The ketogenic diet has been the latest fad of weight loss programs with many celebs advocating it.
In short, keto diet entails cutting back on large size of carb intake (up to 50 grams a day or even less) in order to force the body to go into a ketosis mode where it burns fat for energy instead of sugar.
There are claims stating that the keto diet is only about good things. Some said it can help with epilepsy.
The mechanism is still up for debate but the frequency of seizures seems to go down as an individual with epilepsy undergoes keto diet.
Studies conducted on animals also showed that keto diet may have properties of cancer-fighting, anti-inflammatory, anti-aging.
Perfect as it may seem, the keto diet is a subject that invites controversies nonetheless. Health experts suggest that there might be some side effects in doing a keto diet.
1. The Keto Flu
There are at least 25% of individuals undergoing keto diet reporting the presence of symptoms such as lethargy, fatigue, gastrointestinal distress, and vomiting.
This could be caused by the fact that their body is forced to burn fat for energy.
The transition from using sugar to fat for this purpose is already taxing for the body, enough to make the individual feel tired for several days.
Getting enough sleep and consuming more water could help alleviate this keto flu while fatigue can be warded off using adaptogenic herbs, organic coffee, or matcha green tea.
2. Diarrhea
Lots of people experience an increase in their frequency of going into the bathroom after undergoing a keto diet.
The culprit for this would be the gallbladder, the thing in the body that makes bile to process fat, being pressed to do all the hard work.
Lack of fiber can also be the reason for diarrhea especially when the individual on a keto diet doesn’t substitute carb intake with other sources for fiber.
Hence, a person on a keto diet is recommended to eat more veggies.
3. Decreased athletic performance
Some athletes advocate keto diet on the ground that their performance is getting boosted thanks to changing in their diet.
A recent study in the Journal of Sports Medicine and Physical Fitness, however, showed something on the contrary.
The study found out that a person on a keto diet has a body that is more acidic and this may prevent them from performing at peak levels.
4. Ketoacidosis
A person with both types of diabetes may find keto diet something helpful—but only when their doctor allows for them to do it and they are under constant supervision.
Without care, a keto diet may lead to ketoacidosis in diabetic individuals, where their body builds up more ketones.
Ketones are a result of fat-burning activities, acidic materials that when built up could damage the brain, kidneys, and the liver.
5. Weight regain
Keto diet is not a reliable program, in the long run, thanks to its restrictiveness.
It’d be a lot better if the keto diet is done for no more than 90 days and followed by a diet program that’s more sustainable.
