As awesome as the keto diet is. Having helped countless people achieve and maintain their weight goals. It comes with a handful of weird side effects like keto flu, keto breath, and keto diarrhea. But wait, there could be another side effect that’s even more uncomfortable to talk about – ‘Keto Crotch’ – a keto diet reaction.
Recently people have been talking about what may be another unpleasant reaction to going keto, that’s keto crotch. That’s right, some new ‘ketoers’ have noticed some harsh odors coming from their vaginas after starting the keto diet.
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The keto crotch effect
The most common complaint is developing a much stronger vaginal odor after a month or so of adhering to the keto diet. Some describe it as a musky smell, only stronger. Others say it’s something like the discharge and urine.
On the bright side, it appears your body will adjust your new diet in time and that funky odor will go away. However, just because a relatively small group is experiencing this, is it really a result of going keto?
Is keto crotch really a side effect?
As far as we can tell there hasn’t been any legit research on the keto crotch phenomenon. Nevertheless, some ketoers may be experiencing body changes resulting in these unpleasant odors from a keto diet. We’ll just have to wait and see if a researcher somewhere will take the task on and report their findings.
In the meantime, let’s consider other side effects and whether or not keto crotch can be a thing. When you’re in ketosis your body is consuming fat for energy instead of carbohydrates. That process makes ketones. On a keto diet, your body is making a lot more ketones than on a standard diet. These excess ketones are known to cause your urine, excrement, and breath to smell slightly foul.
Dr. Jessica Shepherd who is a minimally invasive OB/GYN and founder of “Her Viewpoint”, tells us that the ketone effect is probably not what’s going on. She thinks it’s more likely that changing to a keto diet changes your vaginal pH. In turn, changing your vaginal odor. She goes on to say that any diet can change vaginal pH.
Vaginal pH should be between 3.8 and 4.5 to be a healthy pH. Some foods like alcohol, asparagus, broccoli, dairy, fruit, garlic, onions, and red meat may affect your pH balance. According to Dr. Mary Rosser, another OB/GYN, the smallest change in pH can change the odors you’re used to.
Related reading: “11 Reasons Your Vagina Smells a Little…Off“
What can be said about keto crotch rash?
Besides new vaginal odors, some women say they have gotten a rash in the area of their crotch as well.
Is there such a thing as a keto crotch rash? A keto diet can potentially trigger the inflammatory disease, ‘Prurigo Pigmentosa’. Its symptoms are red itchy bumps on the back, neck, and stomach. But the scientific/medical community a direct link as to why a keto diet would cause a breakout in your crotch. Christine Greves, OB/GYN, tells us that if you get a rash while eating keto, don’t simply blame the diet, be safe and see your medical provider.
Related reading: “Treatment of Prurigo Pigmentosa with Diet Modification: A Medical Case Study“
Although there’s no direct link between a keto diet and developing a rash, dietary changes might lead to changes in your vaginal health. These changes could potentially manifest as a rash.
Then again, something else you were doing about the time you started your keto journey could be the cause of the rash. One possibility is working out longer or more frequently. Causing you to wear your sweaty gym clothes longer. Regardless, if you get a rash that’s not going away, see your doctor. You could have an STD, yeast infection, or some other condition.
What to do if you have keto crotch
If you develop a strange odor soon after you start eating a keto diet, maybe wait a few days for your body to balance out. If your body doesn’t correct, you could stop the keto diet for a few days and see if the offensive odor goes away. The odor should go away as your vaginal pH returns to its original value. If the odor doesn’t return to “normal” after you’ve stopped keto there may be something else happening and it’s time to talk to your doctor. The bad odor could be a sign of ‘bacterial vaginosis’ or an STD.
Other keto side effect
The fact is, starting a keto diet can be rough on your body in the beginning.
You could develop flu-like symptoms, known as ‘keto flu’. The symptoms of keto flu are aches, dizziness, fatigue, and nausea. If you do get keto flu it will typically go away after a few days as you adjust to operating in ketosis.
There’s also ‘keto diarrhea’. Barbie Boules, a registered dietitian and founder of Nyoutrition, explains it’s because of the high-fat consumption your stools can become much softer. Plus a lot of ketoers use artificial sweeteners which can cause problems with your stomach.
In the end, if you start a keto diet, you need to do a self-check to see how your mind and body are doing. Then decide if the keto lifestyle will work for you. Also, think about talking to a trusted doctor or nutritionist about how well keto fits you based on your health and lifestyle. Be sure to talk to them about any symptoms you experience too.
One way to start right is to have a custom keto diet plan prepared for you based on your height, weight, age, level of physical activity, weight goals, and other personal criteria. Click here or the banner below to learn more about getting an 8-week Customized Keto Diet Plan, or click here to go straight to your custom keto diet meal planner.
Are you ready to start your Keto Diet? One way to get started with a Keto Diet is to have an 8-week “Custom Keto Diet Plan” created for you based on your height, weight, age, level of physical activity, and personal weight goals. Click the banner to learn more about your customized keto diet plan, or click here to go straight to your custom keto diet meal planner. |
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