Keto Diet
The keto diet is trendy but far from harmless.
You’ve probably already heard something about the keto diet, which has recently become quite popular among athletes and people looking to lose weight. It is based on a diet high in fat and protein and low in carbohydrates.
Sounds great at first glance. Who doesn’t love the idea of ​​eating meat steaks while losing weight? However, the keto diet has many side effects, which, for some reason are not discussed everywhere. And before we talk about them, it is worth recalling what ketosis is. Ketosis is a process during which your body uses fats as its primary energy source rather than carbohydrates.
Generally, we are used to getting energy from glucose in carbohydrates, which are found in flour, cereals, vegetables, legumes, dairy products, and fruits. When we stop consuming carbohydrates, fats become the primary source of energy for our bodies.
The idea behind the keto diet is that burning fat instead of carbohydrates leads to rapid weight loss. But, as we said before, this process has its side effects. Here they are:
Your insulin levels may drop.
With a regular diet, your insulin level is always average due to the consumption of glucose-containing foods. However, when you are on a keto diet, your insulin drops.
It is believed that when insulin levels are low, fatty acids are more easily released from the body’s adipose tissue.
You may want to eat less during the day.
Protein saturates the body quite strongly, and since the protein intake increases significantly on a keto diet, you will feel more full than usual.
Also, ketones are produced on a keto diet, which suppress appetite centers in the brain.
You may feel unwell.
Another possible side effect of the keto diet is the so-called keto flu. Its symptoms usually appear in the first few days after you cut down on carbohydrate-containing foods. A person in this state often experiences headaches, nausea, muscle cramps, fatigue, and so on.
Fortunately, these symptoms last for about a week and then go away. During this time, it is worth getting enough sleep to fight fatigue and cope with muscle cramps.
Your breath may be bad.
Be careful – you may need to take gum with you more often because one of the other likely symptoms of the keto diet is bad breath. During ketosis, the liver begins to produce acetone, precisely the source of this smell.
However, this side effect does not affect everyone.
You may not be able to go to the toilet at first.
Digestive discomfort during the keto diet is another side effect due to a lack of fiber in the diet. To relieve symptoms and prevent constipation, low-carb fiber can be added to the diet to aid digestion.
You will crave sweets very much (but this is not certain).
Reducing carbohydrate intake naturally leads to a decrease in sugar intake. Therefore, be prepared for the fact that you will be drawn to sweets with incredible force at some point.
Naturally, the strength of this thrust will depend on your individual preferences. However, if you were very fond of chocolate, ice cream, and other sweets before the diet, get ready for flour.
You may develop kidney stones.
Some doctors believe that diets high in fat can lead to kidney stones. However, some experts believe that the diet has nothing to do with it.
The development of kidney stones during keto diets is because some people overeat meat and drink too little water. Therefore, do not forget about fluid and maintaining the water balance in the body.
