The keto diet has become largely popularly largely because it helps people lose weight fast. Unfortunately, it does come with some side effects.
Smelly Side Effects Of Keto
Those who follow the low-carb meal plan, which emphasizes on consuming more fat and a very limited amount of carbohydrates and sugar, have acknowledged the diet can cause the so-called keto breath, a bad breath described as overripe-to-rotten fruity or metallic.
Now, dieters revealed another smelly effect of the keto diet. People have been posting complaints on message board and social media about keto crotch, which they characterized as having an unusual odor from between the legs while on the keto diet.
How Keto Causes Odor Down There
Keto crotch, however, did not surprise health experts. Registered dietitian nutritionist Lisa De Fazio said this medical phenomenon may occur when a person drastically changes his or her diet by incorporating large amounts of macronutrients such as protein and fat.
De Fazio said that the imbalance may also cause women to encounter infections such as bacterial vaginosis.
"The keto diet [may] change your vaginal pH, which alters your vaginal odor - and it may not smell like roses," De Fazio said.
The idea behind keto is to get the body to reach ketosis when the body uses fat stores for energy instead of glucose.
Yale University School of Medicine OB/GYN Mary Jane Minkin explained that ketones, the byproduct of the body breaking down fatty acids, happen to have funny small so people who follow the keto diet may have to deal with bad breath or stinky odor from their intimate parts.
Smell Would Eventually Go Away
Keto crotch survivors said the smell would eventually go away.
"It will pass once you are more adjusted to keto (if it doesn't, see your OB). It took me a couple of months to "level out" down there," a Redditor advised on a thread discussing the smelly phenomenon.
De Fazio nonetheless advised the importance of going to the doctor to make sure everything is okay.
