How to Combat Bad Breath on a Low-Carb Diet

Yes, it’s true. Low-carb/no-carb diets will give you halitosis, otherwise known as bad breath. Much like lions and tigers and bears (oh, my!) typically have seriously stinky mouths, if you follow a similarly high protein/low carbohydrate diet, you will share in that unwanted attribute. The bad breath stems from chemicals, called ketones that are released in the breath as the body burns fat. The good news is that if your breath smells to high heaven, you're probably doing a good job of sticking to that low-carb diet. The bad news is, well, you might set small objects on fire when you breathe.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• · Lots of water · A travel toothbrush and toothpaste · Sugar-free chewing gum · Sugar-free mints

How to Combat Bad Breath on a Low-Carb Diet

1. The only way to fully curb the bad breath is to incorporate more carbohydrates into your diet. If you are unwilling to do so, the next best option is to drink LOTS of water, particularly after you eat. Brushing directly after you eat will also help.

2. Keep a pack of sugar-free chewing gum with you everywhere you go. The act of chewing gum generates saliva, which helps to curb normal bad breath. In this case, because the bad breath isn’t coming from bacteria, but from food choices, it will only help to curb the smell.

3. Mints, while good, are not as effective as gum, as the taste and smell often don’t last as long. However, they are excellent for last-minute meetings or encounters (such as a work meeting or a job interview) where it would be completely inappropriate to be smacking your lips on a piece of gum.

4. Carry a travel toothbrush and toothpaste with you always, as even if you can’t combat the bad breath entirely, at least you know you are keeping your actual mouth clean and in good standing hygienically.

5. Eat a carbohydrate. Even if it’s just once a week, get yourself one piece of fruit, one veggie and one crust of bread. Your body, your family, your co-workers, and everyone else you come into contact with will LOVE you for it. Because honestly, even if you drop 300 lbs on the diet, no one will want to come near you with such horrific breath. Keep that in mind the next time you nix a salad for a hamburger with cheese and no bun. No diet is worth becoming a social outcast.

Tips & Warnings

• There is a product available (Elimitaste chewing gum) that claims it can get rid of the bad breath caused by no/low-carb dieting. It contains the ingredient Xylitol. If you decide to keep on with the no/low-carb diet, it is another option to consider. See Resource below.
• Be sure to read up on the warnings on Xylitol before consuming it.
• If you have pets, keep all sugar-free items away from them. It has been documented that Xylitol acts like poison for animals, even in small doses.

Resources

• Xylitol
• Elimitaste gum