Despite its popularity as a weight loss strategy, the ketone diet is not just sunshine, rainbows and decreasing digits on the scale. In fact, this high-fat, low-carb diet plan has a dark side. We are not just talking about the lack of long-term research on the effects of keto on health problems like diabetes and high cholesterol. In the short term, you may experience some seriously unpleasant, and even dangerous, side effects of the ketone diet.
Watch out for these seven potentially harmful side effects of the ketone diet. And for more healthy eating tips, be sure to check out our list of 15 underestimated weight loss tips that really work.
The ketogenic diet adjusts the body’s metabolism into a fat-burning state called ketosis. It does this by eliminating (almost) carbohydrates and focusing on fats. This can pay big dividends for rapid weight loss, but it can also affect the clarity of your mind.
“A rapid reduction in carbohydrate intake results in less glucose available to the brain – leading to a ‘brain fog’ sensation, where you can feel your thinking and concentration are impaired,” says diabetes educator Erin Palinski-Wade, RD, CDE.
If you’re about to do a job interview (or, uh, operate heavy machinery), you might want to postpone the start of the keto. That said, the brain fog usually disappears after a relatively brief interval.
“The brain is able to use ketones [a byproduct of fat] for energy in the absence of carbohydrates. As the body becomes more efficient at producing ketones, the brain fog usually resolves within a week, “says Palinski-Wade.
See what happens to your body when you stop eating carbohydrates.
A true ketone diet is not only low in carbohydrates – it is also very low in protein. This means that some of the losses on the scale will not be just body fat. You can also lose muscle.
“When protein intake drops so low, it is natural for muscle mass to be lost, even with people who exercise regularly,” says Molly Kimball, RD, CSSD. “Many times, someone doesn’t realize that they lost muscle mass because they are very excited about the scale dropping.”
To continue reducing your waistline – without reducing your muscles – Kimball encourages a modified ketone diet.
“This may seem like not getting low in protein by adding foods like fish or Greek yogurt,” says Kimball. “You may not get ketosis, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing. You will probably still see results.”
For a more in-depth analysis of this popular eating plan, consult our guide to safely practicing keto.
Unfortunately, reducing carbohydrates for weight loss means that you will reduce good carbohydrates, such as fiber, as well. (Yes, fiber is a carbohydrate!) Without fibers rich in fiber from fruits, vegetables, beans and grains, your digestion will probably slow down – much slower.
Occasional constipation does not tend to present serious health problems, but over time it can create harmful problems, such as abdominal pain, bloating, hemorrhoids and intestinal obstruction. Struggling to “go” during the keto? Make sure you drink plenty of water and make your carbs count by choosing high-fiber, low-carb foods like berries, avocados and nuts.
If you’re not sure, read our guide on 9 warning signs that you’re not eating enough fiber.
It is easy to understand how changing your macros in the keto can affect your gastrointestinal tract, but could it interfere with your kidneys as well? In some cases, yes. It all comes down to the increase in animal products that usually accompanies a high-fat diet.
“A high intake of animal proteins can increase the levels of calcium and uric acid in the urine,” says Palinski-Wade. “As these levels increase, so does the risk of developing kidney stones.”
If you already have a tendency to have kidney stones, Palinski-Wade recommends consulting your doctor or nutritionist before trying the keto. And for those who have never dealt with the particular suffering of passing a stone, she also has an advice: “Since this risk can be greater with large quantities of processed meats, it is better to limit your intake of processed meats and high fat meats and select leaner, unprocessed options like fish and white chicken meat with eggs. “
Some people with diabetes consider the keto a miracle to stabilize blood sugar. There is even some clinical evidence that a low-carb ketogenic diet plan can improve glycemic control after about four months. But Palinski-Wade cautions that keto and diabetes are not always a good combination, especially for people who take glucose-lowering drugs. “If you are taking drugs to lower your blood sugar and are eating low in carbohydrates, there is a risk that your blood sugar will fall dangerously to hypoglycemia.”
To avoid the feeling of dizziness and nausea from hypoglycemia, it is essential that people with blood sugar problems develop a diet plan with a health professional. “I would not recommend a keto diet or a very low carbohydrate diet for a person on medication to lower glucose or insulin, unless I work with a registered nutritionist and / or diabetes educator,” said Palinski-Wade.
Planning meals with diabetes? Don’t miss these 50 best foods for diabetics!
Food and humor go hand in hand – for better or for worse. (After all, we all know what it’s like to be “hungry”.) As you deprive your body of carbohydrates, mood swings can occur.
“When the brain gets less sugar from the blood for energy, it can affect mood and result in irritation, fatigue and difficulty concentrating,” says Palinski-Wade.
Feelings of restriction or inability to socialize through food on a ketone diet can make you feel even more bluish. Before diving in, think for a moment about how much you are willing to sacrifice for ketone success.
A typical ketone diet involves obtaining up to 85% of your daily calories from fat. With all that fat, it’s not surprising that the diet isn’t exactly considered heart-healthy.
“When we look at the long-term effects of a diet that is chronically low in fruits and vegetables and high in saturated animal fats, it’s probably not helping heart health,” said Kimball. “I’m not saying that the ketone diet is inherently bad for cholesterol or for heart and vascular health, but high cholesterol is a common side effect.”
On the other hand, due to the scarcity of long-term research on keto and heart health, it is difficult to say how things could happen if you followed the diet for years. According to Kimball, the keto can generally improve blood pressure, stabilize blood sugar and help people maintain a healthy weight – benefits that can overcome the disadvantages of high cholesterol.
“There are many factors involved,” she says. “It is something that should be treated individually with your doctor or nutritionist.”
For healthier ways to lose weight this year, check out our list of The Best Healthy Eating Tips for 2021, according to nutritionists.