Is the Keto Diet really safe?
In recent times there has been so much noise about the new diet sensation; “the keto diet”. There have been a lot of claims about its health benefits, especially in relation to its ability to help in weight loss. This short article tries to give a summarized version of “the ketogenic diet” a.k.a. “the keto diet” and its health implication .
The keto diet is a low-carb, high-fat diet that may offer many health benefits. It actually originated as a tool for treating neurological diseases such as epilepsy. It shares many similarities with the “Atkins” and “low-carb” diets. According to some studies, it aids in weight loss and improvement of health. It may even have benefits against diabetes, cancer, epilepsy and Alzheimer’s disease.
It involves drastically reducing carbohydrate intake and replacing it with fat. Hence, it involves the avoidance of carb-based foods like grains, sugars, legumes, rice, potatoes, candy, juice and even most fruits; and basing the majority of the diet on foods such as meat, fish, eggs, butter, nuts, healthy oils, avocados and of low-carb veggies (including most green veggies, tomatoes, onions, peppers, etc.). This reduction in carbs puts the body into a metabolic state called ketosis. When this happens, it is claimed that the body becomes incredibly efficient at burning fat for energy. It also turns fat into ketones in the liver, which can supply energy for the brain.
Keto diets have also been claimed to cause massive reductions in blood sugar and insulin levels. This, along with the increased ketones, is responsible for its numerous health benefits. There are several versions of the ketogenic diet, including: standard ketogenic diet (SKD), cyclical ketogenic diet (CKD), targeted ketogenic diet (TKD), and high-protein ketogenic diet. The SKD version is the most researched and most recommended.
Although the keto diet can be great for people who are obese, overweight, or looking to improve their metabolic health; it is not devoid of dangers. Some of the dangers associated with a keto diet include; the keto flu (which may comprise of vomiting, gastrointestinal distress, fatigue, and lethargy which usually resolve after a few days), diarrhea, reduced athletic performance, ketoacidosis (in diabetics), weight regain (after returning to a normal carb diet), reduction in muscle mass, and decreased metabolism (which can lead to weight gain).
As seen in this short article, the keto diet may be associated with many health benefits, however it is not devoid of dangers and it may not be suitable for everyone. Also, as with any diet, it will only work if it is consistently adhered to in the long term.
By: isearch team
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