The ketogenic diet, commonly known as the keto diet is a high fat and low carbs diet that aims to help in weight loss and get your fitness back in life. The mechanism of the keto diet follows the simple strategy that is to cutting off carbohydrates from your diet. Ultimately your body will burn body fat to generate ketone bodies which will use as a source of energy for the various physiological processes.
The keto diet plan is a successful method to lose weight and get rid of excess fat. But wait…is it side effects free? Is it alright for your body’s health?. These are the genuine questions in the mind of the reader and we address these queries in this blog. So let’s start.
Controversies About the Keto Diet
The Keto diet remains a hot topic that always faces debate because it possesses both health benefits and potential risks. It remains under study and researchers are in the process to discover its effects on health as well as its relation with medical diseases and disorders. Anyhow, we cannot deny the fact that the keto diet possesses some risks that cannot be neglected anyways.
Why the Keto Diet is Supposed to Have Side Effects?
The reason behind controversies against the keto diet is “ Ketone bodies “ which are used as fuel in the body of individuals doing keto. These ketone bodies are even though natural producing but it initiates an unusual mechanism in the body. As we know our body consumes carbohydrates as a source of energy. The Keto diet compels the body to generate ketone bodies by burning fat and now uses these ketone bodies as a source of energy.
These ketone bodies are supposed to impart other health effects also. That is why it is an obvious thought that keto diets have the potential to disturb body normal mechanisms and can cause side effects. Research finally proves the worries about the keto diet true.
Side Effects Associated with Keto Diet
1. Ketu Flu
At the beginning of the keto diet, people normally experience some negative symptoms commonly known as” keto flu”. Keto flu is associated with
- Fatigue
- Headache
- Brain fog
- Increased appetite
- Poor sleep
- Nause
- Decreased physical
Keto flu may demotivate people and they do not continue the keto diet further. Well, the issues related to keto flu resolve themselves within a few days.
2. Bad Breath
Bad breath is a common side effect while doing the keto diet. It is often defined as fruity and slightly sweet. The reason behind it is the production of acetone(ketone) generation due to fat metabolism. In order to get rid of elevated acetone levels in the blood, the body eliminates some of it through breath.
In a few situations, sweat and urine can also start to give an acetone-like smell. Well mostly these symptoms do not persist more than a few days and fo away by themselves
3. Cramps In Leg Muscles
Cramps in leg muscles occur as an early negative sign of the keto diet and it appears in the first week of the keto diet. These leg muscles cramps are painful and result due to dehydration and loss of minerals. It occurs because ketosis results in a loss of water volume. This issue can be managed by drinking a lot of water.
Drinking plenty of water helps you to manage the cramps and prevent the change in electrolyte imbalance and kidney problems.
4. Digestive Problems
A ketogenic diet plan changes your dietary habits and patterns. Change in diet exhibits its effects firstly to the digestive system. So as with the keto diet. People may experience digestive problems like constipation( most common) and diarrhea ( least common) at beginning of the keto diet. It happens because of insufficient consumption of dietary fibers and electrolytes imbalance. Dehydration is yet another cause.
Digestive issues are usually over in a few weeks. When the digestive system gets used to the diet, it is easy to continue the ketogenic diet.
5. Increased Heart rate
During the first few weeks of the ketogenic diet, some people may experience elevated heart rates or racing heart rates. Several reasons are responsible for increased heart rate like dehydration, low salt intake and more consumption of coffee are contributors.
If the problems do not resolve by themselves then you may increase your carb intake.
Summing Up
A Keto diet is a unique way to lose weight by changing the proportion of fat, protein, and carbohydrate. Indeed it is successful to help people with excessive weight but on the other hand, its side effects cannot be neglected. On a friendly note, its side is not severe. Most of them appear as general body reactions when you switch from a regular diet to a keto diet plan. If you are healthy you do not need to worry about the side effects of the keto diet. In case you already suffer from any medical then you must ask your pharmacists or doctor before switching to the keto diet.
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