The low-carb, high-fat ketogenic diet has been gaining popularity recently.There is talk on the Internet and in the media that it is an effective way to lose weight and improve overall health.The idea of this nutritional principle is not new and was already used in children with epilepsy in the 1920s.
The article presents the opinions and reviews of doctors about the keto diet as a way to lose weight.These are nutritionists from England and the USA – Sophie Medlin, Emma Thornton and Priya Tew.How effective the method is and how dangerous it can be, what limitations and contraindications there may be – read on.
The ketogenic method has no shortage of popularity and celebrity endorsement.Jersey Shore star Vinny Guadagnino, Kourtney Kardashian and Halle Berry are all proponents of the keto diet.But even people who successfully influence their health and well-being cannot be qualified nutritionists.“Nutritional advice is extremely unregulated, especially online,” says nutritionist Sophie Medlin.
#keto currently has around 14 million tags on Instagram.
When you follow a keto diet, you strive to be in a state of “ketosis.”We ask the experts what ketosis is, whether it's worth the effort and whether it's safe.
What do you eat on the keto diet?
Your body uses the energy source that is most available.This is usually glucose (sugar) converted from carbohydrates.If you severely limit your carbohydrate intake and replace it with fat, your body will eventually be forced to rely on fat from food or its own stores instead of energy.This process is called “ketosis”.“Essentially, it’s the Atkins diet repackaged and renamed,” says Medlin.
*low-carbohydrate diet developed in the 1970s by American cardiologist Robert Coleman Atkins.
"Most people who call their diet keto are simply eating a low-carb or very low-carb diet," she continues. "The extent to which you need to restrict carbs to be in ketosis varies from person to person."In clinical or therapeutic settings, for example in children with epilepsy, the diet is tailored specifically to the individual child.Patients are also provided medical support and monitoring.A person who follows the keto diet alone lacks all of this and runs the risk of harming his health.Additionally, they may not always be aware of the contraindications.”
Which products are allowed?
Supporters of the method recommend eating low-carb and high-fat foods: avocados, meat, fish, eggs, cheese, cream, butter, nuts and seeds.
But not all ingredients have to have a high fat content - leafy vegetables and berries are recommended, for example.They are necessary to provide the body with fiber.Avoid or at least severely limit the consumption of wheat and other grains, potatoes, corn, legumes, milk, most fruits and sugar.
According to the 2019 ketogenic diet document, a maximum of 20-50 grams of carbohydrates per day can be consumed to induce ketosis if a person consumes 2,000 calories per day.
To understand whether this is a lot or a little, here is a simple example: a banana contains about 20g and a plain bagel contains 44g of carbohydrates.Protein is also usually consumed in moderation as it can stimulate glucose production and interrupt ketosis.
Avoid Dirty Keto
The keto diet has some rules for eating high-fat foods, and the so-called “dirty keto diet” may include bacon and sausages fried in butter.This technically meets the criteria of a ketogenic diet, but it is certainly not healthy in the long term.According to Sophie Medlin, healthy eating guidelines should always be followed, even if carbohydrate intake is limited and no matter what diet you are on.The nutritionist believes that another danger of the keto diet is that people deprived of carbohydrates begin to “eat up” this deficiency with harmful foods.
Does the keto diet help you lose weight?
Research has shown that the ketogenic diet can result in rapid weight loss, due in part to water loss but also some fat loss.However, “after one year, this weight loss effect is similar to all other dietary approaches,” says a review of research on low-carb diets (Journal of the American Medical Association, 2019).
The benefits of the ketogenic diet are based on a simple principle: “Consuming less energy than you burn leads to weight loss.”On average, on a normal diet we get almost 50 percent of our energy from carbohydrates."Reducing it by at least half can reduce your total calorie intake, even if some of it is replaced by fat," says Medlin.Normally, a person fills up on fats faster than on carbohydrates and his appetite decreases.1 gram of fat contains 2.25 times more calories than 1 gram of carbohydrates.But the average person on a fat diet reduces the portion by more than 2.25 times, so fewer calories are consumed.
