Most of us are tired of diets and fad diets. Every week fitness magazines will bring you more and more diet programs. The worst part about all of it is that jumping from one diet to another does more harm than good.
Only a few diets have stood the test of time, and everyone, from the average gym-goer to the professional athlete, has been on them. One such diet is the ketogenic diet.
Today we will look at 15 pros and cons of the keto diet that you should know about before getting started.
Low Carb Diet: Pros and Cons
Keto Diet: Pros
1. Weight Loss
Owing to a very low amount of carbohydrates, high amounts of protein, and healthy fats, a ketogenic diet can lead to rapid weight loss. If you are working with our qualified ketogenic coach, you can see amazing results in under a month.
2. Helps control the feeling of hunger.
Many of us struggle with the portion size of food. If you tend to overeat, a ketogenic diet can help you feel satiated faster. Since protein and fat take more time to digest, you feel full for longer.
3. It may help athletic performance.
Some athletes claim to perform better under a ketogenic diet. Endurance athletes, in particular, benefit from increased fat oxidation, which helps them keep going longer.
4. Better Health Markers
According to one research, a ketogenic diet may enhance some health markers. Patients’ body weight, BMI, triglyceride levels, LDL cholesterol, and blood glucose levels can decrease under a keto diet.
5. Treating Medical Conditions
People suffering from specific medical conditions have used the ketogenic diet for many years. It can, in some cases, treat epilepsy, particularly in children. The use of an eating program to assist people who do not react to medication is backed by research.
6. Reduce Fat
Losing weight and losing body fat are not the same thing. It’s not uncommon for a weight loss coach to recommend a keto diet to people who have a hard time getting rid of body fat.
7. Cancer Treatment
Similar to healthy cells, cancer cells also use glucose as fuel but at a remarkably higher speed. Since the ketogenic diet has very few carbohydrate-rich food items, there isn’t much free glucose available for use as fuel. A growing body of evidence points to the possibility that combining a ketogenic diet with conventional cancer treatments like chemo and radiotherapy may enhance tumor response or slow tumor development.
8. Accessible Resources
The keto diet is very popular, and there are thousands of fitness influencers and bloggers like the Texas Keto Couple from whom you can get inspiration and ideas.
Keto Diet: Cons
When talking about keto pros and cons, we often hear a lopsided argument. In reality, the benefits and drawbacks are quite balanced. Let’s find out what the disadvantages of the ketogenic diet are.
1. Not suitable for everyone.
If you are pregnant or have some specific health conditions, the ketogenic diet may not be right for you. For some people, the keto diet can do a lot of harm if they are not cautious about it.
2. Difficult To Adapt
It’s very difficult for someone who has eaten carbs all their life to switch to a low/no-carb diet suddenly. The initial stages are often very hard, with painful physical reactions in some cases.
3. Adverse effects in some medical conditions.
Based on a few studies, the ketogenic diet seems to be safe in short to mid-term. On the other hand, there is no extensive research on long-term impacts.
Studies on how a ketogenic diet affects those who are pregnant or attempting to get pregnant are inconclusive. Patients who suffer from pancreatitis, liver disease, or problems with metabolism should also avoid it.
4. It can cause vitamin and mineral deficiency.
We primarily get vitamins and minerals from plants and fruits. A ketogenic diet is typically low on veggies and fruits. As a result, it can lead to nutritional deficiency in some people.
5. Limited Food Choices
Even a chunk of the most common food we have – bread, pasta, rice, noodles – is not allowed in the ketogenic diet. It makes it very difficult in some cases to continue with the diet. For example, it can be unfeasible when you are traveling to faraway places.
6. Risk of Heart Disease
According to a 2018 study of 25,000 adults in the United States, people who consume fewer carbohydrates have a 32 % higher chance of dying than people who follow a high-carbohydrate diet. Additionally, the chance of heart disease was elevated by 51% in people who followed a low-carb diet.
7. Expensive
Carbs are the cheapest form of food. Every culture has a carb item at its core due to its availability. By removing carbs from your diet, you would have to pay a lot more for groceries. It can be very difficult to maintain a keto diet on a tight budget.
That’s all about the ketogenic diet pros and cons that you need to know. Remember to talk to our certified nutritionist before trying the keto diet or any other diet.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. What do you need to know about the keto diet?
It’s crucial to understand that the keto diet won’t work for everyone. Bio-individuality determines how each person would react to an extremely low-carb diet.
2. What are the pros and cons of a keto diet?
The pros of a keto diet are quick weight loss and reducing body fat percentage. For some people, it can also boost athletic performance and general health markers.
The main negative of a keto diet is that it doesn’t suit everyone and can lead to nutritional deficiency. Moreover, the keto diet is more expensive than a generally healthy diet. Cost and accessibility prevent many people from discontinuing the ketogenic diet.
3. What can you eat on the keto diet?
Here are some of the things you can eat in a keto diet
- Eggs
- Dairy products high in fat, such as heavy cream and cheese
- Seafood and fish
- Meat
- Butter and olive oil
- Nuts, such as pecans and macadamias
- Above-ground vegetables including bell peppers, eggplants, asparagus, and cauliflower berries
- Modest quantities of leafy greens
4. Is the keto diet sustainable in the long run?
Whether the keto diet would be sustainable completely depends on individual factors. It includes the willingness to continue with the diet and how accessible keto food is to someone. That being said, there’s not much research on the long-term consequences of a keto diet.
5. Is the keto diet right for you?
There are both benefits and drawbacks of the keto diet. Bio-individuality determines whether ketogenic foods would work for you. If your body does not react adversely to a high protein, high fat, and low-carb diet, the keto diet is right for you. Always consult a dietician or nutritionist before switching to a new diet.
To know more about the Keto diet and how it can fit into your life, get in touch with the Texas Keto Couple.