Keto Diet: Friend Or Foe To Your Organs?

The ketogenic diet, commonly known as the keto diet, is a popular eating plan that promises quick weight loss. It is a low-carb, high-fat diet that pushes the body into a state of ketosis, where it burns fat for energy instead of carbohydrates. While it has been used to manage seizures in children with epilepsy, the keto diet is not without its risks. Some of the potential dangers of the keto diet include nutrient deficiencies, digestive issues, kidney problems, increased risk of heart disease, and negative impacts on bone health. Before starting the keto diet or any restrictive diet, it is important to consult a healthcare professional to ensure it is safe for your individual needs.

Keto can cause kidney problems

The keto diet is a low-carb, high-fat, and moderate-protein eating plan that has gained popularity in recent years. While it may be effective for weight loss and has been used to manage seizures in children with epilepsy, it also carries certain risks, including potential negative effects on kidney health.

The keto diet's high intake of animal foods, such as meat, eggs, and cheese, can lead to an increased risk of kidney stones. This is because these foods can make your blood and urine more acidic, resulting in increased calcium excretion in your urine. Additionally, the keto diet may reduce the amount of citrate in your urine, which normally binds to calcium and prevents kidney stone formation.

Who Is at Risk?

Those with chronic kidney disease (CKD) or any reduction in kidney function due to conditions like diabetes, hypertension, or infection should be particularly cautious about the keto diet. The high protein intake associated with keto can accelerate the loss of kidney function in these individuals, as their kidneys are already compromised.

Other Kidney-Related Risks

The keto diet may also worsen metabolic acidosis, a common complication of CKD, which can affect bone and muscle health. Additionally, the high dietary acid load from animal fats and proteins is linked to albuminuria (losing protein in urine) and the onset of CKD.

Alternative Approaches

If you have kidney disease or are at risk for it, it's important to consult with a healthcare professional to discuss alternative dietary approaches. Adopting a healthy lifestyle with balanced and portioned meals, adequate hydration, and reduced salt intake can help alleviate stress on the kidneys and support weight loss.

While the keto diet may be tempting for its weight-loss benefits, it's crucial to consider the potential risks to your kidney health and explore safer alternatives.

It may lead to constipation and other digestive issues

The keto diet is a very high-fat, very low-carb, moderate-protein eating pattern. While it may help you burn fat, there can be some side effects, including constipation and other digestive issues.

Constipation is a common issue for people on the keto diet. This is often called "keto constipation" and is the result of significant shifts in eating habits. The keto diet involves drastically cutting back on carbs and increasing fat and protein intake. The diet is void of fiber-rich foods like fruits and whole grains, which help keep you regular, and so can lead to digestive issues.

The keto diet is typically low in fiber, but individuals following the diet may also consume more dairy and drink less water, which can also lead to constipation. Dairy is hard to digest for many people and can cause bloating, gas, nausea, and constipation. A sudden drop in carb intake can also cause dehydration, which can make constipation worse.

Reducing your fiber intake can also alter your intestinal microbiota, which is partly responsible for the breakdown of food. This lack of fiber means up to 50% of people following a keto diet will experience constipation at some point.

Other digestive issues that can be caused by the keto diet include diarrhea, bloating, abdominal cramps, nausea, and vomiting.

There are ways to help treat and prevent constipation and other digestive issues while on the keto diet. These include:

• Adding more dietary fiber from keto-friendly, fibrous foods like non-starchy vegetables, berries, avocados, and nuts
• Drinking enough water
• Retraining your bowel by drinking sufficient fluids and establishing a regular time for a toilet break
• Cutting back on dairy
• Easing into the diet by slowly introducing more fats and proteins while cutting back on carbs
• Staying active – aerobic exercise can improve constipation by encouraging your intestines to contract

If you are experiencing constipation or other digestive issues, it is recommended that you speak to a healthcare provider.

