In diet culture, low-carb diets are hailed as weight-loss miracles, and we know them by name: Atkins, South Beach, and paleo. The ketogenic diet, abbreviated as “keto”, is one of the low-carb diets. The difference between the keto diet and others is that one group recommends replacing carbohydrates with protein, while the keto diet replaces carbohydrates with fats. However, although the results seem to appear quickly, this diet, which has a history as a medical treatment, also brings with it some health risks.
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What is the keto diet?
When done correctly, the lack of carbohydrates consumed on the keto diet forces the body into a metabolic state called “ketosis.” In this case, the liver produces a substance called “ketone” from stored fats. These ketones then provide the body with energy to replace carbohydrates, the body’s usual energy source, leading to rapid weight loss in many people. So is this a good thing? So is the keto diet really healthy?
“It is effective for weight loss because it eliminates many foods from the diet and is a highly restrictive diet. Any diet that completely eliminates food groups will result in weight loss,” Dana Ellis Hunnes, MPH, RD, explains to VegNews. “But this is not a healthy diet.”
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The keto diet, which puts your body in a state of ketosis, is not for ordinary people. Doctors introduced it to the medical world in the 1920s as an adjunctive therapy to treat children with epilepsy and seizure disorders and reduce the risk of seizures. “It’s not just for the average person trying to lose weight,” Hunnes adds. Most keto diet fads are not actually in ketosis unless they are closely monitored by a dietitian who knows how to develop a ketogenic plan.
What can you eat on the keto diet?
In general, the keto diet contains 70 to 80 percent fat, 5 to 10 percent carbohydrates, and 10 to 20 percent protein. That means 165 grams of fat, 40 grams of carbohydrates and 75 grams of protein, according to Harvard Health. To put these numbers in perspective, half a cup of cooked long-grain brown rice contains about 26 grams of carbohydrates. And the Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommend getting about 25 to 35 percent of your daily calorie intake from fats.
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To go into more detail, the keto diet includes meat, eggs, fatty fish, high-fat dairy products, nuts and seeds, avocados, healthy fats, green beans, and vegetables that are members of the kale family. It restricts grains and starches (such as rice, pasta, and bread), all other vegetables, tubers, most fruits, beans and legumes, processed low-fat and sugar-free products, highly refined oils, sugary foods and drinks, and alcohol. .
Health risks of the keto diet
When it comes to maintaining a healthy weight, this fast-acting eating plan may be better left in the graveyard of fad diets.
However, you may want to consider a whole plant-based diet in the long term instead. The whole-food, plant-based diet, often abbreviated as WFPB, emphasizes unprocessed grains, vegetables, fruits, legumes, nuts, and seeds. It excludes all animal products and restricts processed fats, refined sugars, white foods (like bread, rice and pasta), fried foods and many pre-prepared foods.
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5 reasons to forget about keto
Let’s review the health risks of the keto diet and why you might want to consider whole plant-based foods instead.
one Increases ‘bad’ cholesterol
The keto diet generally encourages foods like processed meats, fatty meats, and butter. “Keto poses a risk to heart health when it is excessively high in animal proteins and animal fats,” says Hunnes, adding that the diet can increase inflammation in the body. Inflammation is common in heart disease and stroke patients, although its exact role in heart health is unknown. “But this inflammation is often masked by the fact that it is a low-calorie diet, and a sufficiently low-calorie diet can reduce the risk of increased and high cholesterol levels,” Hunnes adds.
Many keto foods are also high in saturated fat, which is known to increase low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol levels in the blood. A meta-analysis of more than 100 studies on the keto diet published in the journal Limits in Nutrition It found that when used as a long-term eating plan, it increased both the risk of heart disease and LDL cholesterol accumulation.
However, research has shown that diets rich in plant-based foods such as whole grains, legumes, fruits, non-starchy vegetables, nuts, and healthy fats rich in unsaturated fats are linked to lower cholesterol levels, lower blood pressure, and reduced inflammation.
