Pros and Cons of Keto Diet | Is It Bad for Your Health?

02 Aug Pros and Cons of Keto Diet | Is It Bad for Your Health?

Wondering whether following a keto diet plan is safe for you? Decide after weighing the pros and cons.

Keto diet plan isn’t just another dieting trend; it has emerged as a gen z way of living. Thus, it’s important to have complete knowledge of the Keto diet benefits and risks.

A keto diet essentially prompts a state of ketosis in the human body. And this natural metabolic state ends up also promoting weight loss to a certain degree. This is what has made the keto diet plan one of the most popular weight-loss trends in the fitness world.

However, studies and trials investigate the long-term effects of the diet, both positive and negative.

Though ketosis has therapeutic effects for patients with epilepsy, diabetes, and other chronic conditions, it is unclear how the diet impacts your health in the long run.

So, in this article, we’ve investigated the keto diet benefits and risks to draw a final conclusion.

Keto Diet Benefits – What are the Pros of a Keto Diet?

The Keto diet has become widely popular in a very short while. And for good reason! 

Here are some of the main benefits of a keto diet:

1. Weight loss results
2. Appetite suppression
3. Better sleep quality
4. More energy
5. Blood sugar control
6. Less inflammation and dangers of health risks
7. Improves mental performance
8. Cardiac health

These are the reasons celebrities and leading dieticians recommend this diet for a successful weight loss plan. The idea is – calorie-restrictive eating habits contribute to greater health and wellbeing.

The whole idea of the keto diet depends on the ketosis stage, though. The diet plan induces your body into a particular zone. Once you hit it, your weight loss is subject to a tremendous increase.

Let’s have a closer look at each of the benefits one by one, starting with the most popular benefit…

#1: Weight Loss

The keto diet weight loss results are so far substantial. The diet rapidly attacks subcutaneous fat mass. Moreover, people also report a reduction in their appetite while following the diet plan.

The science is simple. Fatty foods take a long time to break down. This keeps you fuller for longer by reducing your calorie intake.

Ultimately, this contributes to greater weight loss results. Once you are in a ketosis mode, your metabolic rate may also lead to greater fat burn resulting in fat loss.

#2: Reduces Appetite

A keto diet primarily limits your carb intake. Studies have shown how low-carbohydrate diets reduce appetite. Also, findings declare that people on a low-carb keto diet don’t get as much hungry as people on a low-fat diet.

#3: Better Quality Sleep

A Keto diet improves your sleep quality as well. Initially, you may find it challenging to sleep. But this would mainly happen during the first week. 

Once your body adjusts to the new ketosis mode, your sleep quality improves. In fact, you will fall asleep quickly and wake up in refresh mode.

#4: Drastically Better Energy Levels Over Time

Switching to a keto diet will make you sluggish and energy-deprived in the beginning. This is referred to as keto flu, which usually accompanies nausea and headache. 

Actually, this happens as a response to ketosis because your body no longer burns glucose. But, in a few days, your body adjusts to the new normal, and your energy level and activeness return to their best form.

However, keto flu does bring in a number of physical and mental challenges for first-timers.

And to get rid of the dangerous symptoms of keto flu completely, people sometimes also opt for keto supplements that are designed to eliminate the effects of keto flu while maximizing the benefits of the diet plan.

#5: Drops Blood Sugar and Insulin Levels

Low carb keto diets particularly benefit diabetes patients and people having insulin resistance. 

Clinical trials have shown how cutting on carbs drops your blood sugar and insulin level to a great extent. In fact, some participants have a 50% reduction in their insulin dosages.

#6: Lessen Inflammation Markers

Your inflammation level represents the risk of developing certain health conditions. This can be cardiac ailments, arthritis, autoimmune disorders, or any other serious condition. 

In fact, a study showed a 29% reduction in the inflammation parameter when participants were kept on a low-carb diet.

#7: Sharper Mental Faculties

The diet plan improves your mental performance as well. This is why it is highly recommended for various mental disorders.

Undoubtedly, it is therapeutic for several brain disorders as well, which gives it an edge over other diet plans.

#8:  Improves Cardiac Health

Better levels of High-Density Lipoprotein⁠—HDL cholesterol⁠—are linked to a lower risk of cardiac disease. 

The elevated body fat composition can actually elevate your HDL level. This is why a low-carb diet like the keto diet benefits your HDL level. Henceforth, benefiting your cardiac health consecutively.

