What is Keto Rash? What Should I Do If I Have Keto Rash?
When we first start practicing low carb, we run into a lot of problems and physical discomforts, and we’ve talked about a lot of low carb discomforts before, so today we’re going to talk about a new problem, the itchy skin and localized ketone rash that occurs after low carb.
First of all, it must be clarified that ketone rash is not a common problem, only some people will have it, and some will be very serious, after low carb, those who have this symptom, it is indeed a bit unfortunate because it is itchy and annoying, and it may also interfere with sleep.
What is Keto Rash?
When the body starts to burn fat after a low-carb diet, it produces ketone bodies, which, for various reasons, can cause itchy skin. In severe cases, a red, itchy rash may appear over a large area.
Generally, we call it ketone rash, and some may call it Prurigo Pigmentosa, because of this itchy rash, m may slowly lose pigmentation after a few weeks or months, and of course, it will slowly fade away after healing.
Why is There a Keto Rash?
A study of patients with Prurigo Pigmentosa found that 8 out of 16 patients had ketogenic or fasting diets, so the percentage of pigmented itchy rashes due to ketogenic diets or ketogenic fasting is quite high.
Of course, there are many other causes of pigmented itchy rash, not just ketogenic diets or fasting, and we’re going to focus on keto rash today as a result of a low-carb ketogenic diet that burns fat and produces ketones.
Most commonly, and also because the ketones in the sweat, as the sweat comes out, dry out on the skin, causing itchy skin, allergies, etc., because most of the places where the keto rash occurs are places where there is a lot of sweating. The second argument is because of the toxins that are produced after burning fat, represented by the inventor of Bulletproof Coffee, Dave, who believes that keto rash is caused by the gut flora and that during ketogenesis, the cells release heavy metals, DDT, and other toxic other substances, and so on, which cause skin irritation.
In short, there are many different causes of keto rash, and it is impossible to determine the cause based on the symptoms the cause is not always the most important, the most important thing is that when you encounter the problem of keto rash, do not be afraid of it, at the very least, it should be clear to you that you have not been poisoned, but just that your body is prone to be allergic to certain substances.
What To Do If You Have Keto Rash?
When faced with keto rash, because the cause is not quite the same for everyone, and because there is no way to determine what it is because of at this point, there are a lot of ways to face it, and there are many things that we can do in a multi-pronged manner.
- Consume small amounts of carbohydrates.
This should be the most effective, but also the laziest way to slowly increase your carbs until the keto rash goes away, and if you have a very severe keto rash, the general advice is to consume some healthier carbs, usually up to about 50g of daily carbs, and you’ll get a lot of relief.
For example, if you eat some fruits, potatoes, and other starchy roots and tubers, you will generally exit the ketogenic state, however, this will interfere with your big ketogenic plan and may also affect the rate of weight loss, however, for keto rash relief, this should be the quickest and most effective way.
- Take some antibiotics
Some studies have found that because Prurigo Pigmentosa is caused by inflammation, taking some anti-inflammatory medication may be effective. However, antibiotics may treat the symptoms but not the root cause, after not taking anti-inflammatory drugs, the ketone rash comes back, this is similar to the effect of painkillers, which can only be temporarily relieved and can not be cured, moreover, oral anti-inflammatory drugs should still be used with caution, after all, it has other side effects.
- Intake of antibacterial food.
Dave, the founder of Bulletproof Coffee, suggests that if you’re going to kill some of the harmful yeast and bacteria, you can consume some natural antibacterial foods, such as garlic and grapefruit seed extract.
- Drink some bone broth.
Bone broth is highly recommended on a low-carb diet, not just for its low carb, but most of all for its minerals, and anti-inflammatory nutrients like glycine and proline.
If you have that kind of inflammatory skin, what you need to do is cut out some of the pro-inflammatory foods, and if you’re eating a lot of vegetable oils, you can usually consume more fish oils, which are good for relieving inflammation.
- Minimize sweating
As mentioned earlier, sweating is a major cause of keto rash, and many keto rashes are produced because of sweating, so if you love to work and have a sweaty body, you may be more prone to keto rash.
For low-carbon practitioners who love to exercise, if you want to ensure the effect of exercise, but also to reduce sweating, the best way is, in an air-conditioned room to do strength training, compared to running and other aerobics, may sweating less, if you don’t do the large muscle group strength training, squatting, hard pulling, etc., may be done for half an hour to an hour will not sweat, and the most important thing is that the effect is a lot better than running and so on.
- Add bile salts
Dr Berg explains in his video the cause of ketone rash, and the solution to ketone rash is to add some bile salts.
- Eat more vegetables
Keto rash must eat more vegetables, vegetables are rich in dietary fiber and can improve your intestinal flora, from all aspects of keto rash can be relieved, so make sure to eat a lot of vegetables Oh, they are low-carbon dieters, vitamins, minerals, dietary fiber, the main source, remember, preferably green leafy vegetables Oh.