Jennifer wants an odor eater: I’m intrigued by a product called Body Mint, which claims that it reduces body odor of all kinds (underarm, breath, foot) from the inside out using chlorophyll. Is this a scam? The Left Brain clears the air:
What is Bodymint?
As you can see from their website, Body Mint tablets “are made from an all-natural, highly specialized, derivative of chlorophyll” and their “unique formulation give it the uncommon power to reduce body odors from multiple sources, like bad breath, underarm and foot odor.” Sounds good, eh? But anything that sounds too good to be true usually is. Here’s the real scoop:
What is chlorophyll?
It’s the pigment that gives plants their green color. But more importantly, it allows them to use sunlight to manufacture the carbohydrates that all living things use as food. It can do this because the chemical bonds in the chlorophyll molecule can absorb visible light.
What does chlorophyll supposedly do?
According to one health food store pamphlet, chlorophyll can help cure trench mouth, tonsillitis, vaginitis, bladder diseases, high blood pressure, tooth decay, arthritis, athlete’s foot, constipation, rectal fissures and laryngitis. It also helps destroy bacteria and soothe gunshot wounds. I’m no doctor, but it seems to me that if you’re suffering from rectal fissures and gunshot wounds, a little bad breath is the LEAST of your problems!
What does chlorophyll really do?
Not much, according to Quackwatch, a scientific website that specializes in debunking false claims. Read for yourself…
Most claims that chlorophyll products can heal, kill bacteria, and remove odors are based on research performed early in the 20th century, before antibiotics were available to fight infections. Although many of these studies are considered invalid by modern scientific standards, there is evidence that chlorophyll can kill certain types of bacteria. It is not a practical choice, however, because very high concentrations are needed for any positive effect and modern antibiotics are far more effective anyway. Also, although chlorophyll kills some bacteria, it actually promotes the growth of others.
What about deodorizing properties?
Despite the sales hype, in products sold to the public, it doesn’t have any. According to John C. Kephart, who performed studies at the laboratories of The National Chlorophyll and Chemical Company about 20 years ago, “No deodorant effect can possibly occur from the quantities of chlorophyll put in products such as gum, foot powder, cough drops, etc. To be effective, large doses must be given internally” [Journal of Ecological Botany 9:3, 1955].
So, Jennifer, it looks like BodyMint is a scam. Don’t throw away your Listerine mouthwash or your Degree deodorant!
Why should you believe our brainy bashing of Body Mint?
The source of these Quackwatch quotes is an article written by Dr. Lowell who, at the time, was Professor of Life Sciences at Pima Community College in Tucson, Arizona and vice-president of the National Council Against Health Fraud.
{ 96 comments… read them below or add one }
← Previous Comments
I’ve been using it since 2002 and it has worked well for me. Several of my friends tried it and also liked it but stopped due to the cost.
results speak louder than any words or ‘testing in a lab’ – THIS STUFF WORKS AWESOME!!!
I use it for body odor and it’s amazing.
I’m with everyone else – have you even tried it?
First and foremost – the main ingredient in question is not chlorophyll, but rather chlorophyllin Copper Complex – which unlike simple Chlorophyll is water soluble [more here]
http://www.nullo.com/about-nullo.html
Related flaws of the article include the fact that the the claims of ineffectiveness made in the quoted report refer to products such as chewing gum or foot powder that only administer low dosages externally – which is a nonsense comment because of the fact that Chlorophyllin Copper is sold in a form to be taken in large doses and internally [200 to 300 mg per day].
Finally, Chlorphyllin Copper has a long history of successful clinical use as an internal deodorant and is FDA approved for this purpose – also its deodorizing properties are documented in the PDR [Physician's Desk Reference] for dietary supplements [more info here].
http://www.nullo.com/chlorophyllin.html
The explanations and conclusions of the article are significantly misleading. The truth is that Chlorophyllin Copper is an effective deodorant that has proved itself in both experimental and real world usage over many years. It is even used by hunters as scent control to mask human scent from game animals!
http://www.nullo.com/nullo-hunters.html
There are a couple of products on the market which will provide this dietary supplement – shop for price and choose a manufacturer of good reputation – you may find that Chlorophyllin is right for you.
This is a scam product that did nothing for me
The body mint is amazing- you feel so confident after about 3 days of using it. You just have to remember to take it 2xs a day. Between my body mint and my proactive I am good. Thank Goodness for this stuff!