These promising benefits of the keto diet plan make it highly popular in the fitness community. Not only weight loss, to a certain extent, but it also benefits your mental performance too. These other advantages contribute to better wellbeing.

Still, it is worth investigating the flip side.

A group of experts has indeed different opinions about keto benefits and risks. They have major concerns about the underlying risks involved.

Why Is Keto Bad for You? – The Cons

In general, the keto diet is healthy and safe. But this doesn’t imply that the diet plan is for everyone, especially when the keto diet advantages and disadvantages are compared for these people.

The diet specifically benefits people struggling with obesity, diabetes, or other health conditions, and children with epilepsy. 

But the benefits of the keto diet come at the risk of side effects. The medical word for the state is low-carb flu. This results in other keto side effects including leg cramps, bad breath, and digestive issues.

Also, in the short term, the diet delivers impressive weight loss results. But returning to the previous eating routine may reverse the transformation. So, maintaining a diet becomes necessary.

And not everyone will find it easy to keep up with the diet plan for a long time. The criteria of the keto diet are tough to comply with. The challenge it produces is hard to get away from.

Certainly, you need to thoroughly compare the possible keto risks and benefits before switching to a whole new eating regime. Because, obviously, we can’t deny the dangers of a ketogenic diet.

7 Keto Diet Dangers & Health Risks

A keto diet may win the most trending diet plan award. But this may not make it 100% safe and effective at the same time. 

Some studies have credited strong demerits to the trending diet regime because, according to them, the ketosis state may hinder your health. 

So, before you proceed with a diet change, you need to compare the keto diet benefits and risks to draw final thoughts.

Here are 7 key keto diet disadvantages:

1. Risk of keto flu while on the diet
2. Side effects for kidney health
3. Digestive issues
4. Nutrient deficiencies
5. A serious drop in blood sugar level
6. Compromised bone health
7. Higher risk of chronic diseases

Check out a summary of all these health dangers associated with a keto diet.

#1. Causes Keto Flu

During the keto diet, carb intake is limited to somewhat 50g a day. This acts as a shock to the human body, and it begins using stored carbs. Next, it switches to using ketones and fat for energy at the beginning of the new eating regime.

While the change may accompany some weight loss, it also works as a shock to your body resulting in flu-like symptoms known as keto flu. 

As a result, you may experience dizziness, nausea, fatigue, and constipation.

You can also experience dehydration and electrolyte imbalances as your body tries to adjust to ketosis.

Keto flu doesn’t bother most and people feel better within a couple of days. Still, it is crucial to monitor the symptoms and keep yourself hydrated.

#2. May Be Bad for Kidneys

The keto diet may force you to rely on high-fat animal foods.

This means you may have a lot of eggs, meat, and cheese, which contain insufficient carbs, to have enough energy. Having such food, in the long run, increases the risks of kidney stones.

Excessive consumption of animal food makes your urine and blood more acidic. This results in high excretion of calcium in your urine. In fact, the acidic state worsens the chronic renal disease.

#3. Results in Digestive Issues

As the keto diet limits your carb intake, you hardly have enough fiber in your diet. Because the best source of fiber is high-carb fruits, whole grains, starchy veggies, and beans.

However, the diet doesn’t allow these food items on your plate, and that may result in digestive discomfort and even constipation.

#4. May Cause Nutrient Deficiencies

The keto diet puts restrictions on various food times. This also includes whole grains, nutrient-dense fruits, and legumes. This, naturally, makes it tough to meet the daily recommended amount of vitamins and minerals in your diet.

Even certain studies have demonstrated the failure of the keto diet in supplying a sufficient quantity of calcium, magnesium, vitamin D, and phosphorus.

In short, you have to keep an eye on everything you consume.

Even having nutritionally dense low-carb foods like avocados, nuts, and non-starchy veggies may not fulfill the RDI requirement for carbs, which is about 275 grams for adults.

#5. May Trigger Serious Drop in Blood Sugar

Keto is a low-carb diet beneficial in managing blood sugar levels of diabetic patients. However, it elevates the risks of low blood sugar events, particularly for diabetic type I patients. For such folks, the diet is no less than a risk.

#6. May Harm Bone Health

A keto diet can result in bone health impairment. Studies have shown the diet can reduce your bone strength. 

Also, it reduces bone mineral density as the human body adapts to ketosis. However, more research and evidence are necessary to establish this finding.

