Let’s talk Keto Diet: Benefits and RisksPosted by Nweke Ada

diet, dieting

When going into any form of the diet, it would be of immense help to you if you can research to know if such a diet would cause harm to you. The Keto diet is a very low-carbohydrate, high-fat eating plan that helps put the body into nutritional ketosis.

 

In other words, Keto diet is this low-carb diet involving eating high-fat foods like cheese, avocados, eggs, bacon, and more. At the same time, it excludes high carbohydrate foods that can be found in most fruits and vegetables, bread, pasta,  grains, and sugars.

 

 

The standard ketogenic diet recommends limiting your intake of carbohydrates to 50 grams or 5% of your daily calorie intake. 75% of daily calorie intake should come from healthy fat and about 20% from protein.  That literally means your body doesn’t get its source of energy from the food eaten

It, therefore, has to use stored fat for fuel.

 

 

The main goal of this eating pattern is to minimize your carb intake to make the body use fat as a source of energy. When you drastically reduce your consumption of carbs and increase fat intake, your liver starts producing ketone bodies from fat. 

 

Elimination of these carbohydrates forces the body to start the process of breaking down fats which leads to weight loss.

 

Now, let’s look at the benefit of this diet :

 

Asides from losing weight quickly, it also has other health benefits.

 

•    Stabilize blood sugar 

•    Increase energy

•    Lose weight

•    Reduce food cravings

•    Improve brain function

 

 

 

•    Improves acne

•    May reduce the risk of certain cancers

•    Improves heart health 

•    Protect brain function 

•    Reduces Seizures 

 

 

Having looked at some of the benefits, let’s check out some of the health risks. 

 

Here, are some of the health risks associated with being on a strict Keto diet :

•    Constipation

•    Fatigue

•    Low blood sugar

•    Nausea

•    Vomiting

 

 

•    Headaches 

•    May stress your kidneys

•    May lead to nutrient deficiency 

•    Dangerous low blood sugar

•    Increase your risk of chronic diseases and early death.