I think I’m actually a little stupider after reading this article. The author clearly has no knowledge of biochemistry yet speaks about this like hes an authority on the matter. Even worse he uses quackwatch to back up his opinions. Quackwatch a “scientific” site? All the articles are written by a doctor. Its not in doctors interest to spread information on cheap and highly effective alternative medicine. Allicin (a metabolite of garlic) alone has been proven to be an effective antibiotic against the so called “superbug” MRSA yet doctors still prescribe ineffective and primitive beta-lactam antibiotics to combat bacterial infections despite it being common knowledge that bacteria evolve enzymes which break down the beta-lactam molecules rendering them useless. Doctors aren’t idiots they know well allicin is a more effective approach but if everyone knew they could extract their own antibiotics from garlic why would they go to the doctor to get a prescription? Doctors profit off peoples ignorance unfortunately.
after 3 constant days of using body mint(twice a day), i noticed a big difference! although you floss,brush, mouthwash, you still end up having bad breath at the end of the day! but not with body mint though.
you will notice fresher breath even in the morning! and better smell overall.
i recommend this product to anyone.
Kingme00 ( don’t know him) seems to understand something that you are lacking. Research. You didn’t bash him. Why is that? He had sources, many of them which disclaimed your two weak ones. It is a great service you provide, but if people don’t scroll down and see these comments that clearly prove you wrong, you have affected people you don’t even know in ways that truely need to be questioned. You are high up on the food train when I did a yahoo search(#3 source for body mints) and for people who trust your opinion, that was shotie work at best. Please be more dilligant in your research when you pick apart something. Take pride in your job. We all have our soap boxes but without good(not community college, 1950′s facts) creditable facts you are just bashing and not being scientific.
I can’t believe this thread. More over i can’t believe the responses from the “brain” people! Do they have even one?!? I agree with almost everyones posts. Why don’t the “brains” respond to the posts that state other scientific sources like kingme00.
The “brains” responses are so immature and unscientific. I will never use this site again for any kind of info or research! Boggles my mind…
Alright Beauty Brains, so it’s safe to say your not a Christian either, because after all, unless a “scientist” can PROVE that Jesus exists then I guess it’s all “hype” too eh? It seems your arrogance is what really stinks perhaps they make a mint for that????
Anyways, if it doesn’t work for you then you could always give it back then redeem what you paid for. That’s the website,bodymint.com,promises.
True that anyone can make a website. I highly doubt that anyone from this site is an actual scientist. While the drug present in bodymint works for some it might not work for others. In the doseage indicated this product has been proven many times over to reduce body odors in the majority of test subjects. Nullo, which is a variant of the same drug, has been used in hopitals in the U.S. and the world for many years. One thing I am certain of ….scientific proof exists, and more important, most people that use the product say that it works for them.
Gee, that’s persuasive, Dr. Sutherland. I rarely hear scientifically trained people use words like “scientific proof exists.” They will say something is “empirically supported,” they will provide citations, they will use words like “the following evidence supports (does not support)…” or “the evidence is consistent with (not consistent with)…” but to say “scientific proof exists” sounds kind of like an infomercial. We never get “proof.” Samples are not infinitely large, so we get data that are, or are not, consistent with a hypothesis being tested. So where’s yours?
I cited a few scientific journals which support the claim of the product. Once again though, you seemed to have missed them.
After a general search aiming to research into the effects of the body mint, whether positive or negative, I came across this ‘article’. At first it seems credible. Then the words ‘health food store pamphlet’ set alarm bells ringing very early on, and there is no reassurance of the credibility of this work throughout the rest of the article.
To make a point I will quote: “I’m no doctor, but it seems to me that if you’re suffering from rectal fissures and gunshot wounds, a little bad breath is the LEAST of your problems!” Noting the first three words, it seems ridiculous to me that someone with, evidently, such little knowledge may produce and supply such information. This may be forgiven if the writer uses credible sources from professionals, but I see no evidence of this throughout.
It is fair to point out that ‘LEFT BRAIN’ has attempted to credit this work with information provided in the [Journal of Ecological Botany 9:3, 1955] citation, but if a negative point will be made upon the temporal validity of research carried out in favour of the body mint, “Most claims that chlorophyll products can heal, kill bacteria, and remove odors are based on research performed early in the 20th century”, a positive point which also lacks temporal validity may not be used to credit the work in support of your argument. Especially if this is lifted from the work of someone else. This is an irresponsible mistake to make considering the audience of this article.
