Keto Diet: Long-Term Health Benefits Or Risks?

The ketogenic diet, or keto diet, is a low-carb, high-fat eating plan that has become popular for weight loss. While it can be effective for quick weight loss, there are potential dangers and side effects to be aware of before starting.

The keto diet restricts carbohydrates to less than 50 grams per day and increases fat intake, putting the body into a state of ketosis, where it burns fat for energy instead of carbohydrates. This metabolic change can lead to various side effects, including keto flu, which may cause headaches, dizziness, fatigue, nausea, and constipation.

There are also possible long-term health risks associated with the keto diet. While research is ongoing, potential risks include vitamin or mineral deficiencies, digestive issues, impaired bone health, and increased risk of chronic diseases and early death. The keto diet may also be difficult to follow long-term due to its restrictive nature, leading to weight regain and yo-yo dieting.

Additionally, the keto diet may not be suitable for everyone. Individuals with certain medical conditions, such as kidney disease, diabetes, or liver problems, should consult a healthcare professional before starting the keto diet.

Keto may cause vitamin or mineral deficiencies

The keto diet is a low-carb, high-fat diet that can lead to a state of ketosis, where the body burns fat instead of carbohydrates for energy. While this can lead to weight loss, there are potential long-term health risks associated with the keto diet, including vitamin or mineral deficiencies.

The keto diet typically restricts carbohydrate intake to less than 50 grams per day, which means cutting out or reducing fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and beans. These foods are rich sources of essential vitamins and minerals, such as folate, thiamin, vitamins A, B6, B12, C, E, and K, calcium, vitamin D, magnesium, and phosphorus. Restricting these foods can lead to lower intake and potential deficiencies of these important nutrients.

For example, a study that evaluated the nutrient composition of common diets found that very low-carb diets like Atkins, which is similar to keto, provided sufficient amounts for only 12 out of 27 essential vitamins and minerals. Over time, this can lead to nutrient deficiencies, which can have a range of mild to severe symptoms.

To prevent vitamin or mineral deficiencies on the keto diet, it is important to ensure adequate intake of nutrient-dense, low-carb foods such as avocados, nuts, and non-starchy vegetables. Additionally, supplementation with certain vitamins and minerals, such as potassium, sodium, magnesium, calcium, and vitamins B, C, and E, may be recommended for individuals following a very low-calorie keto diet.

It is also worth noting that the keto diet can be challenging to follow due to its restrictive nature, and it may not be suitable for everyone. It is always recommended to consult with a healthcare professional or registered dietitian before starting any new diet, especially if you have a medical condition or are taking medications.

It could affect athletic performance

How Keto Could Affect Athletic Performance

The ketogenic diet has become a popular way to lose weight, but it is not without its risks. One of the potential dangers of the keto diet is its possible negative impact on athletic performance.

The Science Behind It

The keto diet involves drastically reducing carbohydrate intake to around 50 grams or less per day, and increasing fat intake. This shift in diet causes the body to enter a state of ketosis, where it burns fat for energy instead of carbohydrates. While this can lead to weight loss, it may also have some undesirable side effects, including a potential decrease in athletic performance.

In a 2019 study published in the Journal of Sports Medicine and Physical Fitness, researchers found that participants performed worse on high-intensity cycling and running tasks after just four days on a ketogenic diet compared to those on a high-carb diet. The body is in a more acidic state when it is in ketosis, which may limit its ability to perform at peak levels.

Weight Loss vs Performance

While the keto diet can help athletes lose weight, which may be beneficial for speed and endurance, there are concerns that the negative impact on performance may outweigh the benefits of weight loss. Edward Weiss, PhD, the lead researcher on the 2019 study, expressed concern that "people are attributing the benefits of weight loss to something specific in the ketogenic diet. In reality, the benefits of weight loss could be at least partially canceled out by reductions in performance."

Long-Term Effects

The long-term effects of the keto diet are still not fully understood, and more research is needed to determine the specific impacts on athletic performance. However, the potential for decreased performance is something that athletes should be aware of when considering the keto diet.

It is important to note that individual results may vary, and some athletes may find that the benefits of the keto diet outweigh the risks. Consulting with a healthcare professional or sports dietitian can help athletes make an informed decision about whether the keto diet is right for them.

May cause weight regain

The keto diet is notoriously difficult to follow. It is highly restrictive, and it can be challenging to stick to the diet for an extended period. The diet is so strict that many variations recommend several stages, with the first stage being extremely low-carb and allowing for very few "cheat days," if any at all.

Because the keto diet is so hard to follow, people may transition to a more relaxed form of keto that allows for more carbohydrates or less monitoring, sometimes known as "lazy keto," "keto cycling," or "maintenance mode." However, the problem with this is that weight regain is almost inevitable.