The “eat like me to look like me” ideology is wrong.“We all have different genes and lifestyles, which means we may not all look the same,” says Medlin.“Research shows that the best diet for weight loss is one that can be followed long enough to reduce the amount of excess fat tissue over the long term.”
You won't be able to stick to the keto diet in the long term.Medlin also mentions some accompanying symptoms called “keto flu” (including headaches, nausea, constipation, fatigue, and difficulty sleeping), which often take two to seven days to appear.Additionally, the food costs for this diet are higher than average: Here are possible reasons why people may find it difficult to follow these dietary guidelines.
“The keto diet is used in specific therapeutic situations and is not intended for the mass weight loss market,” says nutritionist Priya Tew."Carbohydrates play an important role in the normal diet. And although reducing carbohydrates can promote weight loss, you cannot reduce intake to very low levels without health consequences."
Is the keto diet safe?
"Many of the studies examining ketogenic diets follow participants for six months to a year," says nutritionist Emma Thornton, "so the long-term effects...are not entirely clear."
According to Sophie Medlin, health risks also depend on the type of food consumed.Consuming unhealthy foods high in saturated fat can increase health risks such as heart disease and stroke.
Foods containing carbohydrates often also contain a lot of fiber, which is important for a healthy intestinal microbiome.Medlin advises anyone on a low-carb diet to make sure they're getting enough fiber-rich foods like leafy greens, broccoli, cauliflower, flaxseed, nuts, coconut and avocado.
The keto diet limits the amount of starchy vegetables such as carrots, sweet potatoes, parsnips, squash, and squash and eliminates many fruits from the diet.This can limit the amount and variety of nutrients, vitamins, and phytochemicals (plant energy) you get from food, especially if you remove them entirely rather than replacing them.
People who limit their carbohydrate intake and eat fatty foods can develop the “keto flu.”There is very little medical research on this topic, but there are thousands of personal reports.It's also not clear if this only occurs on a ketogenic diet or if it can also be caused by other restrictive diets.
Contraindications
If you are taking medications or have any medical conditions, consult your doctor or nutritionist before starting the keto diet.For some people, the keto diet can be harmful despite careful monitoring.
There are a number of cases in which a ketogenic diet is completely contraindicated:
- Pregnancy.
- lactation.
- Growth phase (up to 18 years).
- Liver diseases.
- Gastrointestinal diseases.
- Diseases of the cardiovascular system.
- Diabetes mellitus.
Possible side effects
- Ketoacidosis may develop.This is a condition caused by a disruption in carbohydrate metabolism.Accompanied by disorders in the gastrointestinal tract, vomiting.In severe cases, coma can occur.
- Reduced blood pressure.
- Tachycardia (fast heartbeat).
- Constipation occurs due to insufficient fiber intake.
- Nausea.
- Muscle cramps due to a lack of essential microelements.
Alternative ways to lose weight
“I recommend checking whether your portion sizes are appropriate, perhaps reducing them a bit and increasing your vegetable consumption,” says Priya Tew.She doesn't recommend reducing carbs to less than a quarter of your diet.
“Small steps make a big difference,” says Emma Thornton.She suggests cooking from scratch at home, and expanding your knowledge of fresh ingredients is a good place to start.She also says other high-fat and high-carb diets, like the popular Mediterranean diet, can be beneficial as long as they contain plenty of fish, nuts, seeds and other foods rich in healthy fats and vegetables.
According to Medlin, the key to combating weight loss is understanding "why you eat, not what you eat."Stress, poor sleep and unrealistic and ineffective eating habits have been identified as some of the main reasons people stop following weight loss diets.This in-depth report offers the most effective strategy for long-term weight loss and overall health - a healthy eating plan that fits your eating habits and lifestyle."It is very important not to judge yourself for not being able to eat cake or another favorite food. Gentle long-term diets allow you to do this from time to time," concludes Medlin.