Courtesy of the Chicago Tribune...

Skinny but stinky thanks to Atkins
By Julie Deardorff
Tribune staff reporter

May 2, 2004

If you've lost weight on a low-carbohydrate diet like Atkins but still can't get a date, ask a trusted friend whether your breath is repellent.

If you still have any friends.

The malodorous phenomenon of Atkins-induced halitosis is plaguing low-carbers across the nation. The problem is that the bad breath, caused by the way the body metabolizes food, is actually a sign that Atkins is working, according to Atkins officials.

The body normally converts glucose for energy, but in a low-carb diet, it charges up by burning fats. In the process, it produces keto acids, which are released through urine and the breath.

A telltale sign of ketone breath is a sickly sweet odor. But what really makes Atkins breath offensive is that 75 percent of Americans have gum disease, said Westmont dentist Ron Schefdore.

"When [gum disease] is combined with Atkins, the effect can be similar to rotten eggs," Schefdore said. "It's very pungent. When you combine the two, it's horrible." Although improving oral hygiene can help a normal halitosis patient, Atkins breath is much harder to eliminate.

With Atkins, "even if you have good oral hygiene, the odor won't go away," said Jim Bahcall, chairman of surgical sciences at the Marquette University School of Dentistry. Some solutions include drinking large amounts of water to flush the keto acids from the body or chewing fresh parsley. Though the Atkins diet discourages the use of most breath mints because they may contain sugar or artificial sweeteners, Atkins hawks pricey sugar-free mints ($12.99 plus $7.95 shipping for 228 pieces) and gum.

Schefdore recommends ClosysII toothpaste now available at drugstores and an oral rinse, products that worked for Joanne Nowak of Darien, who was combating both Atkins breath and gum disease.

She hopes others will find relief as well. "You can always tell people on Atkins," said Nowak. "Especially at the health club, when they're breathing heavy."