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    Low-carb diet: acetone-smelling urine, increased urination?

    Posts: 10 Member
    edited February 16 in Food and Nutrition
    I'm doing a reality check of low-carb symptoms. Please, only reply if you are on a low-carb diet.

    1. Do you experience acetone-smelling urine? (I know about breath, but does your urine have this smell also?)
    2. Do you think you urinate more (increased amount or frequency) on a low-carb diet than before? I know about increased urination in the first days due to glycogen breakdown, but theoretically, ketonuria, which occurs all the time on a low-carb could also cause excessive urination.

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    Replies

    • Posts: 88
      1- yes.Less after months
      2-yes but i drink far more water than before. Go to the bathroom every hour and make sure urine color is light, almost transparent.

      Edit: 1- less smelly after 3 months
    • Posts: 99 Member
      I'm with zivasak.

      The biggest things to remember with a low carb diet (especially a ketogenic low carb diet):
      When in doubt:
      1) More Water
      2) More Electrolytes (Potassium, Sodium, and particularly Magnesium)
      3) More Fat
    • Posts: 10 Member
      OK, what makes you drink more water — you are simply more thirsty? With other words — do you think you urinate more so you have to drink more?
    • Posts: 88
      if you are eating less than 50g of carbs you might be in ketosis and ketosis has a diuretic effect.
    • Posts: 99 Member
      You drink more water because you are no longer storing massive amounts of reserve water in your glycogen stores (which become depleted when you enter Ketosis).

      Acetone breath and increased urination would not be found in a low carb diet without being in ketosis. And if you're in ketosis, that mechanism increases your body's demand for water, as its retaining less of it.
    • Posts: 17,525 Member
      1- yes.Less after months
      2-yes but i drink far more water than before. Go to the bathroom every hour and make sure urine color is light, almost transparent.

      Edit: 1- less smelly after 3 months

      this.

      I drink more to cope the first few weeks with being hungry.
    • Posts: 10 Member
      if you are eating less than 50g of carbs you might be in ketosis and ketosis has a diuretic effect.

      Yes, exactly, this is what I know, but I was not sure if this is actually a *noticeable* effect. So, you actually drink more water because you feel that you have to...

      I appreciate all answers so far.
    • Posts: 88
      Yes, make sure you keep hydrated. I drink 2L a day.
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