to avoid eating or drinking anything that might make you more attractive to them. This includes avoiding beer, fruits, and sugary drinks. Additionally, you should try to avoid sweating as much as possible, especially if you are going to be outdoors for an extended period of time. Finally, you can wear light-colored clothing and use insect repellent to help keep mosquitos away.
Conclusion
Your diet can make you more attractive to mosquitos, so it’s important to be aware of what foods and drinks might make you more attractive to them. Avoiding these foods and drinks, as well as wearing light-colored clothing and using insect repellent, can help you avoid being bitten by mosquitos.
I’m a mosquito magnet. I am one of those people that if I’m out on a summer evening, I will hear that unpleasant buzzing near my head and then an inevitable strike to bite my arm, leg, or any unexposed flesh. But why are some people magnets for mosquitoes while others rarely get bit? New research suggests your diet may play a role.
For most of us, a mosquito bite is a minor annoyance that causes the skin to swell and itch where the bite occurred. Some species of mosquitos can transmit diseases like malaria, zika, yellow fever, and dengue in many parts of the world. In fact, according to the World Health Organization, half of the world’s population is at risk for contracting malaria, and it accounts for some 627,000 diseases in 2020. With climate change, the threat mosquitos pose for transmitting diseases is increasing.
In addition to the color of clothes one wears and their body temperature, it is now well established that a person’s individual odors from their breath and skin are what drive mosquitos to bite. What impacts someone’s body odors includes physiology, pregnancy, genetic makeup, underlying infections, and skin microbiome. Since what you eat and drink can impact your respiration and skin microbiome, new research suggests that changing what you eat and drink can impact your attractiveness to pesky insects.
The human body produces more than 350 different volatile organic compounds. Of these VOCs, mosquitoes are more attracted to some and not attracted to others. Some of the VOCs studied that attract mosquitos include carbon dioxide, lactic acid (produced during exercise), acetone (released when in ketosis), ammonia, and other human-produced organic compounds.
Here’s a look into the research about dietary factors that may increase your attractiveness to mosquitos. Then, make sure to check out The Worst Eating Mistakes You’re Making at Your Labor Day BBQ.
Alcohol
A few studies show that drinking alcohol may increase bodily VOCs that attract mosquitos. A study published in the Journal of the American Mosquito Control Association reported that among 13 study participants, researchers measured biomarkers before and after drinking beer and found that the percent of mosquitos landing on individuals increased after drinking beer.
Another study published in PLOS ONE reported that beer consumption increased the mosquito attraction to the participating subjects. Researchers theorize that beer (and likely all alcohol) increases attractiveness by elevating body temperature and altering the VOCs in the body after drinking alcohol.
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Coffee and caffeine
One recent study cited in a review article from Current Research in Parasitology & Vector-borne Diseases reported that caffeine is a substance that can be identified on the skin, and it appears to increase attractiveness to mosquitos. Other highly aromatic beverages would likely cause an increase in attractiveness as well, according to the authors.
Caffeine increases metabolism and therefore temperature and it is well established that mosquitos are more attracted to warmer bodies. While more research is needed, reducing coffee, other strong aromatic beverages, and caffeinated drinks prior to going outside where you know mosquitos will be out can help lower your attractiveness to mosquitos.
A low-carb diet may help, but only if it’s necessary
As more research unfolds, there are basic health practices that you can take to help reduce your attractiveness to mosquitos. Keep your skin clean and after working out, try to take a shower to avoid staying sweaty. Eat a well-balanced diet and keep alcohol and caffeine in check to help moderate your body temperature and volatile organic compounds produced via respiration and through your skin.
Since ketogenesis produces acetones through the burning of ketones for energy, you may find that mosquitos find you more attractive if you follow a low-carb diet. However, you should always talk with a doctor before trying something like the Keto diet, as it isn’t meant for everyone.
Julie Upton, MS, RD, CSSD