A Keto diet or ketogenic diet plan may risk side effects in the long-term. While searching before-and-after results of weight loss, you leave negative effects and associated risks of the keto diet.
Keto diet foods often come with some long term side effects.
Research suggests that high-fat but low carb foods have limited results in treating diabetes or obesity.
In recent years keto diet (targeted or cyclical) has become a buzz. The dieticians of the University of Chicago Medicine Ingalls Memorial says the ketogenic diet plan has accentuated its popularity in the last few years.
But it is extremely difficult and strict to follow the low carb living- ketogenic diet plan.
The people following the ketogenic diet prepare list of foods including eggs, dairy, butter, meat, fatty fish, seeds, nuts, oil, and low carb vegetables.
These are some high fat items but healthy foods to be included in keto meal ideas.
It is often the dangers with ketogenic diet keep on hovering around. You may gain more weight than before, after some time. So you must calculate all issues before following a ketogenic diet plan.
You need to know the limit of carb intake in your Keto Diet in a day. There must not be any inappropriate calculations about the number of carbs, you need to achieve ketosis.
Cutting good carbs while following a keto diet, is not good and safe.
You may suffer series health issues.
Side Effects of Ketogenic Diet in Long Term
No bout, it is a good decision , if you want to lose weight by the keto diet.
But what if side effects deepen, you head to potential negative effects of the keto diet. There have been some health risks of following a keto diet that needs to be addressed, let’s explore these:
1. You are experiencing a “keto flu, a prime side effect of a keto diet
One of the primary health risks with the keto diet is Keto Flu.
So when you start a keto eating plan, you may see some negative side effects of a ketogenic diet.
So, What is Keto Flu?
The keto flu implies a collection of all symptoms that may be experienced by the people while trying the keto diet.
Some people may report that they are feeling sick since they have started ketosis. The so-called negative symptoms of keto flu include sore throat, fever, diarrhea, gastrointestinal distress, vomiting, fatigue, etc.
What are the Symptoms of Keto Flu?
According to a study, nearly 25 percent of total people trying the ketogenic diet plan face keto Flu symptoms like:
- Sore throat
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Constipation
- Diarrhea
- Headache
- Weakness
- Muscle cramps
- Dizziness
- Poor concentration
- Stomach pain
- Muscle soreness
- Difficulty in sleeping
- Sugar cravings
How long Keto flu lasts?
These keto flu Symptoms usually last about for less than or a week, but some people may also experience it for more than a week.
Why does keto flu happen?
The primary driving reasons behind keto flu are dehydration, carbohydrate, electrolyte loss, and genetics.
The negatives of the ketogenic diet extends side effects for the people.
Some of them may experience the symptoms of keto flu for weeks while others may easily adjust to the ketogenic diet plan with no adverse health issues.
In simple words, you catch keto flu because the day you follow a ketogenic diet, your body starts using fat for energy, instead of glucose.
It shocks the body and your body may cause you withdrawal-like symptoms mild to severe.
2. Keto Diet Side effects like Diarrhea
The ketogenic diet causes Diarrhea, as due to lack of fiber in the keto diet, while cutting back on carbohydrates and not supplementing it with fiber-rich foods.
It happens due to the gallbladder, which produces bile for breaking down fat in your diet, here it goes overwhelmed.
According to the review published in the Journal of Clinical Neurology, only 45% of the total participants could follow the prescribed approach for keto meal plans.
It is important to know what to eat on a keto diet, like healthy fat which is usually ignored and it causes the risk of health issues.
The chances of stomach issues mount up while following the high-fat low carb diet.
Furthermore, stomach issues with Ketogenic diet like eating disorder deepen the problem for you. After being on a restrictive ketogenic diet schedule, you can easily become more prone to unhealthy or disordered eating.
How can you stop diarrhea on keto?
You need to add fiber intake by including seeds, leafy greens, nuts, and cruciferous veggies in your keto fruits or vegetables. Be prudent while consuming dairy products.
Diarrhea on a keto diet can also be caused by having more artificial sweeteners or dairy products since the day you are on a ketogenic diet.
To follow a keto diet, the sugar in any form is not safe and should be strictly avoided.
3. Keto diet reduces athletic performance
In long term side effects with a keto diet, the decimating performance of the body is a key effect.
According to a study published in the Journal of Sports Medicine and Physical, participants performed badly on high intensity running and cycling tasks after 4 days completely on a keto diet. While other participants high on carbs performed efficiently.
There are several other side effects of a diet high in fat but low carbs. It primarily includes limiting the ability of your body while you need to perform at peak level.
Your body gets in a more acidic condition when you are on keto diet days. As a result, the negative effects of a keto diet extend side effects on your ability to perform, let you disappoint.
Though losing weight by premier quality keto diet foods has been a popular advantage of it, it should not be at the cost of your body performance.
Although the keto diet drives good results for you, still it varies for people.
