What the keto diet can do to women’s vaginal health
Everyone’s talking about the keto diet, but no one’s talking about one very off-putting potential side effect of the meal plan: a funky vaginal odour.
The low-carb, high-fat diet places your body into a state of ketosis, wherein you burn fat instead of carbohydrates for energy.
There is no research confirming the existence of “keto crotch,” but according to Calgary-based dietitian Andrea Hardy, it makes sense that the diet would alter the pH of the vagina through the vaginal microbiota.
“Most of us eat about 30 per cent of our calories for the day as fat,” said Hardy. “The keto diet recommends 70 to 80 per cent of our calories are fat. Excess intake of fats and saturated fats can alter the pH of the vagina.”STORY CONTINUES BELOW ADVERTISEMENT
(Excessive fat intake is associated with an increase in bacterial vaginosis, a condition caused by a change in pH in the vagina.)
Ultimately, an increase in the pH of the vagina can increase the risk of bad bacterial growth. Bad bacteria can cause yeast infections, bacterial vaginosis — and, yes, a bad smell.
The keto diet displaces plant-based foods with foods high in fat. Plant-based foods are high-fibre foods, and “those high-fibre foods are what feeds good bacteria in our gut,” explained Hardy.
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