Ketogenic Diet Pros and Cons

Ketones are a diet high in fat and low in carbohydrates that causes the body to break down fat into molecules. It also helps to circulate in the blood and becomes the main source of energy for many cells in the body and the ketogenic diet is used to treat some types of epilepsy and is being studied in many treatments of cancer.

Why Ketogenic Diet was Developed?

The ketogenic diet was originally developed to help manage epilepsy and now it is the latest weight loss fad. On the other hand, the diet flips the balance of carbs and fats that are highly suggested for sound health.

 So it is observed that the ketogenic diet consists of 5 percent carbs, 25 percent proteins, and 75 percent fat. Carbs are the main source of fuel for the body and brain and similarly, the ketogenic diet is forced to find fuel elsewhere.

The ketogenic diet is not recommended for you if have a disease of the pancreas, liver, thyroid, kidney, or gallbladder or you had a previous history of kidney stones. The Keto diet is a drastic change for many people and more than 70 percent of people eat more than the recommended amount of added sugar each day.

In this article, we are going to have a look at the most cited pros and cons of the ketogenic diet.

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Pros of the Ketogenic Diet

First of all have a glance at the pros of the ketogenic diet.

The ketogenic diet works by depleting the body of its sugar reserves and it will start to break down fat for energy. It results in the production of molecules called ketones that are used as fuel for the body and here are the health benefits of the ketogenic diet.

1) Supports Weight Loss and Improves Acne

It helps to promote weight loss in different ways such as reducing appetite and boosting metabolism. The ketogenic diet consists of foods that help to reduce hunger-stimulating hormones and that fill a person up. On the other hand, a recent study demonstrated that people following the ketogenic diet lost near about 5lbs and more than following low-fat diets after 6 months.

Acne can be because of many reasons such as it may have a link to diet and blood sugar in some people. Eating a diet that is highly processed and refined carbohydrates helps to alter the balance of gut bacteria. It also reduces acne symptoms in some people according to recent studies. It also causes blood sugar to rise and fall significantly both of which can affect skin health.

2) Reduce the Risk of Certain Cancers

Ketogenic diet helping in preventing and treating several types of cancers. Recent studies claim that may be ketogenic diet is a helpful and safe complementary treatment to use along with chemotherapy and radiation therapy in people with certain cancers.

Also, a study shows that the use of a ketogenic diet reduces blood sugar and lowers the risk of insulin complications and insulin is a hormone that controls blood sugars and may have a link to some cancers.

Researchers also say that there are potential benefits of the ketogenic diet in cancer protection and treatment.

3) Improve Heart Health

People must choose healthful foods when they follow a ketogenic diet. Several studies show that eating healthy foods can improve heart health by reducing cholesterol such as avocados instead of less healthful such as pork rinds.

It has also been observed that after taking the ketogenic diet some people have experienced significant drops in the level of total cholesterol and an increase in high-density lipoprotein.

A high level of cholesterol can increase the risk of cardiovascular disease and the keto diet’s reducing effect may reduce a person’s risk of heart complications. Positive effects of diet on heart health depend on the quality of diet and important to eat healthy, nutritionally balanced food while following a keto diet.

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4) Protect Brain Function and Reduces Seizures

Some studies show that ketones that generate during the keto diet provide neuroprotective benefits. It also strengthens and protects brain and nerve cells.

A Keto diet helps a person prevent or manage conditions such as Alzheimer’s disease and more research is needed into keto diet effects on the brain.

In a keto diet, the ratio of fat, protein, and carbs alters the way body uses energy and results in ketosis. It is a metabolic process during which body ketone bodies for fuel and ketosis can reduce seizures in people with epilepsy.

Cons of the Ketogenic Diet

It’s time to discuss some cons of the ketogenic diet.

1) Keto Flu

While several people have decided to opt for a ketogenic diet or weight loss, according to the Harvard medical school’s blog, keto flu is one of the well-known complications. It is mainly characterized by the foggy brain, headache, fatigue, irritability, nausea, sleeping difficulty, and constipation.

One should drink water a lot during this period and it makes you severely dehydrated.

2) Keto Lacks Fiber

Popular diets such as Atkins and ketos amongst others show a decrease in fiber consumption. The fiber in food provides fodder for gut bacteria and travels throughout the body which provides short-chain fatty acids that have anti-inflammatory properties and nourishes colon cells.

Moreover, it also improves blood glucose regulation in people with and keto lacks fiber and it may, in turn, facilitate the condition.

3) Reduces Athletic Performance

If you are an athletic person, a ketogenic diet can help you to fare better in intense games and physical activities. According to recent studies, it has been revealed that short-term ketogenic diets reduce exercise performance in activities that are heavenly dependent on anaerobic energy systems.

4) Increases the Risk of Cardiovascular Diseases

According to recent research, individuals on the lowest carbohydrate diet have the lowest risk of overall cardiovascular and cancer mortality. DKA is a dangerous problem affecting people with diabetes and it causes fat to break down at an extremely fast rate in the human body and causes liver processes in fat called ketones that cause fat to become acidic.

A recent study also reveals that lactation further aggravates the condition and also triggers ketoacidosis.

Conclusion

The above listed are the pros and cons of the ketogenic diet which you must keep in mind. Few things are well-established nutrition science such as ketogenic diets. If you are curious to boost your health, then you must consider a ketogenic diet.