It may cause low blood sugar

The keto diet can be effective for lowering blood sugar levels and managing type 2 diabetes. However, it can also increase the risk of hypoglycaemia (low blood sugar) in people with type 1 or type 2 diabetes. This is especially true if their medication and insulin intake are not balanced with their eating pattern.

Low blood sugar can be dangerous and, if left untreated, can lead to a coma and even death. Symptoms of low blood sugar include confusion, shakiness, fatigue, sweating, nightmares, bad dreams, restless sleep, headaches, seizures, dizziness, fruity-smelling breath, unexplained tantrums or crying, sluggishness, and irritability.

For those with type 1 diabetes, the keto diet may lead to a higher risk of low blood sugar episodes. This is because individuals with type 1 diabetes are typically dependent on insulin and a low-carb keto diet may increase the risk of hypoglycaemia. Even those with type 2 diabetes who are taking insulin medication may theoretically experience this.

In addition, children without diabetes who are between six months and six years old are at risk of ketotic hypoglycaemia, a common type of low blood sugar. This usually occurs after a prolonged period of not eating, such as during a fast or illness, or if the child is dehydrated due to diarrhoea or vomiting. Most children will outgrow this condition by the time they are six years old.

For those without diabetes, low blood sugar can be caused by eating large amounts of carbohydrates in one sitting, being on a low-carb diet, prolonged physical activity without adequate carbohydrate replenishment, alcohol consumption, and certain medications.

Keto may lead to high cholesterol and heart disease

The ketogenic diet is a low-carb, high-fat diet that is extremely strict and difficult to maintain. It is primarily used to manage seizures in children with epilepsy, and there is limited research on its effectiveness in treating obesity or diabetes.

The keto diet may lead to high cholesterol and heart disease. This is because it restricts several foods, especially nutrient-dense fruits, whole grains, and legumes, and may fail to provide recommended amounts of vitamins and minerals. It may also cause an increase in LDL cholesterol levels, which is known as the "bad" cholesterol because it contributes to heart disease by adding to fatty buildup in the arteries.

However, the effect of the keto diet on cholesterol levels is still under debate, and more research is needed to understand how much and under what circumstances it affects cholesterol. Some studies have shown that the keto diet can improve total cholesterol and HDL cholesterol levels, while having no significant effect or even increasing LDL cholesterol levels.

It is important to note that the nutritional adequacy of the keto diet depends on the specific foods consumed. A diet rich in healthy low-carb foods, such as avocados, nuts, and non-starchy vegetables, can provide more nutrients and improve cholesterol levels.

Before starting the keto diet, it is recommended to consult a healthcare provider to ensure it is safe and healthy.

It could cause liver problems

The keto diet may cause liver problems, including elevated liver enzymes and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a condition where fat accumulates in the liver, causing inflammation and dysfunction. It is often a "silent killer", as patients rarely show early symptoms. Late symptoms include fatigue and pain in the upper right side of the abdomen. If left untreated, NAFLD can lead to cirrhosis, liver failure, variceal bleeding, abdominal swelling, and brain swelling.

A 2020 study found that a ketogenic diet can effectively treat NAFLD. The study showed that a ketogenic diet decreased liver fat content and hepatic insulin resistance in obese or overweight patients. Additionally, the diet improved blood sugar parameters, reduced cardiovascular risk factors, and decreased the need for medications to manage high blood pressure and diabetes.

However, another case study reported a 57-year-old woman who developed elevated liver enzymes and potential non-alcoholic fatty liver disease after starting a ketogenic diet. Discontinuing the diet resulted in a modest reduction in liver enzymes and cholesterol levels.

Furthermore, the keto diet has been linked to an increased risk of chronic diseases and early death. Some evidence suggests that high-fat, low-carb diets that focus on animal foods may lead to poor health outcomes, while diets emphasizing vegetable sources of fats and proteins provide benefits.

Therefore, while the keto diet may offer benefits in treating NAFLD, more research is needed to fully understand its potential effects on liver health. Individuals considering the keto diet, especially those with liver problems, should consult their healthcare provider to weigh the benefits against the potential risks.

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