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The cause of bad breath on low carb diets
The latest dieting craze has no doubt been the low carb high
protein diets. Those of you on Atkins, South Beach etc will no
doubt have noticed a number of changes since you took up the
diet. And no I'm not talking about the remarkable weight loss I
am talking about your bad breath. Now it may not have been
noticeable to you but I suggest you ask your friends or
relatives whether there has been a detioration and you may be
surprised by the answer. In fact you may even find your friends
moving away from you when you speak which is always a sure sign
of bad breath.
So what's the cause of all this bad air? Well depending on which
medical speak you speak with there are a number, yet similar,
reasons for the problem. One of the reasons is directly related
to the increase in protein which most of the low carb diets
advocate.
Basically, we all have a large number of useful bacteria living
mainly on our tongue and at the back of our throat. These
bacteria are supposed to be there, because they assist humans in
digestion by breaking down proteins found in specific foods,
mucous or phlegm, blood, and in diseased or "broken-down" oral
tissue. When these "beneficial" bacteria come into contact with
these compounds, the odorous and "lousy-tasting" volatile sulfur
compounds (VSCs') are released from the back of the tongue and
throat, as Hydrogen Sulphide, Methyl Mercaptan, and other
odorous and bad tasting compounds.
Since the bacteria are meant to be in our mouth there is no way
we can remove them permanently. So, no amount of brushing or
tongue scraping will get rid of the VSCs'. The only
scientifically proven way of curing your bad breath (Halitosis)
is by attacking the bacteria's ability to produce VSCs' and by
converting the VSC into non-odorous and non-tasting organic
salts.
There are a number of ways in which the problem is worsened and
the most common way is with dry mouth. This generally occurs
while you are asleep and hence the reason you sometimes wake up
with "morning breath".
Although some cases of dry mouth are naturally occurring, most
cases are caused by one of these factors: 1. Prescription
Medications (usually
prescribed for high blood pressure or
depression) 2. Antihistamines 3. Adult Beverages 4. Mouthwashes
with alcohol in them
When your mouth is dryer, you have less Saliva. Saliva naturally
contains Oxygen, which keeps your mouth healthy and fresh. These
bacteria are anaerobic, which simply means that they will thrive
and make more sulfur in the presence of little or no oxygen.
Thus if you have less Saliva, you have less oxygen, thereby
creating an anaerobic environment, perfect for the bacteria to
produce more of these odorous and sour/bitter compounds. Because
of the increase in higher protein foods, on an Atkins type diet,
especially dairy products, the amount of Volatile Sulfur
Compounds increases dramatically and as such your breath gets
worse accordingly. The only way to fight the problem is to try
and supply oxygen to the bacteria causing the problem and remove
as much of the VSCs' as possible. This can be done in a number
of ways:
- Drink loads of water. This will help ensure your tongue and
throat are kept moist and supplying oxygen to the VSC producing
bacteria. - Always clean your tongue with a tongue cleaner
before brushing your teeth last thing at night and first thing
in morning. You should also try and do this after every meal
too. - Use a mouthwash which does not contain any alcohol as
alcohol can dry your mouth and make the problem worse. You can
also dramatically improve matters by using an oxygenating
mouthwash. You can find one by doing a Google on "oxygenating
mouthwash". - Don't chew gum, which contains sugar, to try and
mask the bad breath. This can make matters worse. Use a sugar
free gum instead.
The bottom line is that low carb diets will cause bad breath,
although for some it will be a lot worse than others. However,
help is at hand so if you want to shed the weight and not shed
any friends then make sure and heed the advice given above.
About the author:
A self confessed low carb food junkie Andrea Simpson has lost
over 40lbs on low carb
diets. Andrea runs a website devoted to low carb eating.
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