As a journalist myself, I am appalled at the overall lack of knowledge and sources in this article. There doesn’t seem to be any evidence of an attempt to gain credible knowledge, despite the important topic of health it is based upon. I would say to ‘LEFT BRAIN’ that if you will be pursuing this journalistic endeavour, credible sources are the key to a good article. You cannot use an argument against a source, such as temporal validity, and then proceed to fail in mentioning the temporal validity of the work in favour of your own argument. It is irresponsible at best.
And I would say to ‘LEFT BRAIN,’ that if she intends to decipher the above comment, get a cup of coffee first. I can’t make heads or tails of it.
i’m a construction worker and beer drinker in az. will this help,also side affect from meds is excessive sweating.
THIS IS THE BEST PRODUCT I’VE EVER USED!!! Whoever wrote this segment obviously did NOT try this product.
I am 30 years old and have had horrible under arm odor since I was a child. NOTHING worked, even expensive dermatologist treatments and deodorants (I would smell within 10 minutes of a shower no matter how clean my diet, how much deodorant, and always leave huge wet circles on my shirts).
Finally I tried the Body Mint and after one week of 2 pills a day I noticed I no longer sweat or smelled from simply drying off after my shower so I dropped to one. I take 1 tablet a day every day and I can garden, bike, play sports, have my sister smell my underarms after a few hours of severe sweat and you only smell the floral secret deodorant!! Believe me, I had test!! This summer for the first time in over 10 years I wore TANK TOPS every day over 80! Then, went out dancing with the girls last week and again…NOTHING! Before I’d have to take 2-3 trips to the bathroom and wash up.
I purchase it @ MotherNature.com for 14.95/mth and have passed this amazing product off to at least 8 close friends & family who complained of similar issues and ALL love the results.
I PROMISE YOU… if you have tried everything and are tired of having the looks and feeling that comes with strong BO then you have to get it! The worst side effect I have noticed is that your poop turns spinach green-that’s it.
Contact me with any questions you may have
Don’t beleive what this site says Dr. John C. Kephart says about this product not having effective deordorant effects. He probably works for Mennon or Gillette or SC Johnson or something. I can tell you that this product is the ONLY thing that works for me. Granted you have to remember to take it as directed which is 1 pill twice daily, but if you do it will change your life. I am much more confident now gettingup close and personal and I used to shy away due to my odor problem. It has changed my life. Take as directed and I promise that within a week, you will notice a huge diffence IF you really have a body odor problem (underarms, feet, breath or nay other place you have glands etc).
I have bad underarm odor and no amount of deodorant seems to prevent my scent from coming through – but Body Mint does! I can’t speak for anyone else and everyone is different, but it works wonders for me. I’ve been using it for years. I don’t even have to use deodorant anymore. It’s NOT a scam
Yoy people are straight up bitches at beauty brains.
Well wgat can i say after reading all these reviews. Ive had bac breath since i can remember nothing works, heard sbout these pills and ordered some last week i am just waiting for them to come. All i can say is im so so soooo excited to try them :0)
it seems that left brain isn’t responding anymore. i was very curious to see what left brain had to say about kingme00′s response that listed specific links to other scientific topics involving this product. and i was very disappointed that left brain didn’t respond to questions or comment on new found documents but instead, only responded to hateful remarks with more hateful remarks. kind of immature. it definitely makes this site seem a lot less credible. and sara? don’t be dumb. i could read it just fine. just because its above your reading level doesn’t mean that you need to bash it. it only makes you look stupid. so… left brain, where are you? and have you read the links that were given to you in response to you needing more proof? what was your take on it? and no. i personally cannot prove that there is a cow on the moon BUT, this is a pill. not a magic rock, not a cow on the moon. a very easily obtainable pill that inexpensive alternatives have been listed for. i have not tried this product but after doing MUCH research i intend to. and i’m going to go and get some off brand kind too. cause i want to spend as little cash as possible to try it out. if it works then… we’ll see. i may read labels and decide if one is better than another and go from there. and then, who knows, maybe i’ll start my own blog because i’ve, at that point, done more research and have more information that people will actually find useful then this site. i’ll be able to tell people my scientific studies on it, my personal experiences with it, and give a list of products and if those products have differing effects, and THEN i can list a range of prices for those products so that my readers know whats a REAL scam and what is the most bang for their buck. thats what i expect from a decent product blog.
