It seems like everyone I know is doing the popular Keto Diet. The Keto (ketogenic) diet involves a diet based around eating low-carb with high-fat foods and apparently people are experiencing “keto crotch.”
Dietitian Nutritionist Lisa De Fazio says this may be likely caused by the drastic dietary changes that is causing a pH imbalance in the vagina which can cause bad bacteria to grow which explains the odors in the vaginal area.
As we mentioned, the ketogenic diet is easily the most popular diet in the country. Most may not know that the keto diet was originally created to treat epilepsy patients who were not responding well to standard medicine. Because of this, the keto diet is meant to put the body into a state of ketosis.
According to De Fazio, the Keto Diet can put people on the diet at risk for dehydration and kidney problems. People also have been experiencing what they call the “keto flu” giving them flu-like symptoms at the beginning stages of the Keto Diet.
So how are people exactly getting “Keto Crotch?”
Because the Keto diet involves low-carb and high-fat foods, your body is making adjustments getting used to which causes side effects and unfortunately one of them is a vaginal odor.
It’s based on how pH, which stands for Hydrogen works. pH uses a number scale from 0 to 14 to measure the amount of alkaline or acid of a substance. A pH balance of less than seven is considered acidic and anything more than seven is basic.
According to De Fazio, a vagina should have a pH level between 3.8 and 4.5 which means it is moderately acidic. This can vary depending on the age of the woman.
“During your reproductive years, ages 15 to 49, your vaginal pH should be below or equal to 4.5. But, before menstruation and after menopause, a healthy pH tends to be higher than 4.5,” said De Fazio. “An acidic vaginal environment is protective. It creates a barrier that prevents unhealthy bacteria and yeast from multiplying too quickly and causing infection.”
A vaginal pH level above 4.5 is the ideal environment for unhealthy bacteria to grow which can cause certain infections.
The good news is that Keto Crotch can eventually go away and/or be treated. De Fazio says it can often run its course, but that you may need to visit your doctor to make sure it’s OK. Or, just change your diet, she says.
For more information about the Keto diet, visit Keto Fit Diet.
Have you done the Keto diet? If so, have you experienced the Keto Crotch? Let us know in the comments.