Why do your feet smell like cheese?

Have you ever wondered why when you get a waft of someone's smelly feet, it often evokes images of a stinky cheese platter?

Well, dear readers, you are in luck because today it's time to embark on a whimsical yet scientific journey into the fascinating world of foot funk and its surprising connection to fromage.

Have you ever walked into a room only to be hit with the pungent odour of foot funk so strong it rivals the aroma of a well-aged Roquefort? 

We've all been there, and it's not just your imagination. The science behind the similarity between smelly feet and cheese is, believe it or not, quite real.

According to the BBC's Science Focus, it is no coincidence that nasty-smelling feet remind you of cheese. According to the publication's article on the subject, the bacteria that is often used to ripen cheese, such as Munster, Limburger and Part-du-Salut, is the same bacteria that lives on our skin!

The name of one of the bacteria is Brevibacterium, and it loves to eat dead skin cells.

And when Brevibacterium chows down on your dead skin cells as they are digested, "it gives off S-methyl thioesters, which smell cheesy," according to the BBC.

However, Brevibacterium isn't the only culprit. You may or may not know that your feet are, in fact, home to a bustling metropolis of bacteria, fungi, and other microorganisms

When these tiny inhabitants that call our feet home start to party, they produce a symphony of smells that could rival the most pungent cheeses.

According to the BBC, Staphylococcus epidermidis, for instance, is a common bacterium on our feet that can release foul-smelling compounds like isovaleric acid.

And isovaleric acid also just so happens to be another of the aromatic compounds found in stinky cheeses. It's like a microbial cheese-making operation right under your socks!

Feet, like cheese, are prone to moisture. When you combine sweat with the warm, dark environment of your shoes, you create the perfect breeding ground for odour-causing bacteria.

Just like the fermentation process in cheese-making, this can result in a ripe and, well, cheesy bouquet. The sweat itself contains salt and fatty acids that serve as a feast for bacteria, releasing even more cheesy fragrances.

Another reason that the smell of feet can sometimes remind you of Parmesan? Well, according to an article on the subject in 'The Barefoot Scientist,' that's likely due to the protein-rich diet of our foot-dwelling bacteria.

As the bacteria break down the proteins in your sweat, they produce ammonia and other compounds contributing to that "cheesy" aroma.

If you suffer from smelly feet or have to put up with someone else's regularly, you might also wonder if there is any evolutionary purpose to foul-smelling body parts.

Perhaps our ancestors who had particularly smelly feet might have been better protected against predators who found the aroma off-putting?