Not above my reading level, just gave me a headache.
Left Brain, why haven’t you addressed Kingme00′s post, the one with the list of medical journals that pretty much say that you’re wrong?
The only links to “evidence” in favor body mints that I could find in the comments above were directed to a company that sells the pills. I think all the people here saying the pills works are SELLING the pills!!
It works! and that is the bottom line.
ps, I do not work for the company either.
@ Chemgirl
Uh, I hope you realize that Body Mint and the company posting their links (NULLO) are 2 different companies…
Personally, I use Body Mint and it works for me. Never heard of Nullo though so I can’t comment on them. I checked out the links above and it looks like a similar product.
wow, you guys are dicks. why bash this product? and when intelligent readers come here and point out your faulty and biased “evidence” you just become more stubborn. the fact that you are so set on body mint not working AND that you made sure to mention “LISTERINE” and “DEGREE” tells me that you must be sponsored or working for these companies. Often times big pharma will PAY for studies to be done on things like “body mint” and “breath assure” (go ahead and look into this one) to put out false data claiming that it doesn’t work. You are ignorant and annoying with all your responses. YOU are the one who doesn’t understand REAL science. go ahead and use your CANCER causing products. those are the products that don’t really work. Every person has tried mouthwash and deodorant and found that it only works for a few hours and THAT is why people seek out other products like body mint. chlorophyll is natural, safe, and super effective. also, placebo doesn’t work on things like body odor, if i did… i would be walking around thinking i smelled awesome with my stupid noneffective DEGREE and LISTERINE. (you know, those products that you were licking the assholes of up there) I mean, you weren’t even neutral about it.. you BLATANTLY hate this product.. too weird. from an unbiased perspective you could have been like, “some studies say “this” and some studies say “this” and a lot of people say it works, go ahead and try it, if it works for you, great, if not a little research shows us that the company will refund your money if you aren’t happy.” its super frustrating that you claim to be all scientific but know nothing about being A) a true skeptic or B) holding an unbiased perspective. two of the most important factors when observing studies. did you look at who funded that study? did you look at any other studies that were more recent? did you consider that because liquid chlorophyll cannot truly be patented by one company because it is derived from a plant that BIG companies like LISTERINE and DEGREE would pay BIG money to keep it down? especially because their products have been proven to actually cause cancer? I repeat: You guys are dicks. you know nothing. i bet you’re all republicans too. assholes.
@kat – thanks for your comments. You really know how to make people feel good. Neither Listerine or Degree are paying us money.
You are too misinformed to provide a decent response.
And no, we’re not Republicans.
Show me the proof that Body Mint works. You know, scientific evidence. I’d be happy to change my mind.
I having been using Bodymint for over 6 months now and do not need to use deodorant, this product does work I would not do without it even if I do sweat there is no smell, great.
I’m personally still waiting for a response from TBB to Kingme00′s post. He cited actual research which debunks everything you’ve said here. What say you?
@Jason: We’re not dodging the question, we just haven’t gotten to it yet. I’ll try to look into it soon since the question keeps coming up. Thanks for the reminder.
I have been using Body Mints for about 5 years now. When I first began using it I was skepitcal, but within the first month I noticed that I did not need to use deorderant any longer. I have never used the total dosage though, I only take one tablet every other day. It seemed too strong for me, so I lowered the dose. After about 3 months I no longer need deorderant and I never have bad breeath anymore, plus there are a few other pluses I noticed. My husband was the one to tell me that he never noticed the bad breath anymore, so it must be working for my body type. You say it doesn’t work? Well, it does work for me, go figure yah?
Tried bodymint for a few weeks, but my gums became inflamed so i had to discontinue use. I also was getting aches. It did have a positive effect on my odor though
http://lpi.oregonstate.edu/infocenter/phytochemicals/chlorophylls/#therapeutic – Boom! Science!
Pulled from therapeuticresearch.com , which incidentally, I found on Quackwatch.com’s list of trusted, recommendations sites:
“J Am Geriatr Soc. 1980 Jan;28(1):46-7.
