“In some people, there is a higher prevalence of “AA” allele in the ABCC11 gene, which is associated with a lack of sweat production and, hence, a lack of odor (and, interestingly, the presence of “dry” rather than “wet” earwax). Most of us, however, possess at least one “G” allele in that same gene instead, which gives us a smelliness propensity (and wet earwax). Some of that research suggests there is an ethnic correlation. East Asians, for example, tend more often to possess the AA (non-smelly) genetic allele. Meanwhile, European and African populations are more likely to have the G allele, which leads to body odor.”
So, if you are AA type, congratulations - you have no body odor. If you are G type, you have body odor.
Incidentally, some guy has done a genetic map of these alleles by country. I thought it was interesting how this information was just in some database. Who knows what else they have in a catalog somewhere. He talks about earwax type in this article - this is another expression of the allele type.
His map seems to imply that India has predominantly AA allele (no body odor) to which there is empirical counterevidence with a sample size of approximately 1.2 billion, so his findings are questionable.
“I knew the first Reek. He stank, though not for want of washing. I have never known a cleaner creature, truth be told. He bathed thrice a day and wore flowers in his hair as if he were a maiden. Once, when my second wife was still alive, he was caught stealing scent from her bedchamber. I had him whipped for that, a dozen lashes. Even his blood smelled wrong. The next year he tried it again. This time he drank the perfume and almost died of it. It made no matter. The smell was something he was born with. A curse, the smallfolk said. The gods had made him stink so that men would know his soul was rotting. My old maester insisted it was a sign of sickness, yet the boy was otherwise as strong as a young bull. No one could stand to be near him, so he slept with the pigs…”
