Opinion: The Keto diet is not healthy
October 26, 2020
Methods of losing weight often include going on a diet. The question is are they really effective. The Keto diet is a very popular diet for people looking to lose weight without needing to exclude meat, dairy or seafood from their diets.
The Keto diet bases most of its meals off of foods with high fat and low carbohydrates, such as chicken, cheese and eggs. The diet forces the body to burn fat rather than carbohydrates.
The Keto diet is based off of a metabolic state called Ketosis in which fat provides energy. When the body starts burning off fat, the fat produces more energy, making participants feel better. But while the diet makes a very large promise to lose weight, there are risks that are taken in following it.
“The keto diet is primarily used to manage seizures in children with epilepsy,” Dietitian Rachel Kleinman said in an article with UChicago Medicine. “Research on the diet’s effectiveness in treating obesity or diabetes is limited.” She also states that “Ketosis is a metabolic adaption to allow the body to survive famine.”
However, following the diet can be quite expensive due to having to buy the higher priced meat and fish that the diet includes. The Keto diet brands many different supplements that reportedly make the diet easier for the buyer, but may be seen as unnecessary. For example, the necessity of Keto coffee has been questioned.
There are about 71.6 patients per country out of the sixteen countries taking part in the Keto diet, Pubmed.gov said. More often than not, after the diet is finished participants will start gaining weight again. Most of the time, the weight gained afterwards is greater than the weight lost through the diet, leaving most participants feeling the same way they felt before starting the diet. Staying on the diet can be beneficial, but the overall physical and mental health aspects of the diet are something to consider.
