The ketogenic diet is all the rage: actresses Vanessa Hudgens, Alicia Vikander and Halle Berry follow it. Unfortunately, this is not the first time that celebrity recommendations have conflicted with evidence-based medicine. Understand 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 in the 1920s to treat seizures. It was a humane substitute for fasting, which remained the only treatment for epilepsy in those years. True, an anticonvulsant 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 as an exotic method from the arsenal of neurologists. But in the 1970s, American cardiologist Robert Atkins read an article that found that this diet helped people lose weight. Based on this data, the enterprising doctor created his own nutritional system and wrote several books about it.
The Atkins diet system turned out to be simple, understandable and even led to quick results. It was a hit with Hollywood stars and other public figures who quickly made the ketogenic diet famous.
How the keto diet works
A ketogenic diet is a low-carb, moderate-protein, high-fat diet. The standard ketogenic diet contains 70% fat, 20% protein and 10% carbohydrates, but the number of calories that can be obtained from the "ketogenic diet" is still the standard: 2000 kcal per day.
Carbohydrates in the ketogenic diet are only 20-50 g. This is too little for our bodies, which are designed to get most of their energy from carbohydrates. Therefore, after a ketogenic diet, the body begins to burn glycogen - the "reserve" of carbohydrates in the liver.
When glycogen reserves run out (and this happens already on day 2-4 of such a diet), the body switches to fat reserves. When fats are broken down, ketone bodies are formed, from which you can also get energy - hence the name of the diet.
What are the problems with the keto diet?
Evolution has "rewarded" us with the ability to store fat just to get us through hard times. We are simply not designed for a long-term diet of fat. If you suddenly give up carbohydrates and "rely" on fats with protein, you can "earn" serious health problems over time.
Provoke obesity
It seems - how is it, because ketogenic diets have been proven to help you lose weight? This is true, but the problem is that the lost weight soon comes back.
In short, a "yo-yo effect" is triggered in this situation. After each cycle of extremely low-carb diets, the body learns to get better energy from the food that comes to it. When a person who lost weight after a poorly designed ketogenic diet starts eating carbohydrate foods again, the weight comes back very quickly, even though the food portions remain the same.
If a person tries to lose weight again with a diet, the body reacts with an increase in appetite, so that after finishing, the poor person begins to overeat - and "earns" obesity.
Violates digestion
Cereal products are an important source of carbohydrates: cereals, pasta and bread. But in addition to carbohydrates, these products contain another important ingredient: fiber. Soluble fiber "feeds" the beneficial bacteria that live in our intestines, while insoluble fiber helps prevent constipation. People who are low in fiber on a ketogenic diet are more likely to have digestive problems.
Causes nutritional deficiencies
The main problem with all low-carb diets is that a person begins to eat less vegetables and fruits - they are also sweet. But vegetables and fruits are the main source of vitamins.
Studies of the ketogenic diet in children with epilepsy have shown that patients following it are not getting enough of the nutrients they need for health. In this situation, children with epilepsy are prescribed vitamins in capsules. But healthy adults who decide to lose weight usually do not even think about such a risk.
heart hurts
Excessive fatty food is in principle harmful to the cardiovascular system. It enhances the synthesis of cholesterol - the main material for atherosclerosis 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 meal plans can throw off the heart's rhythm, causing deadly atrial fibrillation. So it's not surprising that a poorly thought-out ketogenic diet increases the risk of premature death from cardiovascular disease and other causes.
Causes gallbladder problems
Excessive fatty foods can cause gallstone disease. It works like this: if an excessive amount of cholesterol appears in the body, the liver starts to "dump" it into the gallbladder. There it sometimes begins to crystallize, forming gallstones.
May cause ketoacidosis
Ketoacidosis is a life-threatening condition that commonly occurs in people with diabetes. However, there is at least one case known to science where the keto diet caused ketoacidosis in a healthy breastfeeding woman.
Contraindicated in people with pancreatitis
Pancreatitis is a disease of the pancreas, in which you should not eat more than 20 grams of fat per day. Excess fat during the keto diet can trigger an attack.
Nutritionists do not recommend a low-carb diet for those who exercise a lot or are involved in professional sports.
The keto diet for athletes leads not only to the loss of a certain amount of adipose tissue, but also to the breakdown of muscles, because in the conditions of aerobic and mixed training, the body simply does not have time to oxidize fat to obtain the necessary amount of fat. energy and is forced to destroy its proteins.
Of course, it also affects the feeling of well-being - the athlete becomes weak, the indicators of endurance and speed-strength fall.
What is the difference between a keto diet and a good weight loss program?
Keto diets ignore people's real energy needs. As a result, a person who follows this often not only reduces the intake of carbohydrates from food, but also drastically reduces the total calorie content of the diet. All this causes a "yo-yo effect", and a person gains weight as soon as he returns to a 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 focused not only on losing weight, but also on maintaining 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:
- diverse - so that a person fully receives not only proteins, fats and carbohydrates, but also vitamins, trace elements and fibers;
- tasty - to 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;
- must not contain a caloric surplus or deficit.
A good weight loss program does not work without general lifestyle improvements and does not produce quick results. But weight loss in such programs occurs smoothly, the result is maintained for a long time, and health only gets stronger.