How to Deal With ‘Keto Breath’ While Following the Keto Diet

How to Deal With ‘Keto Breath’ While Following the Keto Diet

By Lucy Wyndham

Many people who follow the Keto Diet experience an unwanted side effect, which is having unpleasantly fruit-scented “Keto Breath”. While a scientific study published in the BMC Oral Health journal showed that following a low-carb diet, such as the Keto Diet, which includes omega-3 fatty acids, vitamin D and vitamin C, reduces periodontal inflammation and gingivitis by a whopping fifty percent, many people dread Keto Breath. Most want to find practical solutions to this common problem  If you’re looking for a way to slim down while also improving your overall oral health, you’ll find the following tips helpful.

Stay hydrated all day long

This diet gets major press because a lot of people lose a significant amount of weight while they’re on it. Like the Atkins Diet, the Keto Diet is about eschewing carbs. When carb intake is dramatically curtailed, the body goes into a state called Ketosis, which causes the body to burn stored fat and produce ketones. The ketones are utilized as fuel. Ketosis tends to trigger “Keto Breath”, which is harmless but undesirable.

When you follow this diet, your body won’t handle electrolytes and water the way that it usually does. This may lead to dehydration. This first phase of the diet is a time when many people do get a little bit dehydrated, because their bodies are shifting from converting carbs to energy to converting fats to energy. Dehydration triggers dry mouth and this sets the stage for Keto Breath. Drinking more water during all phases of the diet, and especially during the first phase, is one of the secrets of banishing Keto Breath.

Pay more attention to oral hygiene

If you’re noticing that you have a bad taste in your mouth and that your breath seems fruit-scented, or metallic-scented, or has an odor that’s a bit like the smell of nail enamel remover, you will need to pay more attention to oral hygiene. Brush after every meal and snack. Floss daily. Gargle with a good, alcohol-free mouthwash, which kills bad breath bacteria without causing dryness in the oral cavity. Practicing meticulous oral hygiene will be a great way to decrease the odds (or severity) of bad breath while you’re on your Keto Diet weight loss journey.

Limiting protein intake will help

One important aspect of The Keto Diet is boosting protein intake, but you don’t need to overdo it. Eating too much protein may be exacerbating your Keto Breath issues. The body produces ammonia as it digests protein foods and ammonia has a very strong scent which may be detectable via your breath. Instead of eating a great deal of protein, consume more good fats, including olive oil, nuts and avocados.

As a backup to your oral health plan, keep sugar-free mints on your person and suck on the mints before and during social engagements or business meetings. As you can see, there are some easy ways to prevent Keto Breath or reduce its severity. When you drink a lot of water, pay careful attention to oral hygiene and substitute some proteins for healthy fats, you’ll be doing all that you can to nip this Keto Diet side effect in the bud.