Before you completely give up carbs, there are some things you should know about the ketogenic diet.
With any diet, it’s important to do thorough research before completely changing your eating habits. Going keto is no exception. It can have significant health impacts, and they’re not all good ones either. That’s why we’re reviewing the effects – both short and long-term when it comes to this increasingly popular diet.
First of all, it’s important to understand how the keto diet works. The popular plan is a high-fat, moderate-protein, low-carb diet that’s used to treat severe cases of epilepsy in children. And it’s not without side effects.
The diet forces the body to burn fats as opposed to carbohydrates. Normally, carbs are converted into glucose, and that helps fuel brain function. When lacking in carbs, the liver instead converts fat into fatty acids and ketone bodies. These ketone bodies replace the glucose as an energy source for the brain.
It’s the elevated level of ketone bodies in one’s blood that leads to a metabolic state called ketosis. This is also what helps reduce the frequency of epileptic seizures.
So why is a diet used to treat epilepsy becoming a fat with people wanting to be healthy and fit? The key words are “burning fat.” However, the keto diet is quite restrictive and can be difficult to follow, plus it also has several drawbacks, too. There are both minor, short-term issues and long-term ones as well.
First of all, when you begin a keto diet, you might experience flu-like symptoms during the first week. These can include cramping, aches, diarrhea, constipation, fatigue, weakness, and even rashes. Often, this is a side effect of dehydration and a loss of electrolytes. (Fatigue mat also be attributed to your brain not getting enough glucose.)
When burning fat, you lose more water and electrolytes. This is due to a loss of muscle glycogen and a decrease in your body’s insulin levels. Plus, low-carb diets also tend to have a diuretic effect. If you plan on doing keto long-term, you’re likely going to need to increase your fluid intake.
It may not be a big deal to most folks, but this is still worth noting. The keto diet tends to come with halitosis.
This is because of the ketone bodies produced by your liver when metabolizes fat – particularly acetone, beta hydroxybutyrate, and acetoacetate. (Yes, acetone, like the same ingredient found in nail polish remover.) When you exhale the excess ketones, it causes what’s commonly referred to as “keto breath.” It can be somewhat metallic-tasting, and it doesn’t smell pleasant either.
Some drawbacks are obviously more serious than others, but it never hurts to know as much as you can.
Want to learn more about the long term drawbacks of the Keto diet? Read Part 2.
