Metallic taste in mouth and unquenchable thirst

[Dylan Flaherty]

I've done some research and spoken with a few friends who have completed the whole30 program and they said this was normal, but I was curious if there was a dr on the forum to explain the physical and chemical processes occuring. I'm on day 8 and these symptoms came on with force three days ago. I've heard it has something to do with your liver and kidneys functioning at a higher level and need more water to flush out your systems. But, that seems slightly counterintuitive to me, you'd think that putting healthier food in your system theyd be working less?? I'd love some insight from the whole9 community.

Thanks

[Tom Denham]

I never experienced a metallic taste in my mouth when I did my first Whole30, or ever that I can recall. And I'm not familiar with people having that experience. I'm not familiar with having unquenchable thirst as a result of doing a Whole30 either. I had "unquenchable" thirst yesterday, but I think it was because I have become sensitive to coffee and I drank a short Starbucks Blonde Roast after lunch. I drank 5 or 6 big glasses of water after the coffee before I started feeling "satisfied." That put me at something like 9 or 10 glasses for the day, not counting several cups of herbal tea and a bottle of kombucha.

The amount of water we need to drink to be fully hydrated is probably a lot more than most people drink. I look forward to seeing what others have to say.

[Connie H]

Funny. Just earlier today, I was wondering why I'm so thirsty. (I'm on day 11) I'm sure I'm drinking a lot more water than I had been (before I started I'd go all day without a sip) but seem to be quite thirsty.

[melbournegirl]

There is a correlation with carbs and fluid retention. When you reduce carbs in your digestive system you reduce retained water and change the hydration balance your body has been used to and your thirst level increases to compensate? Also eating more protein and fat raises your metabolism so you need more water to assist the breakdown of harder to digest food. This is the bit about kidneys and liver working harder... But don't worry, think of it the other way... Eating sugary starchy empty foods is like an iv into your blood, your digestion hardly has to work.... Eating protein and fat is the normal state for our bodies though. I am not a doctor but a chemist... Not an expert but I have read scientific literature that explains the chemistry that supports these mechanisms.

Re the taste, there are a few different causes, increased production of ketones is one from using more fat and less glucose... Increased salivary enzymes is another, can't remember any more but there are some.... Eating more starchy carbs helps re the ketones

[B1121]

I experienced the increased thirst during the first few weeks, and I saw on this forum that quite a few others do, too.

Keep drinking, keep taking in enough sodium (you will lose more than usual while your kidneys are flushing out so much water) and after two or three weeks things will return to normal. Seems to be some sort of adaptive process.

Sorry that I can't present you with a scientific explanation, all I know is pretty much what Juzbo said.

I think I remember reading something about the metallic taste and ketones, too.

[smoore]

The metallic taste is ketone bodies -- these are produced when your liver metabolizes fat for energy. Perfectly normal in a low carb diet. In fact our bodies are pretty dang amazing and "burn" carbs after a meal, then switch to burning fats when/if the carbs are used up before the next meal. I often wake up in the morning with the metallic taste, and it goes away as I eat breakfast.

[melbournegirl]

Also, it is normal to burn both fat and carbs during exercise. High intensity exercise burns more carbs (via the sugar glycogen) stored in your muscles as it is the fastest way to provide energy to the muscles. But it causes inflammation... Lower intensity exercise allows the body to use the oxygen from breathing to react with fat from food or our reserves which is processed by the liver to produce a steady stream of energy into the blood which the muscles them utilize. Hence when you exercise aerobically you can keep going for a long time but when you exercise using sugar it is anaerobic and the most even elite athletes can manage this way before hurting is about an hour.

This chemistry is also in part why we feel much healthier on a whole9 diet... Being fat adapted means less inflammation...