If you haven’t heard of the keto diet, you’ve been living in a cave…and while you might be missing out on weight loss, increased energy, and managing health issues with diet instead of medicine, at least you won’t have the bad breath that the diet is known to cause.
“Keto breath” is a common but unpleasant side effect that a person can develop when they begin following a ketogenic diet, one that is high in fat and low in carbs. If you’ve ever been in or walked past a nail salon…that’s pretty much what keto breath smells like.
When your body uses fat for energy instead of carbs, the fatty acids are broken down and converted into chemicals called ketones, which are disposed through exhalation and urination. Acetone, the chemical in nail polish remover, is a type of ketone, and this is the scent of someone whose body is in ketosis.
While the odor is pretty poignant, it is actually a good sign and indicates the diet is working by switching over from glucose as a fuel source and converting fat into energy instead, which is the ultimate goal of the keto plan.
You can try to neutralize keto breath by drinking more water or slightly increasing the number of carbohydrates you eat. Breath mints and mint gum will help cover it up, but the underlying stench will still be there.
So if you’re thinking about starting the keto diet, or any low-carb one, the weight will certainly melt off if you stick to it…and though you’ll want to parade around your newly fit self, the trade-off will be having to avoid face-to-face encounters.
