The “keto” diet is any extremely low- or no-carbohydrate diet that forces the body into a state of ketosis. Ketosis occurs when people eat a low- or no-carb diet and molecules called ketones build up in their bloodstream.
Low carbohydrate levels cause blood sugar levels to drop and the body begins breaking down fat to use as energy. Ketosis is actually a mild form of ketoacidosis. Ketoacidosis mostly affects people with type 1 diabetes.
In fact, it is the leading cause of death of people with diabetes who are under 24 years of age.
However, many experts say ketosis itself is not necessarily harmful. Some studies, in fact, suggest that a ketogenic diet is safe for significantly overweight or obese people.
However, other clinical reviews point out that patients on low-carbohydrate diets regain some of their lost weight within a year.
The keto-type diets usually work only in the short term and can be unhealthy. For starters, most of the lost weight is water weight. Once your body enters ketosis, you also begin to lose muscle, become extremely fatigued, and eventually enter starvation mode.
Then it actually becomes even harder to lose weight. Keto diets should only be used under clinical supervision and only for brief periods.
They have worked successfully on some cancer patients in conjunction with chemotherapy to shrink tumors and to reduce seizures among people suffering from epilepsy.
In the general population a keto diet should only be considered in extreme cases. It can do more harm than good. It can damage the heart, which is also a muscle.
But there are many other ways to do it besides a fad diet that won’t keep weight off long-term. a keto diet will do more harm than good for the majority of patients, especially if they have any underlying kidney or liver issues.
People are using this for cosmetic reasons, but it’s so extreme that it’s dangerous.
There are some concerns about the effectiveness and healthiness of the keto diet, mainly because there's not much scientific evidence regarding it.
There are some small studies supporting the benefits of the keto diet, no substantiated evidence-based research has been published and, most concerning, the long-term impact of the keto diet is unclear.
Some nutritionists are worried that by shunning carbs, people will miss out on crucial nutrients found mainly in carb-laden fruits and vegetables.
Several nutrients vital to health are contained in carbohydrate-dense foods, including fruits, vegetables, legumes and grains.
Just one medium apple contains about 17 grams of net carbs. This is concerning because these vitamins, minerals and phytonutrients contained in the above foods are vital to heath, immunity and disease prevention.
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