The ketogenic diet is popular: actresses Vanessa Hudgens, Alicia Vikander and Halle Berry follow it. Unfortunately, this isn't the first time that celebrity endorsements have clashed with evidence-based medicine. Find out why the keto diet is not the healthiest way to lose weight.
Where did the ketogenic diet come from?
The ketogenic diet is not a fad at all: it was invented back in the 20s to treat seizures. It was a humane substitute for fasting, which remained the only remedy for epilepsy that year. It is true that an anticonvulsant drug appeared in 1938, so now the keto diet is mainly used to treat drug-resistant epilepsy in children.
Most likely, the ketogenic diet would have remained an exotic method in the arsenal of neurologists. But in the 1970s, American cardiologist Robert Atkins read an article that found this diet helped people lose weight. Based on these data, the enterprising doctor developed his own nutritional system and wrote several books about it.
The Atkins diet system turned out to be simple, understandable and even allowed to achieve quick results. It was a hit among Hollywood stars and other public figures, who quickly made the ketogenic diet famous.
How does the keto diet work?
A ketogenic diet is a low-carb, moderate-protein, high-fat diet. A standard ketogenic diet is 70% fat, 20% protein and 10% carbohydrates, but the number of calories that can be obtained on a "ketogenic diet" remains the standard: 2000 kcal per day.
Carbohydrates on a ketogenic diet consist of 20-50 g. This is too little for our body, which is designed to get most of its energy from carbohydrates. Therefore, following a ketogenic diet, the body begins to burn glycogen - the "reserve" of carbohydrates in the liver.
When glycogen reserves run out (which happens already on day 2-4 of such a diet), the body switches to fat reserves. When fat is broken down, ketone bodies are formed, which can also be used for energy - hence the name of the diet.
What are the problems with the keto diet?
Evolution has "gifted" us with the ability to store fat just to get us through hard times. We're simply not built for a long-term fat diet. If you suddenly cut out carbs and "lean" on fat with protein, you can "earn" serious health problems over time.
Causes obesity
It would seem - how is it, after all, ketogenic diets have been proven to help you lose weight? This is true, but the problem is that the lost weight quickly returns.
In short, in this situation, the "yo-yo effect" is triggered. After each cycle of ultra-low-carb diets, the body learns to better extract energy from the food it receives. When a person who has lost weight on an ill-conceived ketogenic diet starts eating high-carbohydrate foods again, the weight returns very quicklyreturns, although the food portions remain the same.
If a person tries to lose weight again by following a diet, the body responds to this by increasing appetite, so when the poor person finishes, he begins to overeat and "earns" obesity.
Damages digestion
An important source of carbohydrates is cereal products: cereal, pasta and bread. But in these products, in addition to carbohydrates, there is another important component - fiber. Soluble fiber "feeds" the beneficial bacteria that live in our intestines, while insoluble fiber helps prevent constipation. People who lack fiber on a ketogenic diet are more likely to suffer from digestive problems.
Causes malnutrition
The main problem with all low-carb diets is that one starts eating less vegetables and fruits - they are also sweet. However, vegetables and fruits are the main source of vitamins.
Studies of the ketogenic diet in children with epilepsy have shown that patients who follow it are not getting enough of the nutrients they need for health. In such a situation, children with epilepsy are prescribed vitamins in capsules. However, healthy adults who decide to lose weight usually do not even think about such risks.
heart hurts
An excess of fatty food is fundamentally harmful to the cardiovascular system. This increases the synthesis of cholesterol - the main substance for atherosclerotic plaques, which "like" to clog blood vessels, causing a heart attack or stroke.
But low-carb (including keto) diets have their own problem: It turns out that such eating plans can disrupt heart rhythms and lead to fatal atrial fibrillation. So it's no surprise that a poorly thought-out ketogenic diet increases the risk of premature death from cardiovascular disease and other causes.
Causes gallbladder problems
An excess of fatty food can provoke gallstones. It works like this: if there is an excess of cholesterol in the body, the liver begins to "throw" it into the gallbladder. There it sometimes begins to crystallize, forming gallstones.
May cause ketoacidosis
Ketoacidosis is a life-threatening condition that occurs most often in people with diabetes. However, science knows of at least one case where the keto diet caused ketoacidosis in a healthy breastfeeding woman.
Contraindicated in people with pancreatitis
Pancreatitis is a disease of the pancreas, when you cannot eat more than 20 grams of fat per day. Excess fat on a keto diet can trigger an attack.
Nutritionists do not recommend a low-carbohydrate diet for those who do a lot of sports or do professional sports.
Keto diet for athletes not only loses a certain amount of adipose tissue, but also exhausts muscles, because under conditions of aerobic and mixed training, the body simply does not have time to oxidize fat to get the required amount of fat. energy and is forced to destroy its proteins.
Of course, this affects well-being as well - the athlete weakens, endurance and speed-strength indicators drop.
What is the difference between a keto diet and a good weight loss program?
Keto diets do not take into account people's actual energy needs. Therefore, a person following it often not only reduces the amount of carbohydrates they get from food, but also significantly reduces the total number of calories in their diet. All this leads to a "yo-yo effect" and a person gains weight as soon as they return to their normal diet. In addition, ketogenic diets are often unbalanced - as a result, a person does not get the necessary nutrients and provokes health problems.
Competent weight loss programs are designed not only to lose weight, but also to maintain this effect in the future. The only way to avoid the yo-yo effect is through programs based on healthy eating principles.
A diet that allows you to lose weight should be:
- diverse - so that a person fully receives not only proteins, fats and carbohydrates, but also vitamins, trace elements and fibers;
- tasty - avoid the "temptation" of fast food and semi-finished products;
- nutritious enough - to have enough strength and energy for mental work, sports and other joys of life;
- there should be no calorie surplus or deficit.
A good weight loss program does not work without general lifestyle improvements and does not produce quick results. However, weight loss in such programs goes smoothly, the result is preserved for a long time, and health only gets stronger.