How to Prevent and Cure Bad Breath caused by the Keto Diet.

Unlike regular bad breath or halitosis, ‘keto breath’ is its own occurrence where people who are on a keto, or another low-carb diet, experience bad breath that smells like rotten fruit or nail polish remover (acetone) or a cat litter box (ammonia). This can be frustrating, but once you understand why it happens and how to help it, you will have a healthy fresh breath in no time!

What causes ‘Keto Breath’

There are 2 main causes of ‘Keto Breath’ one creates a smell like acetone and is caused by ketosis and the other smells like ammonia and is caused by the intake of excess protein. Let’s go into more detail on both.

1. The release of Ketones: Once your body reaches a state of Ketosis (when the liver uses the fat present in the body as an energy source, producing “ketones” in the process) ketones are released. One type of ketone called acetone is known to have a foul smell like rotten fruit. During Ketosis the acetones leach into your breath and urine and causing the unpleasant smell.

2. Excess Protein: Your protein intake tends to increase on a keto diet, in place of the carbs that you have cut. When the body metabolizes protein, ammonia is produced. This can smell pretty bad if produced in large amounts and it escapes through your breath when you exhale. One simple way to fix this rotten breath is to increase your intake of healthy fats and cut back on some of the protein.

Regular bad breath is caused by VSCs (volatile sulphur compounds) that are produced when bacteria break down the food in your mouth. These VSCs have an unpleasant smell. Studies show that the breakdown of protein produces more VSCs than other food groups. This is why it is important to remove any food particles trapped between your teeth.

How to Prevent ‘Keto Breath’

If you wish to continue with your keto diet without the struggle of keto breath we recommend following these steps:

1. Drink plenty of water throughout the day to stimulate the healthy flow of saliva and keep your overall body health.
2. Maintain a healthy mouth. Floss daily or simply swish water around your mouth after each meal to remove food particles trapped between teeth that could harvest VSC’s producing bacteria (that cause bad breath).
3. Use Breathealer, the all-natural, probiotic way to get fresh breath. Not only does breathealer instantly freshen your breath with just one squirt, but it helps maintain a healthy mouth by only eliminating the ‘bad’ bacteria while the good guys continue to do their thing!