What are the health risks of the keto diet

    There are numerous competing and often contradicting diet trends to follow. It can be challenging to see past the hype to determine whether the diet truly works and has no harm to your health. The keto diet has been a popular strategy to attempt weight loss for a while now. The ketogenic or more commonly known as the keto diet, was introduced in 1924 by Dr. Russell Wilder at the Mayo clinic. The diet's main objective was to help uncontrollable seizures in people with epilepsy. The Keto diet has become one of the most popular short-term weight loss methods. Analytics declared in 2020 that "keto" was the most googled food-related topic globally, with 25.4 million searches. The keto diet is marketed as a weight-loss wonder, but this eating plan comes with many serious health risks. Following a keto diet may result in nutrient deficiencies and imbalances, resulting in several health problems.

    Before getting into the keto diet's impacts, you must understand what it is and how it functions. The diet allows for restricted carbohydrate consumption (the three big groups include sugars, starches, and fibres), moderate amounts of protein, and high quantities of fats. Instead of relying on glucose (sugar) for energy, the body uses ketone produced by the liver. By the third or fourth day, your body starts using the stored fat and protein to make ketone, resulting in weight loss. Getting your body to produce ketone can be tricky. It requires less than 20-50 grams of carbohydrates per day. Keep in mind a medium-sized banana is about 27 grams of carbohydrate. The average carbohydrate needed for an adult is about 225-325 grams per day. So following this restrictive diet will utilize the stored fat by shocking your body into the metabolic state of ketosis.

    The keto diet may have many benefits, such as burning more fat, aiding people with epilepsy, and reducing hunger, blood sugar levels, blood pressure, cholesterol, and insulin levels. There are many concerns regarding the restriction of carbohydrates. It can cause multiple nutrition deficiencies and imbalances that lead to many health issues. The four nutrients most affected are calcium, sodium and iron. 

    Calcium is necessary for bones, teeth, blood vessels, muscles and nerves. Calcium intake decreases due to the lack of calcium-rich foods such as dairy, grains, fruits and vegetables. Furthermore, people on a long-term keto diet often lose too much calcium in the urine due to acidic urine. High-fat diets increase the amount of acid produced by the body. Consequently, the kidney must filter it out to maintain stable blood pH. The body uses calcium to buffer the increased acidity, which leads to calcium loss in the urine. Too much calcium and high acidity are major risk factors leading to kidney stones. Studies say that 3-6% of people on a long-term keto diet may develop kidney stones. 

    Even though the keto diet often entails consuming ample amounts of meat, there is still a risk of having low iron levels. Iron is needed to produce red blood cells, which is essential for survival. The blood cells transport oxygen from the heart to the rest of our body, returning carbon dioxide to the lungs for exhalation. Iron deficiency can cause fatigue and trouble breathing during physical activity. Evidence shows that iron deficiency emerges from poor iron absorption caused by the presence of high amounts of fat.

    Sodium is an electrolyte mineral that helps maintain blood pressure, volume, pH and overall fluid balance in our body. Insulin increases sodium absorption by the kidneys, but the keto diet lowers insulin levels, resulting in less sodium absorption by the body. Constipation, headaches, muscular cramps, diarrhea, and overall weakness are the most typical symptoms of those who begin the keto diet. These symptoms are known as the keto flu. 

    Although the keto diet has become one of the most popular diets worldwide, it causes numerous health issues. Nutrient imbalance and depletion result from excessive fat consumption and carbohydrate restriction. Lack of calcium consumption and the loss through urine can cause kidney stones. Iron deficiency results in fatigue and shortness of breath. After two to seven days of the diet, the lack of sodium causes induces symptoms of the keto flu. Be careful and do not believe it is a good idea because it is popular.