While effective in helping to burn calories, a common side effect of the Atkins Diet is bad breath. In fact, nearly two-thirds of dieters following the Atkins plan report bad breath problems—especially during the initial Induction Phase. However, as people progress into latter stages such as Maintenance, many of those who developed bad breath report a reduction or end to the embarrassing side effect. But why would any diet cause halitosis in the first place?
Central to the Atkins diet is a belief that consuming fewer carbohydrates will help reduce weight even though followers of the plan can eat all the red meat and fats they like. While some may believe that the change in actual foods are the source of bad breath, this really is not the case in most instances. In order to better understand how a low carb diet could possibly lead to bad breath problems, it is important to understand how the plan helps to burn calories.
Initially, followers of the Atkins diet are restricted to 20 grams of carbs per day. Complex carbohydrates, such as starches (pastas), are basically high energy sources that are easy for the digestive system to break down. Thus, during digestion, carbohydrates are immediately converted into energy instead of being stored as fats at the end of the process like most foods.
In theory, eating carbohydrates provides the body with ready-to-use energy sources. This means that the body does not need to burn stored fats (how most food ends up after going through the digestive system) in order to create energy for bodily functions and activity. So, the more carbs you eat, the less fat you need to burn in order to create energy. By restricting carbohydrate intake, the Atkins diet tries to induce the body into ketosis and that is essentially the source of the bad breath symptoms many report while on the regimen.
Ketosis is the state of elevated metabolism where the body is forced to burn fat stores in order to create energy—and this is how weight is lost while on the diet. However, ketosis literally alters the blood chemistry so that it becomes slightly acidic and this is one potential source of bad breath.
The other big reason why ketosis causes bad breath is because the Atkins diet acts as a diuretic—it causes dehydration due to the elevated metabolism rate. Dehydration leads to bad breath because bad breath is bacteria released gases that expand and populate faster when the mouth is not well salivated. Without enough saliva in the mouth to control these bacteria and remove food particles, then Volatile Sulfur Compounds (VSC gases) are created. VSC’s are the actual source of odor in most cases of bad breath.
The good news is that as the rate of ketosis decreases as you progress through the stages of the Atkins diet and start adding back carbohydrates, the bad breath also dissipates. However, in order to reduce the bad breath symptoms while in the initial stage, try adding in more water to your diet. However, if you already are drinking more water to the point of feeling bloated, then also be sure to avoid the following substances known to cause dehydration:
- Alcohol
- Smoking
- Caffeine
- Stimulants
If you are on the Atkins diet and bad breath suddenly appears—look on the bright side because that at least means that you have reached ketosis and are now burning fat and well on your way to a slimmer body! And to assist you in stopping the bad breath that comes from the Atkins diet, try OraMD®. Our product works so well that we unconditionally guarantee your total satisfaction with our – no quibble, money-back guarantee – no matter how many you order.
