For some, mosquito repellents have been on the market since 1956, so this isn’t a big deal.
But, if you’re like me and want to stop smelling like burnt chemical factory residue after using repellants, but also fear the negative effects of DEET in sprays and tend to bite (seriously, mosquitoes at parties just seem to love me), then taking vitamin B1 will be your saving grace.
Vitamin B1 (also known as thiamine) is an essential vitamin for your body. It is found in foods such as yeast, oatmeal, brown rice, asparagus, cabbage, liver, and eggs, and is important for fighting stress and boosting immunity.
As one of the water-soluble vitamins, excess that your body doesn’t use is excreted in urine, so don’t worry about taking too much.
The amazing thing about the relationship between vitamin B1 and mosquitoes is its ability to change your sense of smell to the little bugs. People who have enough vitamin B1 in their system can smell “musty” from mosquitoes, making them unpleasant to bite.
But it doesn’t change how other people smell, so don’t worry about smelling like stale bread around your friends.
The research on this is still inconclusive, but daily supplemental thiamine has no adverse effects, so it might be worth a try. I have personally tried this remedy with great results and I have seen the same results I recommend in others.
Certain conditions, such as chronic alcoholism, Crohn’s disease, anorexia, and stomach disorders, can deplete thiamine in the body, so people with these conditions may benefit from taking a supplement.
Interested in trying it out? Take 100 mg of thiamine daily. Within two weeks, you should begin to notice a decrease in the number of unpleasant bites from these pests.
If taking thiamine doesn’t help, try this natural mosquito repellent recipe to help ward off the chemical attack on your body.
