Why do I stink

(8 year Ketogenic Veteran) #9

If this is true, using ā€œantiperspirantā€ would prevent the toxins from leaving our body in one of the most common ways nature intended, our armpits!

Do you know what antiperspirant does? Yes. Exactly that. Prevents us from perspiring.

Not good.

(Mike W.) #10

I generally smell like garlic and bourbonā€¦

(Sara Lamberto) #11

Please excuse my odor, Iā€™m burning fat right now. Can I get that on a t-shirt? Lol. I will consider that the silver lining! Iā€™ve been storing this fat for a very long time so whatever it takes.

(Cheryl) #12

Bwahahaha!!!

(Adam Pittman) #13

A good reason to opt for deodorant, since it kills bacteria rather than clogging sweat glands.

Wouldnā€™t really help with putting off toxins or anything, though.

(Richard Morris) #14

There are a couple of different volatiles that keto can cause on your breath / body.

Acetone - nail polish remover odor
Ammonia - Ammoniac odor
Hydrogen Sulphide - Rotten egg odor
Methylamine - Fishy odor

The first ketone we make is acetoacetate, which we can use for energy but it is unstable and degrades spontaneously to acetone which we canā€™t use for energy and is volatile - so it moves from your blood to the surface of your lungs and is exhaled in your breath.

Eventually as we adapt we become efficient at converting acetoacetate to the 3rd ketone betahydroxybutyrate which is not unstable. So after a few weeks aceteone should drop off. It wonā€™t go to zero but it will be maskable with some sugarfree chewing gum.

When you are keto, you are making glucose all the time in your liver to feed your brain. We make that from a bunch of things, but primarily the glycerol backbone of fats that we burn, and proteins that your liver removes the nitrogen and sulfur elements from. If you have a LOT of body fat and are burning a LOT then you may not need to burn much protein at all.

The more protein you have to burn the more likely those waste materials will have to be shipped off as ammonia and hydrogen sulfide and methylamine.

Unfortunately the odor probably increases as you lose more weight and have to rely on stripping protein to make glucose.

One other factor about protein is we canā€™t store much, about 1% of our lean mass and beyond that protein is just burned for energy - and in that process the sulfur and nitrogen is stripped off ā€¦ and that ends up causing the protein volatiles.

There are volatiles related to lipid metabolism too. Ethan is odorless. Ethene is sweet and musky. 1-Pentale smells like gasoline. But it is difficult to reduce lipid metabolism in a ketogenic diet.

My reference is

https://books.google.com.au/books?id=gmls9dj1rEoC&pg=PA20

Bad smell
(8 year Ketogenic Veteran) #15

Right. There are several commercial brands without the antiperspirant part.
What if that bacteria is supposed to be on our skin though? Lol. Flora and fauna all that. Heh. Srs
Iā€™m interested in eventually using all soap and skin products that are homemade. @Terri is my current inspiration.
For now?
I wash my armpits often.
Lol
TMI? We also talk about shit here. As in, feces. Lol

#16

Thanks for this explanation, Richard. I guess this is why I noticed that when I eat more than normal protein, the odor increases, and then I can decrease the odor by increasing fat and decreasing protein. Very interesting.

(Sara Lamberto) #17

Thank you @richard for that very in depth explanation! Sounds like my issue stems from lipid metabolism, so I guess for now I will just be showering more :grinning:

(8 year Ketogenic Veteran) #18

This finally happened to me, after 3 years ketogenic, and I was even zero carb for 7 months in 2015.
During the steak challenge, the first week or so I ate approximately double the protein I needed. When I did my full lift routine at the gym for the first time ever there was a significant ammonia smell.

I didnā€™t need further convincing to up my fat and lower my protein. The remainder of the month it did not happen again.

I found that n=1 very educational.

(8 year Ketogenic Veteran) #19

^^ammonia smell meaning cat piss odor. Super bad.

(Richard Morris) #20

Cats as carnivores are protein chuggers after all. Their urine is probably full of ammonia and urea. So yeah thatā€™s exactly the smell.

(sanjana) #21

Hey,
I was using a body mist from nike but my skin use to itch after a while then my friend suggested me to use a body mist from Nyassa bath and body works as it is made from 100% natural ingredients and is lighter than perfumes and has a unique fragrance other than other mists. Plus it does not irritate my skin.Nyassa body mist

(Donna ) #22

After three months of Keto with IF/EF and 30 lbs lost, this has just started happening to me this week. Itā€™s kinda funny because I look better than ever and my husband keeps trying to get close to me. Iā€™m all ā€˜stand back, I reek!ā€™ LOL

So, time to decrease protein and raise fats?

(Pete A) #23

It should go away, not so sure though on my acetone breath! A friend told me I smelled like motor oil haha

(Darlene Horsley) #24

:joy::joy::joy::joy::joy:

(KAREN GUNN) #25

:joy::joy::joy::joy::joy::joy:

(Wendy Shank) #26

I had that odor problem the first few monthsā€¦ I agree I think itā€™s related to the all the bad stuff youā€™re body is finally able to get rid of (and that smell does come back a bit even now when Iā€™m actually shedding fat ā€“ not so much when Iā€™m just plugging along on a plateau). MY SOLUTION ā€“ nothing NOTHING would cut that stink until I made my own deodorant out of coconut oil and baking soda. Rub that on anywhere you want ā€“ completely safe, non-irritating (to most), and cheap. Once I started using that, no more problems. Doesnā€™t stain & build up dark areas on your clothes the way commercial products do. You can even mix in a few drops of some kind of nice smelling essential oil if you want to. This recipe ā€“ http://www.theprairiehomestead.com/2012/12/diy-coconut-oil-deodorant.html ā€“ gives exact measurements if you like following a recipe (and adds other ingredients too) ā€“ but I just use the two ingredients, and my recipe is just ā€œkeep adding the baking soda to the coconut oil until I like the consistencyā€ (no measuring if I can help it).

#27

Does anyone have suggestions that work to eliminate the odor?

Im almost 2 months into Keto and I have developed a HORRIBLE body odor. It really really makes me self conscious at work and I hate feeling like Im assaulting peoples noses with my stench!

(K T) #28

Me too! Iā€™m so embarrass. Wonder if its a special kind of bath to take. I really donā€™t want to lower my protein intake.