Women and even men complain of bad smell, and it’s all because of the keto diet

The low-carbohydrate, high-fat ketogenic (or “keto) diet continues to rise in popularity with loads of people trying the fad as a weight-loss solution.

However, some women have noticed some odd changes to their female region as a result — which has since been nicknamed the “keto crotch”.

According to Women’s Health, women’s vaginas have started to emit an intense odour as a result of the low-carb diet — which was originally developed to treat epilepsy patients who were not responsive to traditional medicine.

While there are no clinical studies or research to support this claim, women have been flooding Reddit to share their “weird” experience.

One woman said that despite having lost a lot of weight and improved her gut health, she had noticed a “strange smell from down below”.

I don’t have any infection or weirdness cause I went to the doctor, I shower everyday, and I keep myself very clean … but the last 2 weeks I have had this strong smell. It’s not my wee because my wee is clear, she explained.

Experts claim it could be caused from a change in food consumption, as people have also complained about “keto breath”.

Obstetrician and gynaecologist Sherry A. Ross explained in an interview with the Daily Mail why food can alter the odours emitted from the vagina.

The saying ‘you are what you eat’ holds true to odours coming from the vagina, she said, adding that altering the number of fats and carbs in a woman’s diet is not the only food change that could impact the vagina.

Pungent foods and spices seem to take a fast lane in our bodies through the bloodstream, lungs, sweat, and vaginal secretions creating especially intense smells under arms, on the scalp, in the genital area … just about everywhere, Dr Ross told the publication.

Foods that may give off a notably offensive odour include: garlic, onions, mint, turmeric, curry, blue cheese and other fermented foods, cabbage, cauliflower, brussels sprouts, broccoli and asparagus.

Women’s Health explained that when your body was in ketosis (breaking down fat for fuel instead of carbs), it produces ketones (chemicals like acetoacetate, beta-hydroxybutyrate and acetone) — these are chemicals naturally produced by your body, but because your body produces more of them on the keto diet, the excess can make your poop, pee, and breath a little more smelly.

And since the keto diet calls for a mix of high-fat, low-carb foods with moderate proteins, it can be an adjustment for your body to get used to — and possibly cause the “smelly” side effects.

Foods change the pH of the body. When this happens, the body will emit certain odours, Lisa De Fazio, a registered dietitian nutritionist, told The Insider.

The keto diet (may) change your vaginal pH, which alters your vaginal odour — and it may not smell like roses, she said.

According to the nutritionist, a pH imbalance can bring upon “bad” bacteria growth, which in turn can develop irritation, odour, and infections such as bacterial vaginosis — the most common vaginal infection for menstruating people.

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