Thus health benefits of the keto diet may be nullified due to a reduction in performance.
4. Keto diet can cause Diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA)
If you have diabetes, ketosis can trigger a dangerous situation called Diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA).
So, in case you suffer from type 1 or type 2 diabetes, low carb – a keto diet plan is not safe and lose health benefits.
Why Keto causes Diabetic Ketoacidosis (DKA)?
Ketoacidosis occurs when your body keeps storing up ketones excessively, and as a result, your blood becomes acidic, which can harm your kidneys, liver, and brain. If it is left untreated, it would be more fatal.
Ketosis is useful for people with hyperglycemia issues, so you need to check your blood sugar level several times a day.
Often, there have been cases where Ketoacidosis is reported in nondiabetic people, following low carbohydrate diets.
What is diabetic Ketoacidosis (DKA)?
Diabetic Ketoacidosis occurs when your body starts burning fatty acids in your body. It happens because your body has no glucose or insulin left to be used for energy.
What are the symptoms of diabetic ketoacidosis?
Diabetic Ketoacidosis Symptoms include warning signs like nausea, thirst, frequent urination, breathing difficulties, bad breath, abdominal pain, and weakness.
5. Ketogenic diet weight gain problem
Among various negative effects of the Ketogenic diet, weight gain problems after leaving the Ketogenic diet plan worries a lot.
The keto diet plan is restrictive and you need to follow it appropriately, so experts suggest not following a keto diet to live a healthy lifestyle for a long.
But most people regain with just after leaving Ketogenic diet.
Why I am gaining weight on a keto diet, Is it one of the side effects?
It is a fundamental problem with any high-fat low carb foods diet, in the case of Ketosis, it becomes so common.
Even with planned diet charts of keto fruits, veggies, or eating plans, they are not able to reduce weight.
The very nature of every premier quality keto diet results in an increase in weight and down, as a result, it causes disordered eating.
Some clinical reviews also show that patients having low-carb diets regain the dropped weight within a period of one year.
The negative side effects of a keto diet if you are not following it sincerely, would also include the problem of gaining weight on the keto diet.
All of a sudden you gain more weight on keto plan due to excessive high-calorie foods like full-fat dairy, coconut oil, etc. intake for a long time.
Usually, following a healthy and regular keto diet does not mean you can eat excessively. You should watch your calorie intake as well as the nature of fat on a keto diet simultaneously.
6. Keto dangers include Muscle loss and decreased metabolism
Though the keto diet helps to lose weight, it might risk you a loss of muscle mass. It happens because you are having more fat than the required protein.
A Brazilian team’s research suggests that keto diets do not show any advantage over higher-carb diets. It also questions effective results with workouts during the keto diet plan.
Keto diet foods result from you through a change in your weight, so if you lose more muscle mass, it burns more calories compared to fat. Eventually, it misbalanced your metabolism.
Further, When you go off the keto diet food plan and regain your original weight, it may not be in the same proportions. It means you are regaining fat not lean muscle.
More Importantly, The keto diet includes keto-friendly foods, which means a restricted intake of sugar more than the minimal limit.
Some keto foods such as nuts and red meat cost you more money. Mary Condon, Wellness Dietitian, said that you can lose weight and lowers blood sugar by the ketogenic diet, but it would be existing for a short.
You are in the same situation from where you started. You have a similar muscle mass to burn excess calories, you did before.
In other words, the keto diet can have various side effects ranges from long-term negative result on your weight and metabolic rate.
Does workout affect ketone levels?
Yes, The best rule of thumb is to take 15 to 30 gm of fast-acting carbs, just 30 minutes before you start a workout and after 30 minutes you end it.
7. Keto diet causes danger of heart disease
High-fat diets may increase your cholesterol level. It deepens probable risks and the side effects after the keto diet in long term.
Here, some studies reveal that keto can increase the risk of diabetes. Some have even called it a “cardiologist’s nightmare.”
Your keto diet recipe must be included in a diet plan quite appropriately.
Do not term it as an opportunity to eat bacon and butter, as the keto plan includes food containing sources of animal protein and vegetables. You will further accentuate the bad side of the keto diet instead of its benefits.
European Society of Cardiology Congress, in Munich, came with a study.
The study suggests the person with the lowest carbohydrate diets has the highest risk of causing death from cardiovascular conditions, cancer, and other conditions.
One more study published in The Lancet found that there is a comparatively higher risk of dying early for the people having diets, high in fat low in carbs but rich in animal protein than others.
In conclusion
Another important thing before following a high fat keto diet for weight loss, it’s important to have proper information about heart-healthy sources for fat.
If you consume excessive amounts of saturated fat, the keto diet proves not a healthy fat, you may face heart problems.
Keto is not proved safe for people with serious issues involving their liver, pancreas, thyroid or gallbladder.
No doubt, keto diet works for you either good or bad.
Take proper care to prevent long term side effects from unguided ketogenic diet.
