# Vegans- question about meat-eater breath **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [May 31, 2005, 6:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vegans-question-about-meat-eater-breath/306252 "2005-05-31T18:49:42Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2005, 6:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vegans-question-about-meat-eater-breath/306252/1 "2005-05-31T18:49:42Z")
Vegans- do your meat eating freinds have sweat or breath that smell distictly different (or bad) to you? ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2005, 12:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vegans-question-about-meat-eater-breath/306252/2 "2005-06-01T00:40:53Z")
Anyone? ☹ ---
**Author:** ![conurepete](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a88e57/32.png) [@conurepete](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/conurepete)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2005, 12:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vegans-question-about-meat-eater-breath/306252/3 "2005-06-01T00:52:53Z")
I never did the Vegan thing, but I was a vegetarian for years. The only differences I noticed could be directly attributed to 1. Hygiene or lack thereof ( especially flossing) 2. Spices and coffee drinking. (think garlic or asparagus- more of a sin for veggie types) 3. Health (malnutrition, smoking, infected tonsils) 4. Ability to grow apocrine sweat glands Actual diet seems to be a minor factorfor me, compared to this list. ---
**Author:** ![Cockatiel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/43a26b/32.png) [@Cockatiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cockatiel)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2005, 12:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vegans-question-about-meat-eater-breath/306252/4 "2005-06-01T00:55:56Z")
Unless you mean bad breath from a specific type of meat that smells bad to me(like tuna, blegh!), not really… ---
**Author:** ![Queen\_Bruin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/e274bd/32.png) [@Queen\_Bruin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Queen_Bruin)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2005, 1:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vegans-question-about-meat-eater-breath/306252/5 "2005-06-01T01:12:42Z")
Actually I’ve noticed that vegans have bad breath more often for whatever reason. YMMV. Maybe it’s a mutual thing though? Vegans have bad breath to omnivores and vice versa? Hell I don’t know. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2005, 1:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vegans-question-about-meat-eater-breath/306252/6 "2005-06-01T01:33:07Z")
Well, yes, I do notice that vegans breath smells a bit different than others, but I’d hardly call it “bad”. Maybe “different” or “unusual” or even “odd”. But I have been told by Vegans that “carnivore breath” smells like rotting meat. ---
**Author:** ![conurepete](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a88e57/32.png) [@conurepete](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/conurepete)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2005, 2:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vegans-question-about-meat-eater-breath/306252/7 "2005-06-01T02:16:27Z")
I suspect that is propaganda. NONE of the vegans I know mentioned any change in my breath or body odor as, over the years I ate lacto-ovo vegatarian, all veggie all the time (lowfat with no milk) vegatarian, all veggie except sea life, or hardly veggie high protien lowfat. It’s not like they were shy about using the “rotting meat” quote. They usually mentioned breath to someone shortly after meeting them, after dietary choice was assertained. I never had them suddenly recoil from an old friend and report evidence of a sudden hamburger, unless it was so recent they smelled like McDonald’s . You have pretty good odds that most people you meet in Detroit eat animal products. I never saw a Vegan meet a stranger, sniff and then joyously proclaim “Well met fellow Vegan!”. ---
**Author:** ![tremorviolet](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e47774/32.png) [@tremorviolet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tremorviolet)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2005, 2:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vegans-question-about-meat-eater-breath/306252/8 "2005-06-01T02:58:28Z")
I’m not a vegan but I am a vegetarian and I do occassionally notice a difference smeel to meat eaters. Usually it’s guys who eat very little other than meat and potatos and they smell rank. But people who eat meat but also eat regular food smell fine. I have noticed that meat eaters can really, really stink up a bathroom tho’… ---
**Author:** ![Washoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/ecae2f/32.png) [@Washoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Washoe)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2005, 3:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vegans-question-about-meat-eater-breath/306252/9 "2005-06-01T03:31:54Z")
I have been told over and over again that East Indian Hindus firmly maintain that they can smell people who eat meat. As for a molecular explanation of this phenomenon, your guess is as good as mine. I’ve been scratching my head over this one for a couple of decades , and while I do have some pet theories, I haven’t come up with any really definitive explanation.