2 Can cause constipation
Fruits, vegetables, whole grains and legumes are rich in dietary fiber, a nutrient that helps increase feelings of fullness and aids digestive health. However, the keto diet is very low in fiber from fruits, vegetables and grains. It’s particularly low in beta-glucan, a type of fiber found in grains such as barley and oats. Research suggests that beta-glucan also helps maintain healthy cholesterol and blood sugar levels.
Additionally, beta-glucan and other grain fibers help maintain a healthy gut microbiome, says Julie Miller Jones, PhD, LN, CNS, scientific advisor to the University of Maryland Joint Institute for Food Safety and Nutrition and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, VegNews’ e says.
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“So his followers [keto] Not only can the diet suffer from constipation and slow transit times, but it may also lack the protection provided by the fermentation of fiber in the large intestine,” explains Jones. “This fermentation of carbohydrates fuels a healthy microbiome, producing short-chain fatty acids that lower colonic pH and is associated with lower growth of polyps and colon cancer.”
However, a plant-based diet consisting of whole foods emphasizes a healthy gut microbiome and a number of high-fiber foods that aid good digestion. Limits in Nutrition In 2019.
3 Can lead to nutritional deficiencies
You may be missing out on important vitamins and minerals on a long-term keto diet because it restricts too many types of fruits, vegetables, grains, and legumes. You can get greens from the cabbage family, but most other vegetables (including potatoes) are extinct. Avocados and lemons are the only exceptions to permitted fruits. Therefore, over time, the keto-follower may become deficient in some nutrients.
A study published in the journal Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition found that those who stuck to fad diets (in this case the Atkins Diet, the South Beach Diet, and the carb-heavy DASH diet, two of keto’s low-carb siblings) were more likely to suffer from micronutrient deficiencies.
On the other hand, a plant-based whole food diet encourages getting as much nutrition as possible from food, thus encouraging the consumption of a wide variety of ingredients. But that doesn’t mean it’s perfect. Anyone following any vegan diet should supplement with vitamin B-12, an essential nutrient that cannot be obtained from plant-based foods.
4 Weight loss is unsustainable
It is common for those following the keto diet to experience rapid weight loss. But this is not a cause for celebration. Like many other fad diets, ketone is not intended to permanently change the way you eat. This is temporary, and followers usually regain the weight they lost after returning to their normal eating habits.
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“Health risks, as well as failure to stick to the diet, are one of the main reasons why keto ranks near the bottom of the U.S. News and World Report diet rankings,” says Jones. “This is why prestigious organizations like the Mayo Clinic recommend this drug for incurable epilepsy but not for anything else. So while keto promotes rapid weight loss, it does not create sustainable eating patterns and therefore does not lead to sustained weight loss for the vast majority of people.”
But among other benefits, a study published in the journal American Journal of Lifestyle Medicine suggests that a whole-food, plant-based diet can aid safe, sustainable weight loss.
5 And more …
The keto diet comes with a number of other health risks, and one of the first risks most people experience is what’s called the “keto flu.” Symptoms include confusion, dizziness, nausea, cramps, headache, irritability and constipation. This medically unrecognized condition is known to occur two to seven days after starting the keto diet. The cause is unknown and not specific to the keto diet, and many people who have drastically changed their diets have reported similar symptoms. Additional negative side effects of the long-term keto diet that studies suggest include increased risk of kidney stones, osteoporosis, and higher heart rate in athletes.
While there’s no evidence directly linking the keto diet to eating disorders, many dietitians warn that restrictive fad diets in general can fuel yo-yo dieting and disordered eating.
Additionally, the keto diet is very high in animal products, so it’s not good for the planet. While industrial animal agriculture is responsible for 14.5 percent of human-caused global greenhouse gas emissions, plant-based diets place a significantly lower burden on the planet. So, if you’re looking to eat healthier and more sustainably, a whole-foods, plant-based diet might be worth trying. As always, any major changes to your diet should be discussed with your doctor first.
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Kat Smith is a Queens, NY-based freelance writer and editor who loves cooking and discovering local vegan’s hidden gems.