Keto Breath: How To Get Rid Of It

There are many ways to lose weight. If you’ve been in this path before, then you have probably heard of the keto diet. The keto diet has taken the world by storm because of its effectiveness. Not only do you lose weight, but you also regulate your blood sugar levels. For people with diabetes, is already an attractive alternative.

The Keto Diet

A keto diet is a low-carb, high-fat kind of diet. This means that you only get to consume a very small amount of carb because you want to lessen your body’s dependency on sugar. The keto diet is rich in fat because it is supposed to help your body switch to a sugar-burning mechanism to a fat-burning one. When you don’t have enough sugar to burn, your body will learn to burn the fats instead.

This is what you call the state of ketosis. Ketosis refers to the condition when your body has naturally switched into a fat-burning mechanism. When fat is burned, ketones are produced. This is what causes a keto breath.

The Keto Breath and How to Get Rid of It

Fans of the keto diet swear by its effectivity. Indeed, even nutritionists would say that a keto diet truly helps in losing weight. However, just like any other diet, it has its own side effects. Two of the common side effects are dry mouth and keto breath.

Keto dry mouth occurs when your mouth starts to feel like a cotton ball. This happens because of the lack of saliva. That is why you feel that starchy almost paper-like feeling. On the other hand, the keto breath refers to the bad breath that is caused when your body produces ketones during the fat-burning process. It is an acidic and metallic scent.

Having these mouth conditions can be uncomfortable. If you know you have keto breath, the last thing you want to happen is for people to point that out. So, here are four ways to prevent having keto breath.

  1. Drink lots of water.

The first thing you have to do is increase your water intake. Being hydrated is a must for everyone regardless of whether or not they’re following a keto diet. But for those who are in ketosis, it’s especially important they stay hydrated because being in ketosis will make you feel dehydrated. To add to that, drinking water helps solve dry mouth that you may be experiencing.

  1. Regulate your protein intake.

Even if you’ve focused on a high-fat diet, this doesn’t mean that you also need to eat a lot of protein. In fact, a keto diet only consists of a moderate amount of protein. If you want to lose the keto breath, you should regulate your protein intake because digesting produces ammonia. Ammonia is often found in urine, but too much protein can also result to bad odor in your mouth.

What you can do to replace protein is eating more of healthy fats. Healthy fats don’t produce a smell when they are digested, plus they are highly recommended for people who have a keto diet. Examples of food rich in healthy fats are avocado and nuts.

  1. Use natural mints.

Another way to get rid of the keto breath is by consuming natural mints. Natural mints are foods that you can chew that will leave you with fresh breath. The most common flavor is peppermint. Peppermint is popular among natural mints because it has a soothing aroma. It’s also known to have antibacterial properties which is good for your dental hygiene.

Although natural mints are helpful, you also have to be careful about consuming them more than twice a day. Mints also have carbohydrates, so make sure that you eat them sparingly.

  1. Practice proper dental hygiene.

Lastly, you have to practice proper dental hygiene. Proper dental hygiene can help remove bad breath even if it’s not caused by a keto diet. To make sure you’re taking care of your teeth, you have to brush at least twice a day accompanied by a floss once a day. These ensure that you don’t have leftover food in your mouth that get converted to plaque. You can also consult your dentist to ask for their recommendations for dealing with keto breath.