Wondering about going keto? Here’s what you should know.

PROS

  • –Weight Loss
    • By restricting carbohydrates your body starts burning fat to use it as energy, this means that you lose body fat more quickly.
  • –Reduce hunger
    • Fatty foods take a longer time to break down in the body, which help eliminate cravings and feel less hungry while in ketosis.
  • –Blood sugar control
    • This diet affects the way your body stores and uses energy, controlling it may improve blood sugar levels and reduce insulin levels in your body.
  • –May prevent cancer
    • Some early research suggests that keto diet may help treat some types of cancer. By starving cancer cells from glucose, since they can’t use ketones to grow.

CONS

  • –Nutrient Deficiency
    • If the keto diet is followed incorrectly or without proper guidance, you will not receive the nutrients that your body needs. Without the fiber, minerals, and vitamins from whole grains, vegetables, legumes and fruits, it can lead to deficiencies, digestive issues, and get constipated.
  • –Dehydration
    • With keto diet you can experience dehydration, due to the reduction of carbohydrates, which help the body to hold more sodium and water. Because of it, the body loses electrolytes or minerals such as sodium, potassium, and magnesium.
  • –Heart disease
    • High saturated fats and meats eaten in much greater quantities and with much greater frequency can increase cholesterol, which often leads to a risk of a chronic heart disease.
  • –Keto flu
    • Cutting drastically the carbs and increasing the fat intake, the body can experience side effects of the ketosis on a short-term basis, such as headaches, fatigue, nausea, hunger, irritability, and constipation.

Is it sustainable long-term?

Keto diet is created to be a short-term diet, not a lifestyle change. Cutting out carbs long-term can be hard to have the energy to exercise, muscle mass and will impact on your ability and performance.
This diet in the long-term could have a negative impact on your health, especially digestion and gut health. Without considering other health risks, such as kidney stones, osteoporosis, liver disease, and so on.

Therefore, the importance of a good keto plan with the necessary supplements to increase the nutrients on the diet. It’s recommended to consult a dietitian to tailor a diet according to your needs, finding ways to eat the foods you love without overeating.

 

References:

  1. Pros and Cons of Keto Diet, According to Nutritionists & Dietitians
    • Source: JM Nutrition
    • Author: Mancuso, J. (2021, October 15)
  2. The Pros and Cons of a Keto Diet
  3. 7 reasons you shouldn’t do the keto diet long-term
    • Source: Insider
    • Author: Mitrokostas, S. (2019, March 26)
  4. Pros and Cons of the Ketogenic Diet
  5. The keto diet: pros, cons and tips