Ketogenic Diet

While it’s advertised as a weight-loss miracle, this eating plan is actually a medical diet, which may pose serious health risks.

Low-carbohydrate, high-protein diets often grab the attention of dieters. Paleo, South Beach, and Atkins diets all fit into this category. They are sometimes referred to as ketogenic diets.

Unlike other low-carb diets, a keto diet relies heavily on fat, which supplies about 90% of the daily calories. It’s not a diet you should experiment with.

Ketogenic diets are used primarily to treat epilepsy in children. They have also been studied for weight loss, but the results have been mixed. Dietitian Kathy McManus, director of Brigham and Women’s Hospital’s Department of Nutrition, warns that we have no idea whether it will work long-term or if it is safe.

The keto diet: How does it work?

This is the basic idea behind the keto diet: It forces your body to use a different type of fuel. Instead of relying on sugar (glucose) that comes from carbohydrates (such as grains, legumes, vegetables, and fruits), the keto diet relies on ketone bodies, a type of fuel that the liver produces from stored fat.

The challenge, however, is getting your liver to synthesize ketones:

The diet consists of consuming fewer than 20 to 50 grams of carbohydrates per day (keep in mind that a medium-sized banana contains about 27 grams of carbs).

Typically, a person must reach ketosis within a few days.

A diet that is too high in protein may interfere with ketosis.

Can you tell me what you eat?

Keto diet followers must consume fat at every meal because of the diet’s high-fat requirement. On a daily 2,000-calorie diet, that might equal 165 grams of fat, 40 grams of carbohydrates, and 75 grams of protein.

Keto diets allow some healthy unsaturated fats, such as nuts (almonds, walnuts), seeds, avocados, tofu, and olive oil. However, saturated fats from oils (palm, coconut), lard, butter, and cocoa butter are encouraged.

A keto diet includes protein but typically does not discriminate between lean protein sources and saturated fat sources, such as beef, pork, and bacon.

You can have certain fruits (usually berries) in small portions, but all fruits are rich in carbohydrates. Leafy greens (such as kale, Swiss chard, spinach), cauliflower, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, asparagus, bell peppers, onions, garlic, mushrooms, cucumbers, celery, and summer squashes are considered vegetables. About six grams of carbs are in a cup of chopped broccoli.

There are risks associated with the keto diet

Keto diets have numerous risks. The biggest risk is its high saturated fat content. Due to the link between saturated fat and heart disease, McManus recommends you limit saturated fat to no more than 7% of your daily calories. It is true that the keto diet is associated with an increase in “bad” LDL cholesterol, which is also linked to heart disease.

Keto can also pose the following risks:

Nutrient deficiency. McManus warns against deficiencies in micronutrients, including selenium, magnesium, phosphorus, and vitamins B and C, if you don’t consume a wide range of vegetables, fruits, and grains.

Liver problems: A diet high in fat could aggravate any liver conditions already present.

Kidney problems: Ketogenic diets may overburden the kidneys, which are responsible for metabolizing protein. (For women, the current recommendation for protein intake is 46 grams per day, while for men it is 56 grams per day).

Constipation: Fiber-rich foods like grains and legumes are low on the keto diet.

Fuzzy thinking and mood swings: McManus explains that the brain needs sugar from healthy carbohydrates to function. Low-carb diets may result in confusion and irritability.

Be sure to speak to a doctor or a registered dietitian before starting a ketogenic diet.

How about other diets?

The popular low-carb diets (which includes Atkins or Paleo) regulate a true keto diet. But they arrive with the same risks if you overdo it on fat and proteins and lay off the carbs. So why do human beings observe their diets? “They’re anywhere, and those pay attention anecdotally that they work,” McManus says. Theories about short-term low-carb diet success consist of lower urge for food because fats burn slower than carbs. “But again, we do not know about the long term,” she says. “And eating a restrictive weight loss program, no matter what the plan, is tough to maintain. Once you resume an ordinary diet, the weight will likely return.”

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