I have a puzzling question to ask.
A c-worker told me that when ketones are released your body gives off a fishy-odor.

Also Dr. Atkins says that ketones are released through your breath.

Okay, work with me people. If Dr. Atkins says that you can't have any sweets(peppermints or gum), how do we avoid the bad breath?

I don't want to be a walking fish market either.

I need answers.

Hi there...I kinda know a little bit about the breath thing. My little boy has Type 1 diabetes and when he has ketones (bad for him good for us...go figure) his breath smells fruity. In fact I have found out his sugar was high before just cause I smelled his sweet breath. ....and I don't think I have EVER smelled anything fishy on him, unless of course he had BEEN fishing. haha.. I hope that helps!

i think it's ok to take Smints - they are powerful breathmints. If it's bothering you that much, i don't think a couple won't kill your weight loss. You can find them pretty much anywhere.

First ... ketones are made in the liver, from the fatty acids that are produced when your fat cells are burned. So, the ketones travel around in your bloodstream -- and they are either

1. used up as fuel by the brain, muscles and organs
2. filtered through the kidneys into the urine
3. flitered through the intestinal wall into the bowel contents
4. filtered through the lungs into the breath

To eliminate or at least reduce the amount of ketones that are released in your breath, you need to get the other three systmes working more efficiently.

1. Get more exercise! Burn up those ketones!
   
2. Drink more water! Keep those kidneys flushed, and prevent the ketones from concentrating in the blood
   
3. Keep the bowel moving regularly. Eat plenty of high-fiber lowcarb veggies, fruits (if allowed), raw nuts and seeds. Take a fiber supplement such as psyllium husks or sugar-free Metamucil, and be sure to drink plenty of water as well.

Gum and candies will just cover up, since the ketone odour is coming from the lungs, not the mouth. However, they can be a quick fix ... just be aware of the carb count ... many "sugar-free" candies etc do have carbs nonetheless. Frequent brushing and flossing, and rinsing with plain or slightly salted water will freshen the breath as well.

As for a fishy body odour ..... the problem is more likely from the breakdown of proteins, in particular urea, which is a precursor of ammonia .... If you've been eating a high-carb diet, then switch over to eating a lot more protein ... there will be more nitrogen-rich waste products in your system. The solution is the same as for ridding your body of excess ketones ... drink more water and make sure you are getting lots of fiber to flush the kidneys and keep the bowel regular.

Doreen

Okay,

I haven't been on the Atkins for very long. Actually I'm not into Ketosis yet. The Ketostix is still negative.

When my co-worker told me that she worked with someone on Atkins that had a funny body odor and Dr. Atkins spoke about the breath thing, I thought for a minute that I didn't want to continue because my personal hygeine is important, but then I thought that losing weight was just as important.

Thanks for the advice y'all. I will continue to do Atkins, but make sure I follow the advice that you guys gave.

A sista don't wanna walk around the neighborhood smelling

I swear by a product called Breathies. They're little capsules of peppermint oil, parsley essence and vitamin E.

You can swallow them or chew them, they take a little getting used to because they have no sugar in them, but after awhile they taste sweet (to me anyway... - my mom HATES them because of her sweet tooth.)

They're a real little pick=me=up if I have a headache or I'm just low on energy.

If you swallow one you burp peppermint. It's pretty cool.

They have a toll free number 1 888 6 BREATH if you can't find them at the store.

I have the breath problem and chew a half of a sugarless gum. Somewhere in the forum someone mentioned Trident makes a gum using Splenda. Have checked out my local stores and we only have Nutrasweet so far. It could be a Canadian gum or one just not in my demograph. I live very rural in New Hampshire. I have to drive at least an hour to get to stores of any size. I drink water and liquids all day. No one has told me I have bad breath, but I have this taste in my mouth. I know it is from lo carbing as before we fell off the wagon a couple of years ago, we experienced it then. So I guess that is some what of an indicator I doing a good job of lo carbing.

try fresh mint leaves . nothing artificial and tastes good- now i wish i had a garden.

Hi, ever since this diet, I have been having chronic hoarseness of my voice & sore throat. I went to an ENT yesterday & found out that I have reflux laryngitis. Is this common to low-carb dieters?

Gosh Joyup, I don't think so? I have heard folks feeling sick and thought they have the flu....but normally its only cause they are detoxing the carbs out of their body.

Hope you feel better soon.

hi joyup,

GERD (gastroesophageal reflux disease) is actually relieved with lowcarb diet, not caused by it. This is unusual.

Check out a discussion we had a while ago on this topic .. http://forum.lowcarber.org/showthre...=&threadid=1481 .. You'll see that for most people, cutting out the sugar will lessen the acidity and reflux.

Doreen

No, not common at at all. I never even heard of reflux laryngitis.

Doreen, is this another name GERD?

Wa'il

Yes, I believe so (I think we posted at the same time .... again )

The reflux of stomach acids comes all the way up the esophagus to the larynx (vocal cords) in the throat, causing irritation and hoarseness.

Doreen

Right now I'm taking the prescribed medicine (to reduce hyperacidity). The doctor has pointed out the intake of fatty foods which cause the reflux. I guess I have to avoid taking fried stuff.

Interesting! I have the reflux problem too. It doesn't affect my voice, but I sometimes get a horrible burning pain from reflux in my esophagus. I've always had that, and I used to drink a glass of milk to take care of it. Can't do that now! I wondered what was wrong with me that this kept happening. I wonder if it could be the fat doing it? I don't eat an excessive amount, but it's there. Is there anything I could do to alleviate that?

As for the breath and urine thing, I have the same problem. I can really smell the ketones on my breath, and my urine smells alot stronger than it ever did before. I exercise every day, and drink tons of water. I have been eating a small sugar-free mint whenever I find I'll be speaking to someone face to face - don't want to knock them over! So far it hasn't affected my weight loss at all, so I'll do it only when I need to. I don't really mind these smells though, as I take it as a good sign that my body is burning it's fat stores!

Wendy