Eliminating carbs from your diet has been a pretty popular method of dieting recently, especially the Keto Diet. In Keto, carbohydrates are avoided to force your body into ketosis - when your body can't keep up with the need for glucose (sugar, usually from carbs!) so it shifts to producing and running on ketone bodies from the liver. But is this good for you?
First, we need to define what is "good for you". It really depends on what your goals are and your current health state. Keto diets have many different effects on the body. We will break down the major effects in this blog post!
Health Benefits
A true ketogenic diet (with 90% of caloric intake being from fat) was originally developed by Wilder in the 1920s to help children with epilepsy have fewer seizures. There is also some evidence of keto diets improving patients with type 2 diabetes blood sugar and cholesterol levels, but more investigation on these is needed. In the 1970s a variation of keto diets, the Atkins Diet, was created for weight loss. More diets like this such as Paleo, were then developed after the popularity of the Atkins diet.
Weight Loss
Ketone bodies are created by the liver from stored fats. The science behind this seems promising for weight loss! There are many studies showing that keto diets are beneficial for weight loss! Keto is more effective than a low-fat or a Mediterranean diet at reducing weight. This is especially true for the short term, where most people lost about 10 lbs in the first 2 weeks without losing muscle mass! In the long term, keto diets seem to be about as effective as a Mediterranean diet. In fact, Dr LeWine from Harvard Health recommends starting out with a keto diet then transitioning to a Mediterranean diet or reduced calories plus exercise for weight loss.
Health Concerns
All this being said, there are some downsides to a keto diet. There is little evidence of the effects of following a keto diet long-term (2+ years), mostly because it's hard to get participants to follow the diet for so long. A big problem with starting keto is the so-called "keto flu". This happens because of your body switching into ketosis. It involves feeling confused, dizzy, nauseous and low tolerance to exercise. But, this tends to go away within a few days to a weeks and can be helped with adequate hydration.
Some less immediate concerns with keto are potential nutrient deficiencies, kidney problems, constipation and liver problems. A diet that is so heavily restricted can be lacking in nutrients, especially those that are in grain products like selenium. It can also cause kidney stones to build up. The lack of fibrous foods (since fibre is a carb) can cause issues with constipation. And in the long-term producing so much ketone bodies may be taxing on the liver.
However, we are not trained dietitians or nutritionists. This is information is what we have learned through researching studies and expert information. Be sure to consult a professional before you make any lifestyle changes!
For more information, see our resources for this post:
Campos, M. (2020, April 27). Ketogenic diet: Is the ultimate low-carb diet good for you? Harvard Health Blog. https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/ketogenic-diet-is-the-ultimate-low-carb-diet-good-for-you-2017072712089
Masood W, Annamaraju P, Uppaluri KR. Ketogenic Diet. [Updated 2020 Dec 14]. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2020 Jan-. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK499830/
Harvard Health Publishing. (2019, August). Can the keto diet help me lose weight? Harvard Health. https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/can-the-keto-diet-help-me-lose-weight
Harvard Health Publishing. (2020, August 31). Should you try the keto diet? Harvard Health. https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/should-you-try-the-keto-diet
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