Annette Frain, RD, program director with the Weight Management Center at Wake Forest Baptist Health, explains:

> "Keto can be a great jump-start to weight loss, but the reality is that most people can't adhere to it for very long. Often, people are going into ketosis and losing weight, then coming out and gaining it back and falling into this yo-yo pattern, and that's not what we want."

In addition to being extremely frustrating, Frain says that these types of weight fluctuations are also linked to a higher risk of early death.

The type of weight you gain back is also important. If you lost weight when you first started on keto, you likely lost some muscle mass along with fat tissue. Now, since you're following a high-fat diet, you will probably gain back more fat and less lean muscle—which not only looks and feels different on the body but also burns calories at a slower rate. This can affect your metabolism and make it more difficult to lose weight again in the future.

How to Avoid Weight Regain

If you are considering the keto diet, it is important to consult a registered dietitian to determine whether it is the right option for you and to help you plan balanced meals and monitor your nutrient levels.

To minimize the risk of weight regain, it is also crucial to ensure that you are getting enough vitamins and minerals from your food. This may include eating more healthful fats, such as olive oil, oily fish, and avocados, than saturated fats, and avoiding processed foods that contain saturated fat.

If weight loss is your goal, you can also try slowly reintroducing some carbohydrates once you reach a moderate weight.

May damage blood vessels

The ketogenic diet may damage blood vessels, according to researchers from the University of British Columbia. In a 2019 study, they found that indulging in a high-sugar treat while on a high-fat, low-carb diet can damage blood vessels.

The senior author of the study, Jonathan Little, associate professor in the School of Health and Exercise Sciences, expressed concern that those on a keto diet may be "undoing some of the positive impacts on their blood vessels" if they suddenly consume a lot of glucose. He further stated that their data suggests that a ketogenic diet is not something one should do for six days a week and take a day off.

The potential damage to blood vessels is a serious concern, as it can lead to an increased risk of blood clots, stroke, and heart failure. Therefore, it is essential for those considering the keto diet to be aware of this possible side effect and consult with a healthcare professional before starting the diet.

In addition to the potential damage to blood vessels, the keto diet has also been linked to an increased risk of other health issues, including kidney stones, nutrient deficiencies, and constipation. The high intake of animal proteins associated with the keto diet can lead to more acidic urine, increasing the risk of kidney stones. The diet's restriction of carbohydrates can make it challenging to meet daily fiber needs, leading to digestive discomfort and constipation. Furthermore, the keto diet may not provide sufficient amounts of certain vitamins and minerals, such as calcium, vitamin D, magnesium, and phosphorus.

While the keto diet has been touted as an effective way to lose weight quickly, it is important to consider the potential risks and side effects. It is always advisable to consult with a healthcare professional before making any significant changes to your diet.

May increase chronic disease and early death risk

The ketogenic diet is a low-carb, high-fat diet that has been around since the 1920s as a treatment for epilepsy. It is also touted as a remedy for infertility, type 2 diabetes, and weight loss. While the keto diet can lead to quick weight loss, it may also increase the risk of chronic diseases and early death.

The keto diet's restriction of several foods, especially nutrient-dense fruits, whole grains, and legumes, may result in vitamin and mineral deficiencies. Over time, this can lead to serious health issues. Some studies suggest that the keto diet doesn't provide enough calcium, vitamin D, magnesium, and phosphorus.

The keto diet's emphasis on animal-based and high-fat foods can also increase the risk of kidney stones. This is because a high intake of animal foods can cause blood and urine to become more acidic, leading to increased calcium excretion in the urine. The keto diet can also be dangerous for people with kidney disease, as they may be unable to remove the acid buildup in the blood that results from these animal foods, leading to a state of acidosis, which can worsen the progression of chronic kidney disease.

The keto diet's restriction of carbs can also make it difficult to meet daily fiber needs, which can lead to digestive issues and constipation. Fiber is important for feeding the beneficial bacteria in the gut, and a lack of fiber may negatively affect gut health, potentially impacting immunity, mental health, and inflammation.

Additionally, the keto diet's focus on high-fat, animal-based foods may lead to poor health outcomes. A long-term observational study linked animal-based low-carb diets to higher rates of death from heart disease, cancer, and all causes. In contrast, vegetable-based low-carb diets were associated with a lower rate of death from these causes.

While the keto diet can lead to short-term weight loss and other health benefits, its long-term effects are less well understood. Some evidence suggests that the diet may increase the risk of chronic diseases and early death, especially when the diet focuses on animal-based foods.

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