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EXCLUSIVE 'Old people smell' can be cured with a simple everyday food according to a longevity expert
'Old people smell' is a very real scent that can't be washed out, but a longevity expert says a common superfood can help help aging adults smell fresh again.
It's a scent many recognize instantly: musty, greasy, and oddly sour. However, this familiar smell among the elderly has nothing to do with poor hygiene.
Scientists have found that 'old people smell' is a very real chemical process that develops with age.
However, Leslie Kenny, founder of Oxford Healthspan, told that eating mushrooms up to four times a week might help eliminate it.
This distinct odor is caused by a compound called 2-nonenal, which forms when omega-7 fatty acids in the skin's natural oils, known as sebum, break down through oxidation.
As people age, their bodies produce fewer antioxidants that normally protect skin lipids from degrading.
At the same time, skin cell turnover slows, allowing 2-nonenal, a chemical compound, to accumulate, and linger.
The phenomenon was first documented by a Japanese study in 2010, which found that 2-nonenal was present only in individuals over 40, regardless of gender or grooming habits.
'It was the first study to show that this distinct 'old person smell' develops later in life,' said Kenny, an entrepreneur in the field of longevity.
'This is akin to those oils 'rusting',' Kenny continued. 'And the problem is made worse by the fact that older adults simply do not turn over their skin cells as rapidly as younger people do. This means the 'rusty' skin piles up and gives off an even stronger scent.'
The odor often settles in skin, clothing, and bedding, and even the most rigorous bathing or grooming routines can't fully remove it.
However, mushrooms may offer a promising solution. Two rare compounds found in them, ergothioneine and spermidine, work from within the body to combat the formation of 2-nonenal.
'Mushrooms are the perfect food to combat this smell,' Kenny said.
She recommended eating them regularly, ideally three to four times per week, as part of a balanced diet.
Ergothioneine is a natural amino acid and powerful antioxidant that protects skin fats from degrading into 2-nonenal.
Human bodies cannot produce ergothioneine. It's only found in high levels in mushrooms, particularly shiitake, oyster, and champignon varieties.
Meanwhile, spermidine promotes autophagy, the process by which old and damaged cells are broken down and replaced.
'Regularly eating plants that are high in spermidine, including mushrooms, legumes, peas and soy, can also activate autophagy,' Kenny explained.
In a clinical trial published in the Journal of Traditional and Complementary Medicine, 80 adults aged 50 to 79 took daily doses of champignon mushroom extract for four weeks.
Participants were divided into four groups taking 0, 50 mg, 500 mg, or 1,000 mg daily. The results showed clear, dose-dependent improvements in halitosis (bad breath), body odor, and pillow scent, especially in the highest dosage group.
Importantly, no side-effects were reported from eating mushrooms regularly.
'Champignon mushroom extract directly inhibits the production of toxic odor compounds in the body,' researchers wrote in their report.
The mushroom extract also lowered levels of ammonia and methyl mercaptan, gut-related compounds known for causing foul odors.
Lab tests showed it helped break down these sulfur-based byproducts into odorless forms, effectively neutralizing the smell.
In another study in Food Chemistry, researchers at the University of Turku in Finland analyzed the natural scent compounds in wild Nordic mushrooms.
They found chemicals like (E)-2-nonenal, which is linked to the body odor that develops with age.
Researchers also discovered that the mushrooms contained substances that may block the skin process responsible for those smells.
'The flavor compounds in mushrooms originate from linoleic acid, the same fatty acid that breaks down into 2-nonenal in human skin,' the study authors revealed. 'These edible fungi contain natural pathways to regulate that degradation process.'
Shiitake and oyster mushrooms ranked highest in antioxidant content, while champignons mushrooms, widely available in supermarkets, offered a milder, clinically tested option.
Kenny, who claimed she reversed symptoms of lupus and rheumatoid arthritis through better nutrition, eats mushrooms frequently.
'I don't take mushroom supplements myself,' she said. 'But I love eating them, in omelets, stir-fries, soups, and Japanese egg custards.'
She emphasized that mushrooms benefit more than just body odor.
'They've been shown to slow cancer progression, lower blood pressure, improve insulin resistance, protect the brain, and strengthen bones,' Kenny said.
Still, most people turn to perfume or soap, solutions that experts say fall short.
'You can't get rid of it through bathing more,' Kenny warned. 'The lipid fats are deep in the skin, and they're not easy to break down. Perfume just layers on top and makes it smell mustier.'
In her view, mushrooms aren't just a preventative, they're a curative.
'As we go through perimenopause and menopause, we want to try to include more ergothioneine-rich foods like mushrooms,' the health expert explained.
'If you're older and want to get rid of the smell, mushrooms are a great choice because they've got the spermidine that helps with faster cell turnover,' she added.