#7. May Upsurge the Risk of Chronic Diseases 

Experts have varying opinions in this respect. But there’s some speculation that the keto diet increases the risk of common chronic diseases, like cardiac health and cancer due to an uptick in the consumption of saturated fat.

So, we hope this comparison of the keto diet benefits and risks was useful enough to determine if the diet plan is even worth investing your time into.

Well, there’s more! Besides the common negatives of a ketogenic diet, we have long-term complications as well.

What are the Long-Term Side Effects of Keto Diet?

Various ketogenic diet research articles have indicated the keto diet long-term side effects. These include:

• Kidney Stones
• A build-up of fat in the liver
• Excessive protein in the blood
• Mineral and vitamin deficiencies

Clearly, the diet plan may have various impressive health benefits. But we can’t deny the possibilities of various side effects it possesses. So, before changing your eating routine, keep these in mind.

That’s why before switching your diet, you should prefer to check with your medical health professional.

However, there are some people who also prefer to use a supplement.

How Does a Keto Supplement Help?

All the complications of the keto diet plan are primarily due to keto flu.

Thus, a supplement claims to eliminate the obstacle of keto flu by balancing blood electrolyte levels so that your body doesn’t go through keto flu-like symptoms, such as brain fog, dizziness, headache, and fatigue.

There are salts in these supplements that can help increase energy levels and maintain mood stability while the body stays in the ketosis state.

Moreover, a keto supplement also helps manage cravings for sugar and carbs by keeping electrolytes in check and preventing a sudden energy crash that’s common with keto diet plans.

Here’s a short description of how Keto Charge can help you shape up…

How Does KetoCharge Work?

KetoCharge is a BHB supplement to induce ketosis naturally.

It contains natural exogenous ketones to help support ketosis. Studies have shown exogenous ketone supplementation can encourage ketosis that’s independent of dietary restrictions.

The formula basically contains salts that directly transform into electrolytes, which help to keep the symptoms of keto flu at bay and help maintain the energy levels. The energy from the supplement, then, can be used by muscles and the brain to replenish necessary functions.

Plus, based on claims, you’ll be able to manage cravings for sugar and carbs and will not have to rely on unhealthy food items for added energy. 

The manufacturers recommend taking 2 capsules with water so that the minerals can dissolve properly and the body can absorb them right away.

“The makers of KetoCharge claim the users will feel sustained energy levels from the first use. And the fat-burning process will start sooner compared to waiting for 3 weeks or a month on a keto diet alone.”

While the manufacturers recommend following a diet with the ratio of 70% fats, 25% protein, and 5% carbs with the supplement, they also suggest following what suits you the best.

User Reviews 

Where to Buy: You can order the supplement with free worldwide shipping and discounts on the official website.

Additionally, there are other aspects you should take care of to determine the keto diet health benefits and risks, such as the timeframe of the diet.

How Long Should I Do Keto Diet?

Currently, we have limited studies on the effects of the keto diet in the long run. But it isn’t advisable to look at it as a long-term option.

Experts have divided opinions on the ideal timeframe for the diet plan.

Still, anywhere between three to six months is sufficient for satisfactory weight loss results. 

And possibly a supplement may also help reduce the time frame if we go by the logic of elevated natural production of ketones. 

The keto diet and its results are enticing. More and more people are taking a shot at the whole new diet plan. But there are some cases where you must certainly stay away from a keto diet plan.

Who Shouldn’t Do Keto?

This diet plan isn’t for everyone, specifically if you have:

• Thyroid Disease  
• Type 1 Diabetes 
• Multiple Sclerosis (MS) 
• A History of Eating Disorders 
• Have Had Your Gallbladder Removed 

Finally, comparing keto diet benefits and risks provides a clear analysis of the diet plan. This might play a deciding role in whether you should switch to the new eating regime or not. 

Final Thoughts

Diet plan trends appear and disappear in no time. People go crazy and switch their diet according to the new regime without much consideration. However, this is the slip-up that can introduce a series of underlying complications.

A healthy comparison of the benefits and risks of keto diet helps understand the reality of the extremely popular diet plan. It does help in weight management in the short run but can have complications when implemented for a longer duration.

If you’re planning to take a keto supplement to eliminate the adverse effects of keto flu, take one with healthy salts and electrolytes, and remember there’s no full-proof research on their use. So, choose based on the ingredients and customer’s feedback and see what works best for you.

We hope our ketogenic diet research articles offer a deeper insight into popular eating habits. We will come out with more research on keto as it comes.