The keto diet has risen in popularity as a fad weight-loss solution for people who want to drop pounds off their body.
Celebrities including Gwenyth Paltrow, 46, and Jenna Jameson, 44, have toted the benefits of the low-carb diet to help lose weight and stay healthy. But some women on the diet have complained about changes in their feminine region — which has since been nicknamed the ‘keto crotch’.
According to Women’s Health, there has been an increase in women saying their vaginas have emitted a strong odor after altering their diet.
Change: Women have said they experienced a change in their vagina odor called ‘keto crotch’ after going on the low-carb diet (stock photo)
Fan: Celebrities such as Jenna Jameson, 44, (pictured) and Gwenyth Paltrow, 46, have promoted the keto diet as a healthy option to lose weight
The publication made clear ‘keto crotch’ has not been scientifically proven to occur in women’s bodies after altering their diet.
But experts have explained that it is possible for the vagina’s odors to alter because of the change in food consumption.
OB/GYN Dr. Sherry A. Ross, women’s health expert and author of She-ology,’ explained in an interview with DailyMail.com why food can alter the odors emitted from the vagina.
‘The saying “you are what you eat” holds true to odors coming from the vagina,’ she said.
Healthy: The keto diet, which Gwenyth (pictured) promoted on Goop, involves lowering the carbs consumed and instead eating healthy fats and protein
On the keto diet, the body will enter into the metabolic state of ketosis where fats will be broken down for fuel instead of carbs. Ketosis then releases ketones — chemicals made in the liver — which can then cause an alteration in how someone’s breath, poop, pee and vaginal discharge smell.
Previously, people have complained about keto breath while on the diet, which causes the smell of acetone (the main ingredient in nail polish remover) on the breath.
But the keto diet can also alter vaginal pH levels, which would then change the odor.
Dr. Ross explained how altering the number of fats and carbs in a woman’s diet is not the only food change that could impact the vagina.
‘Pungent foods and spices seem to take a fast lane in our bodies through the blood stream, lungs, sweat, and vaginal secretions creating especially intense smells under arms, on the scalp, in the genital area…just about everywhere,’ Dr. Ross said.
‘Foods that may give off a notably offensive odor include: garlic, onions, mint, turmeric, curry, blue cheese and other fermented foods, cabbage, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, broccoli and asparagus.’
There are foods, though, capable of making making odors emitted from the vagina better.
‘The good news is that there are foods that can combat offensive odors and actually add a sweet smell or taste to the vagina,’ Dr. Ross said. These foods include fresh fruit, fruit juices, whole grains and Greek yogurt.
Altered: Speaking to DailyMail.com, women’s health expert Dr. Sherry A. Ross said food can cause a change in a vagina’s odor because ‘you are what you eat (stock photo)
The discussion of ‘keto crotch’ was first noticed on Reddit when multiple women turned to the anonymous forum to state their concerns about how their body was changing because of the low-carb diet.
‘I want to know if this is something I should be concerned about,’ one woman wrote in the forum while detailing her symptoms, which included a change in odor.
A majority of women who also experienced vaginal changes admitted their bodies ‘leveled out’ after months on the keto diet.
But Dr. Ross recommended for any woman experiencing a change in her body odor to see an expert if it persists.
‘If a food gives you foul-smelling urine, farts, or breath, chances are it will affect the taste and smell of your vagina,’ she said.
‘After a thorough examination of possible dietary changes, I would suggest seeing your healthcare provider to eliminate the possibility of vaginal infection.’
Besides the possibility of getting ‘keto crotch’ on the fad diet, experts have also warned about how the high-fat food intake could be damaging to someone’s health.
Recently, fitness guru Jillian Michaels sparked critiques from Al Roker and Andy Cohen after she said the keto diet was a ‘bad plan, for a million reasons.’
Her reasoning being that the low carb/high fat diet ignored that ‘your cells, your macromolecules, are literally made up of protein, fat, carbohydrates, nucleic acids,’ AJC reported.
She ultimately said it was ‘common sense’ for everyone to avoid the keto diet.