Download Your FREE Bad Breath Report- Click Here!Up till now, you may have thought that bad breath was simply an oral hygiene problem and, in the majority of cases, you would be right. There is an example, however, where bad breath is actually caused by your body's metabolism and the low-carb diet craze is a perfect example of this.

Many dentists are now finding that they get a lot of complaints from their patients who are on a weight loss diet about bad breath. These patients think that it might be tooth decay that is causing them to have foul breath but, after a dental exam, dentists find that tooth decay isn’t an issue. 

Low Carb Diets
The issue lies on your diet. What you eat, or in the case of the low-carb diet, what you don't eat, causes a chemical reaction in your body called “ketosis”. Ketosis, the process at the heart of low-carb diets, is your body's self-defense mechanism against a loss of glucose. Glucose (also called “blood sugar” and  “dextrose”) is the simplest carbohydrate and it is, under normal circumstances, your body's basic 'fuel' in the sense that every cell in your body 'burns'  glucose for energy.

When you diet or start fasting, your body uses up its reserve of glucose within a short period of time and, since your body can't survive without glucose (your eyes, kidneys, red blood cells and your brain all depend on glucose), it starts burning fat (ketones) to displace the lost glucose. When your body fat is burned up as fuel smelly ketones, or chemicals, are built up in the body.  These ketone chemicals are then released in your urine and in your breath. 

This is where the halitosis comes in. The chemical process of ketosis (burning proteins and fat, when carbohydrates aren't available) creates an unpleasant odor that results in bad breath; bad breath that tooth-brushing, flossing and tongue scraping won't help. Also better known as the “ketone breath”, this bad breath actually has a sweet sick smell to it. 

Fight "Ketone Breath"
There a few things that you can do to battle “ketone breath” if you’re on a low carb diet:

• Make sure that you drink plenty of water so that you wash away the bacteria and germs in your mouth.
• Chew on fresh pieces of parsley
• Chew sugarless gum.
• Take the time to brush your teeth and tongue every time you eat.
• Take the time to floss after every meal.
• Try bleaching your teeth.  Bleaching can help against bad breath because it acts as an oxygenating agent that kills germs and bacteria. 

Alternatively, you can also change your diet: It may appear to low-carb dieters that the only way to overcome this “dietary halitosis” is to 'cheat' by introducing more carbohydrates into your diet. This isn't necessarily the case. Low-carb doesn't mean no-carb and some low-carb diets, like the “South Beach Diet”, allow more carbs than others like the “Atkins Diet”. For starters, take a look at a summaries of 19 different low-carb diets at http://www.lowcarb.ca/atkins-diet-and-low-carb-plans/. You may find one that appeals to you and that allows a more generous intake of carbohydrates.

Bad breath can have a negative impact on almost anything that you do in your day from talking to co-workers to kissing your partner.  When you’re trying to lose weight, the last thing that you want to do is focus on your breath when you want to start feeling better about yourself.  The above tips can help you keep a lid on bad breath so that you can put your energies into your weight loss program.

If you find that your bad breath continues after you’ve finished your low carb diet, make sure that you see a doctor.  Bad breath can be a sign of serious medical conditions such as diabetes.

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