Concerns About the Keto Diet

Whether you want to lose weight, improve your health, boost athletic performance, or treat chronic diseases like diabetes and cancer, the Keto Diet has gained popularity as an effective way to achieve these goals. However, a number of concerns about the diet raise questions about its long-term effectiveness and sustainability, including its potential to promote nutrient deficiencies and adverse effects such as constipation and the “keto flu.”

The ketogenic diet works by limiting carbohydrates to encourage the body to burn fat for fuel. When you consume foods containing carbohydrates, your blood sugar levels rise, and insulin helps lower those levels by delivering glucose to cells for energy or storing it as backup fuel called glycogen. The keto diet keeps insulin levels low, allowing your body to more easily access stored fat for energy.

A well-designed keto plan includes plenty of nutrient-dense plant foods, such as leafy and cruciferous vegetables, nuts, seeds, and berries. It may also include eggs, fatty fish like salmon, and high-fat dairy products such as cheese, butter, and cream. You can even fit vegetables such as cauliflower rice and zucchini noodles into your plan. Just be sure to check that they are a good source of fiber (net carbohydrate intake is total carbs minus the amount of dietary fiber).

The keto diet limits fruits, grains, and many processed foods. This can lead to a lack of essential nutrients, including folate and potassium. It can also increase your risk for heart disease by raising LDL (“bad”) cholesterol, which is typically lowered on a healthy diet.