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In recent years there has been a surge in popularity of low
carb diets such as the Atkins Diet and the South Beach Diet.
Initially endorsed by well-known actors, musicians and
celebrities their appeal is now widespread, with an estimated
16 million copies of the Aktins Diet books sold alone.
However, while such low carb diets may promise great results
for your figure, unfortunately the same can’t always be said
for your breath…
In this article we’ll examine the science behind such diets,
and explain just why low carb dieters battle bad breath with
limited success...
How Do Low Carb Diets Actually Work?
A key feature of many low carb diets such as the Atkins Diet is
that they heavily restrict the amount of carbohydrates a person
can eat. Instead, dieters tend to consume more foods consisting
of protein and fat.
Carbohydrates are the fuel that gives our bodies energy. When
you cut them out of your diet, your body will initially use up
its existing stores of carbs, known as glycogen. After that
your body descends into a state known as ketosis, where it
burns fat stores in place of carbohydrates and certain
chemicals known as ketones are released.
But How Exactly Does This Fat-Burning Process Affect My
Breath?
A common complaint made by many low carb devotees is bad breath
or halitosis. There are 2 main reasons for this.
Firstly, ketosis has a number of unsavoury side effects, one of
which is causing your breath to smell foul. Indeed, this
condition is often termed ketosis bad breath.
Secondly, our mouths contain important bacteria which are
responsible for breaking down the proteins in the food we eat,
as well as helping our bodies digest diseased oral tissue.
During this digestive process, various sulphur compounds are
released.
Normally, the smell given off by these sulphur compounds is
relatively unnoticeable. However, when these bacteria are
present in unusually large amounts these smells can quickly
turn rancid and rotten.
There are certain things which aggravate these bacteria and
cause them to multiply in large numbers. One such thing is
eating lots of protein. The more protein you eat, the more
bacteria are needed to break it down.
In addition, during ketosis your body uses up much more water
than would normally be required and you can quickly become
dehydrated. This dehydration in turn leads to lower amounts of
saliva in your mouth and creates an ideal breeding ground for
the bacteria which positively thrive in dry conditions.
So How Can Low Carb Dieters Battle Bad Breath Effectively?
Chewing gum, mints, breath fresheners and mouthwashes may mask
your bad breath temporarily but they won’t get to the real root
of the problem. If you’re really serious about getting rid of
your bad breath for good, you may instead need to consider
introducing more carbohydrates into your diet.
However, if you’re not eating an excessive amount of protein
but are still having bad breath problems, you may also want to
consider some of the other different factors which can
aggravate these bacteria.
This helpful report we found online discusses all these factors
and explains how a few simple changes may be all that’s needed
to help you enjoy mint-fresh breath – permanently.
For more articles like this one on why low carb dieters battle
bad breath, click
here.
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