[mage lang="" source="flickr"]Bad Breath Low Carb[/mage]

What is a cause of bad breath(on low carb diet)?

I started a low carb diet almost two months ago now, and I’ve noticed something that is becoming more frequent. I have been eating enough food, not too much. I recently started eating five smaller meals a day and it seems when I get hungry the taste in my mouth is bad and I think my breath is bad, I feel awkward when it happens in public. Has anyone experienced this problem or know any possible causes? I can provide more information if you have a guess.
Although, I thank Dr. Redbeard for his concern, there is no hint of sweet at all, it is just pure bad breath, almost like dog breath or something.

If it is a sweet smell or a stinging/sour taste then ketoacidosis, which isn’t good. If you are eating a lot of protein and/or fat but no carbs, then your body is burning amino acids and fats for energy. That produces excess ketone sugars in the body, which causes a sweet smell on a person’s breath. The sweet breath isn’t the problem, however, it is indicative of a dangerously low pH in your body (your body would be too acidic) which could cause serious damage. Typically low carb, high protein diets aren’t recommended for more than 2 weeks.

If the smell has some hint of sweetness, abandon your low carb diet now and see a doctor for good measure.

low carb diet and bad breath?

i am in the induction phase of the south beach diet. i’m noticed a strange taste in my mouth and i assume my breath isnt too wonderful either. is this temporary?

Hey, I recently had the same problem when I started Atkins and something that I learned was that the bad taste in your mouth is a chemical change in your body called Ketosis that burns the carbs instead of storing it. The bad taste usually means that you are on the right track and it doesn’t carry strongly towards others so don’t stress too much about the smell.

It is temporary and usually, after induction, it stops. Good luck on your diet!