Say whatttt?!??!
Lets see what Merriam-Webster has to say:
: a condition of having fetid breath”
[Source]
Uhhhhh? Let’s see what my good friend Wiki has to say about the matter at hand.
“Halitosis, or most commonly bad breath are terms used to describe noticeably unpleasant odors exhaled in breathing – whether the smell is from an oral source due to bacteria or otherwise.”
[Source] Ding ding! We have a winner!
We clearly have a problem in your hands!
Lately I have been noticing as I have been “dieting” ( I have quotes because I want to talk about that in another post) my breath has been kickin’. I would not have an issue with this unless someone else mentioned it. And they did.
The thing is I brush my teeth on the regular. I have never left my house with un-brushed teeth. Its like being naked. Gross.
So why the issue?
Basically when we diet or lower the intake of food, our smart/ starving bodies burn fat by a process called Ketosis.
Ketones- any orgo people out there?
This process also occurs when you lower the amount of carbohydrates you eat. So our bodies burn fat to get the needed energy. Now here is the stinky party, our bodies can burn all types of fat but acetone ( yes I know the structure of this). So, acetone is secreted through our bodies as waste in the from of urine and in our breath.
The cure?
- Stick with your normal brushing 2x a day, flossing and mouthwash routine.
- I have started brushing my tongue as well but I keep gagging as I do this. Its not very fun.
- I also drink plenty of water all day to keep my mouth hydrated.
Now I would never ask anyone if they have had this problem, but do you have a friend or a friend who may have dealt with an issue similar to mine?
If so, what other solutions have they discovered for this rather stinky problem?
The simple life of Sana. 
I haven’t had this problem (not that I know of anyway) but I have also heard that if you don’t eat carbs it makes halitosis worse. Supposedly apples really help to clean teeth and remove germs so maybe that will help??
I don’t think I have a problem with halitosis…but I usually chew some sugar free gum minty gum when I think it may be necessary.
Hmm, not sure if it’s the same thing, but I have noticed I get a bad taste in my mouth when i dont eat food for a few hours. I always carry mints or gum and water with me, and they zap away the bad taste.
Sometimes my breath feels funky when I don’t eat for a few hours. Good to know there’s a scientific explanation.
where do you draw the line between morning breath and halitosis? Are they the same thing?
I have certainly had this problem, so I know exactly what you are talking about. It is a very common symptom of low carb dieting. I also tend to have a different smelling sweat when I am in ketosis. For me, the best solution is a lot of water and a piece of sugar free gum in my mouth all the time. I have had moderate success chewing on sprigs of mint or a cinnamon toothpick, but the gum and lots of water work best.
I never had this problem but that is such an interesting fact…thanks =)
What about just eating a healthy balance between carbohydrates and protein? It can’t be healthy to be having ketosis in the first place…
I have never experienced this , but I’d recommend lots and lots of water & looking into the route of the problem (are you doing a fad diet?) Not to say dieting is bad, but ketosis doesn’t seem like something that should be happenin’ on the regular…
Good luck 🙂
Sana: I am not on a diet of any kind- its just something that I have noticed as I am cutting back ( slightly) on what I am eating.
Girl you Rock!! i love you and your posts!!!
This is super funny, but so true 🙂
XXOO
Around my house well call the stinkiness of the breath, “Halitosis Ferocious”!
So glad for this scientific explanation. I learned something today!
key tones suck
i had them was I was severly underweight.
I brush and floss, and use flouride mouthwash
Ketones!! A carbonyl group in the middle of a carbon chain. Aldehyde = carbonyl group at the END of the carbon chain.
Orgo final at 2. WOOT!
Oh noooo, haha. Sorry I know this is a serious problem but this post cracked me up.
Now I’m kind of paranoid though and am going to have the bf check my breath later …
Okay, here’s my twopence worth. You are [generally] right about bad breath resulting from high-intake diet to low-intake diet, especially of carbohydrates and proteins. If you grew up on one particular diet (e.g. Western), switching to another (e.g. Asian) will cause [temporary] bad breath – halitosis is more serious and a medical condition.
I’ll get to the point. Eat an orange as an emergency breath clearance. A lemon is probably better, but that could be hard to do for some. An apple is a good workaround but it’s a third option, although it’s more convenient than an orange. (C’mon, did our grandmas never tell us this?) The ascorbic acid goes some way to destroy the bacteria on our mouth linings and tongue that causes bad breath.
For longer-term solution, no other way than to see a dentist. Brush teeth after EVERY meal. Forget the tongue scrapers – they’re a waste of good money – just brush the tongue and inside cheeks while you shite, shower and shave (err, ahem, ladies please improvise accordingly).
I’ve never needed to have fillings and my dentist say my oral hygiene is textbook perfect (which I take with a pinch of salt, I have to say), but so there. – Robert in Hong Kong
Bad Breath affect 75% of the world population. I have put up a site where I gather information on how to prevent bad breath, cure bad breath or what cause the bad breath problem. It has articles and videos on a lot of bad breath remedies (or halitosis remedies) and is updated frequently. If you want more details on this subject visit http://badbreathcure.expertvision.org and let me know what you think!