Four South Africans give their story to IOL South Africa News.
A South African news report highlights the experiences of four people living with trimethylaminuria (TMAU), a rare metabolic disorder that causes a persistent body odor due to the body's inability to break down trimethylamine. Although the condition is not physically harmful, it has profound social and psychological consequences. Those interviewed describe workplace discrimination, bullying, isolation, anxiety, depression, and difficulty finding or keeping employment because of negative reactions to their odor. They emphasize that TMAU is a medical condition—not poor hygiene—and call for greater public understanding and empathy. The article explains that TMAU can be diagnosed with a urine test and that symptoms may be reduced by avoiding foods rich in choline and other trimethylamine precursors, although there is currently no cure.
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