What can I eat to avoid mosquito bites?


Quick Answer

Garlic, low-sodium foods and foods low in potassium such as blueberries, watermelon, cucumber and apples are the best nutritional choices for avoiding mosquitoes. Mixing apple cider vinegar into drinks and meals or applying it topically can also mask your natural scent, warding away mosquitoes.

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Full Answer

Salty foods and foods that are high in potassium such as chips, potatoes, bananas, prunes, lima beans, raisins, acorn squash and spinach increase the amount of lactic acid emitted from the body. The highest source of potassium is fruits and vegetables, so if it is impossible to cut out these foods, there are other natural methods one can use to repel mosquitoes. Burning sage and rosemary can help mask the body odor mosquitoes are so attracted to. Using vitamin B-1 in large quantities helps some people but does not work for everyone.

A mosquito's sense of smell is its strongest sensory faculty. Since they are naturally designed to hone in on carbon dioxide and lactic acid, mosquitoes tend to navigate toward people who emit more of these chemicals. Each human being has a unique scent made up of about 400 different aromatic compounds. Depending on a person's genetic makeup, she may be more likely to attract mosquitoes than others are.

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