That’s how it is everywhere. And gut bacteria in combination with food comparably rich in certain components leading to foetid breakdown products are to blame.
Having a proper digestion, btw, is something you really learn to appreciate after your gut biome undergoes radical changes. After several months in the West African bush and high-dose medication during the same period and again upon my return (for several reasons, malaria and typhoid among them) made me realise how much I took my digestion for granted.
Children are also a very, very good reminder - if you know about it, that is. Carrying a crying child through the night while it’s gut biome develops: a thing parents usually do.
It can be a challenge for adoptive parents, because the gut and skin microbes of the parents may not be optimal for a child with radically different genetics. We were able to persuade my daughter’s birth mother to nurse for a couple of days during her recovery in hospital, and that was very helpful, especially since it turns out that my spouse hasn’t got the ability to breastfeed without first undergoing pregnancy.
This sounds sensible, however I tend to be sceptical. Got any published studies on this?
Just BTW, genetics and odour: I read a pubsci piece some years ago that deodorant producers were quite unhappy with the fact that asian, specifically many Chinese, have white earwax - which would mean they also had other skin bacteria, not producing the typical stench deodorants are used against. I didn’t find published research, however. (The source was Die Zeit, a weekly newspaper with decent pubsci journalists…)
Nope, just personal experience. I have biological and non-biological children, and my immediate family is kind of rainbowish, with Chinese, Tuvan, Puerto Rican, and African American adopted kids outnumbering the Anglo biological ones. It may be that our experiences were atypical, but I doubt it.
I’m a little curious as to what steps any of the medical users verified whether inhaling this concoction is safe? What is it made of?
Also, if this stuff is so insanely offensive to smell, how do those to guys manage to make it and bottle it without gagging? (I assume the 55 gallon drum they were stirring in the video was a prop, but who knows…) Sounds like a really, really bad day job.