Use of chlorophyllin in the care of geriatric patients.
Young RW, Beregi JS Jr.
Abstract
In a test group of 62 geriatric nursing home patients, the administration of chlorophyllin tablets was found to be helpful in controlling body and fecal odors. It aided also in easing chronic constipation, served at times as a useful and morale-building placebo, and assisted in abating excessive flatus. No toxic or other ill effects were observed. Bacteriologic studies failed to confirm reports in the literature of antibacterial properties for chlorophyllin. Further investigation of this possibility is recommended.
PMID:
7350215
[PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE] ”
It seems that simply exploring Quackwatch more thoroughly might have saved TBB the bother of so many responses.
kingme00 just gave you quite a few studies as well as a logical train of thought showing your “scientific method” and deductions are quite false. The fact that you give no relevant comment to that rebuttal and continue your tired argument shows how non scientifically you operate.
This website is a useless sham.
@Will: We’re always happy to revise our opinions based on new data. The fact that we haven’t given a “relevant comment” to Kingme00 just means we haven’t made it a priority to look into the research that he/she cited. It really has nothing to do with how scientific we are (or aren’t.) Thanks for your comment.
Dear Beautybrains,
Do you suffer from strong body odor? Have you actually tried this product? I have had very strong body odor ever since I hit puberty. I have been very self-conscious about getting too close to people my whole life until I tried Body Mint. Deodorant smells good, but it doesn’t solve the problem as by the end of the day, I inevitably smell again. I suffer from strong under arm odor, and as embarrassing as it is to admit it, strong groin odor. I don’t care what the “scientific studies” at Quackwatch have found… I am here to tell your readers that Body Mint works, and it works well! It takes about two weeks to get the full benefit, but it works. I can even skip a day here and there sometimes if I forget and I am still safe. It is an unbelievable product and I will probably use it for the rest of my life. I have so much more self-confidence now in intimate situations. It really has changed my life. It’s the best $20/mo that you will ever spend if you truly suffer from embarrassing strong body odor as I do!! It’s not like you’re spending hundreds of dollars, it’s about $20. Readers, you owe it to yourself to try this product at least once.
Wow y’all are a trip. Science can be proven wrong and it is every day. I am a nurse and everyday science tells someone they will never walk again, they won’t survive, that they will never have quality of life but time and time again science is proven wrong, because these people do walk again, they do survive and they do have a better quality of life. Whoever writes for this site you are very simple minded and I hope you never face a life and death situation because if science says you won’t survive then you will take their word for it and that my friend is just sad.
@Really: Thanks for your comment and I’m sorry that we seem “simple-minded” to you. As scientists we understand that science can (and should!) be proven wrong everyday. That’s how the scientific method works! All that it should take to change a scientist’s mind is new, compelling data. In the case of this Body Mint post we’re still waiting for that data.
By the way, in case you missed it, here’s a follow up post we did on Body Mint showing that we found evidence that it can help with fecal odor but did not find any evidence for helping other body odors such as underarm stink. See, we can change our minds with new data! http://thebeautybrains.com/2011/12/14/will-body-mint-reduce-body-odor-and-bad-breath/
I am so glad that you believe me! It really does work and it has changed my life. Some products actually do what they say they are supposed to do and Body Mint does. I wish I could buy stock in them and do commercials… that’s how strongly I feel about it!
I hope someone else like me reads this and at least invests in 1 bottle just to try it out. You have nothing to loose but about $20!! You can spend that in Starbucks in 2 days!
Actually, people have BO because they don’t eat properly, and eat too much junk – that is why they stink. If they ate more greens and vegetables, they would get their chlorophyll naturally. I don’t eat meat or junk food and I have no BO.
Try an experiment o ye of little faith –
I will stop taking BodyMint for a
Week- and then smell my armpits after a workout,
After smelling my pits for a week sans Bodymint
I will then begin taking it again – you again
Have a week to smell my armpits, tell me if it’s
Better……
Trust me, you’ll vote for the Bodymint
I thought i would try it to see if it would help BO
I didn’t change anything else- it definitely worked
I tried body mint Ll it did was make me ill. This may be too much information but it had a severe laxative effect and gave me horrible stomach cramps and I felt as if I needed to vomit constantly. In fact I’m still ill. Does it work? Who cares its not worth this!
← Previous Comments
{ 1 trackback }