So unless you have been living under a rock you have probably heard about The Keto Diet. Just incase you haven’t, The Keto Diet is a very low carb, high fat diet and the idea is for you to get more calories from protein and fat and less from carbohydrates. Now what all the websites and articles don’t say is that this diet has some dangers everyone should know about and that some health experts warn against it entirely. Because we love you all, we have looked into this for you and want to ensure you are getting the right information before going ahead with anything.
Muscle Loss
Studies have suggested that those on a ketogenic diet lose serious muscle even though they are continuing with weight training. Experts suggest this is mainly to do with the fact that protein alone is vastly less effective than protein and carbohydrates together.
Stress on the Kidneys and Possible Kidney Stones
Kidney stones is actually a well-noted possible side effect of the ketogenic diet due to the high levels of animal proteins as these make your urine more acidic and increase calcium and uric acid levels, which increases your chances of kidney stones and gout.
The “Keto Flu”
The Keto Flu is what happens to your body when it is transitioning into ketosis and it includes symptoms such as brain fog, fatigue, dizziness and insomnia.
Nutritional Deficiencies
The Keto Diet focuses on low-carb, high-fat foods and is cutting some food groups out entirely such as beans, whole grains and legumes, which are filled with vitamins, minerals and other beneficial nutrients. Nancy Rahnama states that the Keto Diet isn’t good long term due to the void of fruit and vegetables as it will result in long-term micronutrient deficiencies.
Constipation
As you are eliminating most fruits and vegetables you are also eliminating fiber rich foods, which can lead to difficult having bowel movement and eventually constipation.
Loss of Electrolytes
Once ketosis begins your body begins throwing away glycogen (an energy source of carbohydrates stored in the muscles and liver), which increases how often you need to urinate and leads to a loss of electrolytes.
On the same token this diet is beneficial in other areas and we are not trying to mislead you in any way at all. We purely want to ensure everyone knows both the good AND bad sides of this diet before undertaking it.