Keto's Dark Side: Why It's A Bad Idea

The keto diet is a popular eating plan that promises quick weight loss. However, there are several reasons why the keto diet may be a bad idea. Firstly, it is a highly restrictive diet that is difficult to follow long-term. It involves drastically reducing carbohydrate intake and relying primarily on fats and proteins for energy. This can lead to nutritional deficiencies, especially in vitamins and minerals, as well as an increased risk of kidney stones and dehydration. The keto diet can also cause gastrointestinal issues such as constipation, diarrhoea, nausea, and vomiting. Additionally, there are concerns about the long-term health effects of the keto diet, including potential damage to the heart. Furthermore, the initial weight loss on the keto diet is mostly water weight, and people often regain the lost weight when they return to their regular eating patterns. The keto diet can also be emotionally exhausting and socially isolating, as it restricts social activities involving food. Lastly, the keto diet may trigger disordered eating behaviours and is not recommended for individuals with a history of eating disorders.

Keto can cause dehydration, kidney stones, and constipation

Keto and Dehydration

The keto diet is a low-carb, high-fat diet that puts the body into a metabolic state called ketosis, where the body burns fat instead of sugar for fuel. This process leads to the loss of water and electrolytes, which can cause dehydration. Dehydration can lead to several unpleasant symptoms such as muscle cramps, headaches, fatigue, constipation, and increased thirst and hunger. To avoid dehydration, it is recommended to drink plenty of water and incorporate electrolyte-rich foods and drinks into your diet.

Keto and Kidney Stones

The keto diet includes a lot of high-fat animal foods, such as eggs, meat, and cheese, which can cause your blood and urine to become more acidic. This leads to an increased excretion of calcium in the urine, and studies suggest that the keto diet also reduces the amount of citrate in the urine. Citrate can bind to calcium and prevent the formation of kidney stones, so reduced levels of it may increase the risk of developing kidney stones.

Keto and Constipation

The keto diet is typically low in fiber, and individuals following the diet may consume more dairy and drink less water, which can lead to constipation. Dairy is a common cause of constipation due to the presence of lactose, which can be hard to digest and lead to bloating, gas, nausea, and constipation. A low-carb diet can also lead to a reduction in water intake, as fruits and vegetables are good sources of water.

To prevent and treat constipation while on the keto diet, it is recommended to increase water and fiber intake, cut back on dairy, and add more high-fiber, low-carb foods such as artichokes and blueberries.

It can lead to vitamin and mineral deficiencies

The keto diet is a low-carb, high-fat diet that promises quick weight loss. However, it can also lead to vitamin and mineral deficiencies. This is because many high-carbohydrate foods like fruits, vegetables, and grains contain essential vitamins and minerals. By restricting carbohydrates, the keto diet can make it difficult to get enough of these important nutrients.

A study comparing the micronutrient content of ketogenic diets to the Institute of Medicine's Dietary Reference Intakes (DRI) standards found that there was an association between higher-fat diets and lower micronutrient density. This means that the potential for micronutrient deficiency on a ketogenic diet is significant.

Some of the specific vitamin and mineral deficiencies that can occur on a keto diet include:

• Folate (B9): Folate is necessary for many functions in the body, including methylation, which keeps our cells functioning. It also regulates neurotransmitters that control our urges and are responsible for our sense of contentment and happiness. Folate is found in leafy green vegetables like kale, chard, and spinach.
• Biotin (B7): Biotin is important for hair, skin, and nail health. It is also involved in the processing of fatty acids, which are a major part of the keto diet. Biotin can be found in liver, egg yolks, meat, salmon, avocados, and cauliflower.
• Selenium: Selenium is a trace mineral that acts as an antioxidant, boosts immunity, ensures normal thyroid function, stimulates blood flow, and protects against heart disease. Selenium is found in Brazil nuts, mushrooms, oysters, tuna, liver, and meat.
• Choline: Choline is an essential nutrient for normal metabolism and the transport of fats, neurotransmitters, homocysteine, and heart health. It is found in egg yolks, liver, meat, poultry, and fish.

In addition to these specific deficiencies, the keto diet has also been shown to be low in other vitamins and minerals, including thiamin (B1), pantothenic acid (B5), calcium, copper, iron, magnesium, manganese, molybdenum, zinc, omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids, vitamin D, and vitamin E.

