Keto Breath Remedies: Tips For Freshening Your Breath

The ketogenic diet, or keto diet, is a popular weight-loss strategy that involves eating a high-fat, moderate-protein, and low-carb diet. While this diet can be effective for weight loss, it often causes an unpleasant side effect known as keto breath. Keto breath is characterised by a fruity or metallic odour, similar to nail polish remover, and can be quite embarrassing for those who experience it. Fortunately, there are several strategies to reduce or mask keto breath while still adhering to the keto diet. This includes increasing water intake, reducing protein consumption, practising good oral hygiene, and slightly increasing carbohydrate intake. While keto breath may be unpleasant, it is only temporary and should subside within a few weeks as the body adjusts to the diet.

Drink more water

Drinking more water is one of the most effective ways to combat keto breath. This is because ketones, the chemicals responsible for the distinctive "keto breath" odour, are flushed out of the body through urination. By increasing your water intake, you encourage more frequent urination, thereby expelling more ketones from your body.

Drinking more water also helps to flush out bacteria in your mouth that could be contributing to bad breath. This is especially important as dry mouth is one of the leading causes of bad breath.

In addition to drinking more water, you can also try adding fresh herbs to your water or tea. Herbs such as clove, cinnamon, mint, and fennel are natural breath fresheners and can help combat the odour.

While increasing your water intake is a simple and effective way to reduce keto breath, it is important to note that it may not eliminate it completely. Keto breath is a result of your body entering ketosis, and the more ketones your body produces, the more acetone will be released through your breath. Therefore, in addition to drinking more water, you may also need to try other methods to reduce keto breath, such as slightly increasing your carbohydrate intake or lowering your protein intake.

Eat more carbs

If you're experiencing keto breath, it might be time to re-evaluate your diet. While the keto diet can be effective for weight loss, it can also lead to some unpleasant side effects, like keto breath. The good news is that you don't necessarily have to give up the diet to get rid of the bad breath. One way to combat keto breath is to eat more carbs.

The keto diet is a high-fat, moderate-protein, low-carb diet. It's designed to force your body to use fat for energy instead of carbohydrates, which is called ketosis. Ketosis is when your body breaks down fat for energy, converting fatty acids into ketones. These ketones are then released from the body through exhalation and urination. One of these ketones, acetone, is what gives your breath that distinctive fruity or chemical smell.

So, how can eating more carbs help? Well, when you drastically reduce your carbohydrate intake, your body breaks down more fats for energy, which produces more ketones. By increasing your carbohydrate intake, even by just a small amount, you can reduce the number of ketones your body produces. This, in turn, should lead to less pungent-smelling breath.

For example, if you're currently eating 15 grams of carbohydrates per day, try increasing your intake to 20 grams. You can use a ketone breath analyser to measure your ketone levels and make sure you're still in ketosis. It's important to note that the number of carbohydrates you can eat without dropping out of ketosis will vary from person to person.

While keto breath can be embarrassing and unpleasant, it's important to remember that it's only temporary. Within a few weeks, as your body adjusts to the lower carb intake, your breath should return to normal. In the meantime, staying hydrated, practising good oral hygiene, and trying breath fresheners like sugar-free gum or mints can also help minimise keto breath.

Chew gum or mints

If you're following a ketogenic diet, you may experience keto breath, a common side effect of eating high-fat, low-carb meals. This is a result of your body going into ketosis, which is when your body breaks down fat for energy instead of carbohydrates, producing ketones that are released through your breath.

One way to combat keto breath is to chew gum or suck on mints. However, it is important to choose sugar-free options that won't interfere with your low-carb goals. Chewing gum or sucking on mints can help to mask the smell of keto breath. Additionally, chewing gum increases saliva production, which can help stop the growth of bacteria in your mouth that causes bad breath.

It is worth noting that some chewing gums and mints contain a small amount of carbohydrates. If you consume several pieces throughout the day, this could increase your daily carb intake and potentially knock you out of ketosis. Therefore, it is important to be mindful of the amount of gum or mints you consume and to choose products that are suitable for a low-carb diet.

While chewing gum or sucking on mints can help to disguise keto breath, it is only a temporary solution. Keto breath usually lasts for a couple of weeks, and eventually, your body will adjust to its new carb intake levels and your breath will return to normal. In the meantime, staying hydrated by drinking plenty of water can also help to reduce keto breath, as it increases the amount of ketones expelled through urination rather than through breath.

Lower protein intake

While on a keto diet, it is important to watch your protein intake. This is because, as your body breaks down protein, it produces ammonia, which is eliminated through urine and exhalation. Ammonia can cause a strong odour on the breath.

Try to limit your protein consumption to 30 to 35 percent of your daily calories. You can slightly decrease your protein intake and focus on consuming more healthy fats (avocados, nuts, olive oil). This should help minimise ammonia production (which smells unpleasant) while also supporting your body through fat-adaptation.

According to a 2014 study, increasing dietary fat intake while decreasing protein intake resulted in lower levels of ammonia and acetone.

Practise good oral hygiene

Practising good oral hygiene is essential for maintaining healthy teeth and gums and can also help reduce keto breath. Here are some tips to improve your oral hygiene:

Brush your teeth regularly

Brush your teeth at least twice a day. Use a fluoride toothpaste and a soft-bristled toothbrush. Ensure you brush for at least two minutes each time, covering all surfaces of the teeth and along the gum line. Brushing your teeth helps dislodge food particles and removes bacteria, which can contribute to bad breath. The minty flavour of toothpaste can also help mask the odour associated with keto breath.

Floss daily

Flossing is an essential step in oral hygiene as it removes food particles and plaque from between the teeth, which brushing alone cannot reach. Flossing also helps prevent gum disease by reducing the build-up of plaque along the gum line. Use a fresh section of floss for each tooth to avoid transferring bacteria.

Use a mouthwash

Add a good antimicrobial mouthwash to your oral care routine. Mouthwash can help reduce the number of bacteria in the mouth, freshen your breath, and prevent gum disease. Look for a mouthwash that contains ingredients such as chlorhexidine or essential oils, which are known to be effective against bacteria.

Clean your tongue

Use a tongue scraper or a soft-bristled toothbrush to gently clean your tongue, especially the back area, where bacteria tend to accumulate. This will help remove bacteria and food particles that can contribute to bad breath.

Visit your dentist regularly

Schedule regular dental check-ups and cleanings. Your dentist can help identify any oral health issues and provide professional cleaning to remove plaque and tartar build-up, which can contribute to bad breath. They can also advise you on specific products or techniques to improve your oral hygiene.

While practising good oral hygiene is essential, it is important to note that it may not completely eliminate keto breath. Keto breath is caused by the presence of ketones in the breath, which is a result of the body breaking down fat for energy when following a low-carb, high-fat diet. However, maintaining good oral hygiene can help reduce the odour and improve your overall oral health.

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