#199 KEEP YOUR BREATH FRESH

Bad breath is a possible side effect of the keto diet, especially in the beginning stages when the body is getting used to using ketones as fuel. Many people notice a “fruity” smell that’s often described as similar to nail polish remover. That’s because the smell comes from acetone, a specific ketone that also happens to be one of the main ingredients in nail polish remover.

As your body creates ketones, excess amounts are excreted through your urine and through your breath. This can cause bad breath and a bad taste in the mouth, often referred to as “keto breath.” If you’re experiencing keto breath, there are several ways you can try to get rid of it:

  1. 1. Drink more water. Extra fluid helps your body create more urine, and that urine helps you remove ketones like acetone from your body. Water also helps flush bad breath–causing bacteria from your mouth.
  2. 2. Eat less protein. When your body breaks down protein, it creates ammonia as a waste product. Like acetone, ammonia has a strong smell and is removed from your body when you pee and when you breathe. Because of this, it can add to the breath odor. Check your protein intake and make sure you’re not eating too much.
  3. 3. Practice good oral hygiene. Brushing and flossing twice a day is always important, but it’s especially necessary when you’re experiencing bad breath. While oral hygiene won’t directly fix bad breath from ketones (the smell comes from your lungs, not your mouth), it can help prevent bad breath from other causes, like food and bacteria trapped in your teeth, and make your mouth and breath feel fresher.
  4. 4. Carry keto-friendly gum or mints with you. Like brushing and flossing, this won’t correct the underlying problem, but it will help with the smell until your body adjusts to ketosis and the smell goes away on its own.
  5. 5. Bump up your carb intake slightly. If you’ve been following keto for more than a month and your bad breath still lingers, consider eating slightly more carbs. You don’t have to ditch your keto diet, but adding a few more daily grams of carbs, like going from 30 grams to 40 grams per day, may be enough to lower ketone production slightly and help get your breath feeling fresh again.