How Does the Keto Diet Affect Your Health?

Nutritionists offer many different types of diets. Maybe you already heard this trendy word “keto” or even thought about switching to it. But it is essential to understand that any food may not be suitable; it may turn out to be ineffective in a particular case.

So what is the keto diet and is it healthy?

Before you change your diet, you should find out all the available information. You may already know lots of health benefits of the keto diet and the best keto supplements. We have prepared a detailed guide to the health risks of the keto diet and its contraindications.

Possible disadvantages of keto nutrition

Keto diet has several disadvantages and can even harm the body. But the reason for this is not the complete absence of carbohydrates. Our body does not need them so badly as to be unable to function normally. And the human brain is quite capable of working on ketone bodies.

But the use of a large number of animal products significantly affects blood cholesterol. It’s level increases if you continuously eat meat and dairy products.

And the fact that there are few vegetables and fruits in the keto menu leads to a lack of fibre, and this affects digestion severely. And finally, vitamins - most of them we get from plant foods.

Possible side effects of ketosis

1. Decreased insulin level

In a healthy diet with a lot of carbohydrates, the insulin level is higher, since this hormone is involved in the processing of glucose, turning it into fuel for cells. While your body goes into a state of ketosis, insulin level drops sharply due to its uselessness. The bottom line is that with fewer amount of insulin, fatty acids from adipose tissue are utilised as fuel. A keto diet is prescribed for people with diabetes, as their body is not able to use insulin effectively for glucose utilization. In some situations, switching to ketosis allows people with diabetes to stop using medication or to cope with the difficulty of insulin resistance.

2. A decrease in appetite during the day

A keto diet for weight loss involves a large number of proteins and fats, which are quite nutritious foods for a keto diet. If carbohydrates are fast fuels, proteins and fats take an extended time to digest, which helps to maintain a more prolonged sense of fullness between meals. Furthermore, experts believe that elevated levels of ketones in the blood suppress the centre of hunger in our brain.

For this reason, appetite decreases, but there is no guarantee that this will happen. And yet it will not be easy to give up sweets, as we often pick them not because of hunger, however, because we want to feel happier.

3. Soreness and discomfort

Remember that consuming fat as an ordinary fuel is not a natural strategy for our bodies. During adaptation to ketosis state, you may suffer from the so-called keto flu, the symptoms of which are similar to the usual flu. They are joint pain, nausea, headaches, muscle cramps, and fatigue. These symptoms are likely to manifest during the first days of a keto diet.

This condition will pass in a week or so. Be sure to drink a lot of water to help your body adapt.

4. Bad breath

Everyone who prefers to paint their nails on their own recognizes a distinct smell emanating from the body during a keto diet. One of the liver products is acetone. This odour is felt in the breath of many people on a keto diet. This effect is not manifested in everyone, and you may be lucky, but it’s still wise to keep mouthwash or mint candies on hand and drink a large amount of water.

5. Constipation

Any severe changes in diet can lead to a temporary digestive upset. Just as experienced vegetarians encounter a malaise when consuming meat, people who are drastically reducing their carbohydrates in favour of fat and protein need to get used to it. Moreover, refusing fruits and cereals, you get much less fibre, which leads to constipation. For solving the problem, it is enough to take low-carb supplements and increase daily water intake.

6. Fatigue

During the adaptation to ketosis, you may seem tired, which will be extended than the flu mentioned above. If during this period, you continuously feel weakness and overwork, reduce your daily workload, and sleep longer. In the end, there is a chance that in the future, you will be able to develop the strength of training, thereby making ketosis even more productive.

7. Weight Loss

The ketogenic diet works. Studies show that people following a keto diet can lose 2.2 times more weight than people who concentrate on low-fat diets. All people are different, and the results will differ depending on the initial weight and the availability of physical training. Still, ordinary people lose from 3 to 6 lbs in the first week.

Later, a slower, steady decline should be expected - about two pounds per week. When you reach the desired weight, its reduction will reduce and finally stop, but you will not regain it if you follow a diet and use the best keto supplements.

Keep in mind that reintroducing carbohydrates should be gradual because it was not easy for your body to learn how to live without them. The same goes for the reverse process, which can take some time.

A slight increase in weight is also likely. Still, if you give up sweets and continue to consume fewer carbohydrates in favour of proteins, you will even be in better shape than before keto.

Conclusion

If you are interested in the keto diet, give it a chance. Not all the symptoms described are equally intense; you may be one of the lucky ones. Most people notice that the keto diet is too conditional and eventually return to more balanced nutrition after reaching the desired weight on a keto diet.

If you are well versed in the composition of products and have already tried different types of nutrition, and such disadvantages as bad breath, decreased performance. Severe limitations, do not scare you, then try keto.

At least try it to draw your conclusions, whether it suits you. Besides, there are many kinds of research on a keto diet for cancer relief and other medical advantages of such nutrition.

Share your opinion in the comments below. Have you ever been on a keto diet? If so, was it practical for you?

About the author

Christie is a nutritionist and food blogger. She has been practising the keto diet for several years and knows all its advantages and disadvantages. Christie is ready to share all the details in her blog and keto product reviews.

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