Keto Crotch–Side Effect of Ketosis

Have you recently started keto and noticed an unpleasant vaginal odor? You may have developed keto crotch.

The ketogenic diet is becoming increasingly popular, and as more people are going keto, the more we learn about the side effects of keto adaptation. Keto breath, keto headache, keto diarrhea, and keto flu are common side effects. Should keto crotch be added to this list?

Let’s take a look if keto crotch is a thing and what you can do to get rid of vaginal odor fast.

What is keto crotch?

Keto crotch is a noticeable change in vaginal odor after starting the keto diet. While there isn’t a lot of scientific research on this topic, plenty of women report that they experience keto crotch.

Symptoms typically appear after about a month of starting keto and include a strong vaginal smell and sometimes unusual discharge. The odor often is compared to a sour or fishy smell, and the severity of keto crotch can range from mild to very unpleasant.

Changing to a high-fat and low-carb diet shifts your body to burn fat instead of sugar for energy. Keto triggers profound metabolic changes that support weight loss, balance hormone levels, and improve cognition.

Keto crotch is most likely a side effect of your body adapting to the metabolic changes of keto. The good news is that once your body adjusts to burning fat, keto crotch will go away.

What causes keto crotch?

Precisely what causes keto crotch isn’t fully understood. Bad breath, smelly urine, and changes in body odor are common side effects of starting keto and can give us some clues why vaginal odor may develop.

Elevated levels of ketones 

As you enter ketosis, your metabolism breaks down fat for energy and produces ketones as by-products. Acetone is one type of ketone and the same chemical that gives nail polish remover its pungent smell.

As you start the keto diet, levels of acetone rise, but your body isn’t very effective at using this ketone as a fuel source yet. As a result, acetone builds up in your system leading to changes in body odor, keto breath, and likely impacts vaginal odor.

Changes in vaginal pH

A high-fat diet like keto can impact your vaginal pH balance, resulting in vaginal odors.

A healthy vaginal pH level is acidic and somewhere between 3.8 and 4.5 on the pH scale. An acidic pH is an essential factor in maintaining vaginal health and allows good bacteria to thrive while preventing unhealthy bacteria from spreading.

Research suggests that a diet high in fat, particularly saturated fat, can alter pH levels, changing vaginal acidity. A high pH level can create the perfect environment for certain microorganisms, like bacteria or yeasts, to grow in the vaginal area.¹

Bacterial vaginosis can develop as a result of imbalanced vaginal pH and causes an unpleasant odor. Depending on your previous diet, hormonal factors, and metabolism, your body may be more sensitive to diet-related pH changes. This may explain why some people develop keto crotch and others don’t.

How to get rid of keto crotch

Experiencing keto crotch doesn’t mean keto isn’t right for you. As your body adjusts to the keto diet, unpleasant smells around your crotch area will diminish and there are plenty of steps you can take in the meantime to reduce symptoms.

Don’t restrict all carbohydrates

While a low-carb diet is crucial to maintain ketosis, eating too few carbs can increase keto-related body odors. If you consume less than 20 grams of carbs daily, your body produces high amounts of acetone in response to increased fat breakdown.

Elevated acetone levels are known to lead to body odor, especially during the early phases of keto. Keep your net carb intake between 20 to 50 grams daily to maintain a low-carb diet and to keep your acetone levels steady.

Eat plenty of green leafy vegetables

Green leafy veggies like spinach, collard greens, and mustard greens are rich sources of chlorophyll, a bright green pigment.

Chlorophyll is also known as an “internal deodorizer” and helps with keto-breath and other keto-related body odors.

Maintain ketosis 

If your carb intake exceeds 20 to 50 grams regularly, your metabolism will move in and out of ketosis. This slows keto adaptation and side effects like keto crotch are more likely.

Limit your carb intake to 50 grams daily and do a Healthy Keto® diet to help your body transition to ketosis fast and with minimal side effects. Healthy Keto is a balanced diet focusing on healthy fats, high-quality and organic foods, and plenty of keto-friendly vegetables.

Don’t use vaginal douche products 

Keto crotch isn’t a personal hygiene issue, and vaginal health doesn’t require any douches or soaps. This study confirms that douching can lead to vaginal pH imbalance and increases the risk of bacterial vaginosis and yeast infections that can worsen keto crotch.²

FAQ

Sources

1. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7071153/ ↩︎
2. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29433363/ ↩︎
3. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7071153/ ↩︎
4. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7071153/ ↩︎