To avoid vitamin and mineral deficiencies on a keto diet, it is important to include a variety of nutrient-dense foods, such as grass-fed meat, pastured poultry, wild-caught fish, eggs, bone broth, and colorful raw vegetables and leafy greens. Supplementation with vitamins and minerals or a focus on specific vitamin-rich foods may also be necessary.

There is a lack of long-term research on its effects

The ketogenic diet is a high-fat, moderate-protein, and low-carbohydrate eating pattern. It is designed to induce weight loss by reducing the body's supply of glucose, which is the primary source of energy for all cells in the body. The diet encourages the production of an alternative fuel source called ketones from stored fat.

There is a lack of long-term research on the effects of the keto diet. While it has been studied and used in clinical settings for nearly a hundred years to treat seizure disorders, there is limited understanding of its impacts beyond this application.

One concern is that the keto diet is so restrictive that it is difficult to follow over a long period. It cuts out many food groups, including fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and legumes, and increases consumption of animal products. This can lead to nutrient deficiencies, including thiamin, folate, vitamin A, vitamin E, vitamin B6, calcium, magnesium, iron, and potassium. These deficiencies can cause various health issues, such as constipation, heart palpitations, fatigue, muscle twitches, and high blood pressure.

Additionally, the keto diet's impact on cholesterol levels is not yet fully understood. While it has been shown to decrease "bad" LDL cholesterol in obese patients, it may increase LDL cholesterol in a subset of individuals called "lean mass hyper-responders." More research is needed to understand this phenomenon and the potential long-term effects on heart health.

Furthermore, the keto diet's effectiveness for weight loss beyond the short term is questionable. While dieters often experience initial weight loss due to reduced water retention, studies show that after six months, the keto diet does not lead to significantly higher weight loss than other approaches. This may be because it is challenging to adhere to the restrictive nature of the diet, and people tend to regain weight when they return to their regular eating patterns.

In conclusion, while the keto diet has been shown to be effective for specific medical conditions, such as seizure disorders, there is a lack of long-term research on its effects on the general population. The restrictive nature of the diet can lead to nutrient deficiencies, and its impact on cholesterol levels and long-term weight loss is not yet fully understood. More research is needed to determine the safety and effectiveness of the keto diet beyond its specific medical applications.

It can be restrictive and unsustainable

The keto diet is restrictive and unsustainable for several reasons. Firstly, it is a drastic departure from the typical American diet, which is usually composed of at least 50% carbohydrates. The keto diet, on the other hand, requires a person to consume less than 10% of their daily calories from carbs, which means cutting out traditional carbs like bread, pasta, rice, and potatoes, as well as fruits, beans, lentils, and starchy vegetables. This leaves little room for dietary staples and makes socialising difficult.

Secondly, the keto diet is restrictive in that it requires a person to eat fat at every meal, with fat supplying up to 90% of daily calories. While some healthy unsaturated fats are allowed, such as nuts, seeds, avocados, tofu, and olive oil, the diet also encourages the consumption of saturated fats from oils, lard, butter, and cocoa butter. This goes against the advice of most doctors, who assert that a high-fat diet is probably not beneficial for long-term cardiac health.

Thirdly, the keto diet is hard to follow because it can cause various unpleasant side effects. These include gastrointestinal issues like constipation, diarrhea, nausea, and vomiting; dehydration; vitamin and mineral deficiencies; and the "'keto flu",' which involves symptoms like headaches, fatigue, and low energy.

Finally, the keto diet is unsustainable because it is difficult to maintain in the long term. Most people are unable to stick to the diet for a long period because they enjoy eating carbs, feel too low on energy, or find the restrictions incompatible with a normal social life. As a result, people tend to regain any lost weight when they return to their initial eating patterns.

It may negatively impact athletic performance

Keto and athletic performance

The ketogenic diet, or keto, is a low- or no-carbohydrate diet that forces the body into a state of ketosis. Ketosis is a mild form of ketoacidosis, which is the leading cause of death in people with diabetes under 24. In ketosis, the body has to burn fat rather than sugar for energy.

Keto has been found to be unhelpful for athletic performance. Athletes may consider the ketogenic diet helpful for weight loss and improved sports performance. However, researchers found that participants performed worse on high-intensity cycling and running tasks after four days on a ketogenic diet than those who'd spent four days on a high-carb diet.

The diet is also very strict and requires close adherence to be effective. It is also hard to follow over the long term, and it can be heavy on red meat and other fatty, processed, and salty foods that are notoriously unhealthy.

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