Ketogenic Diet or “keto” is Bad for Your Heart

The ketogenic diet, also called keto, was invented around the 1920s and intended for epilepsy patients to help reduce seizures. While it’s still used to treat epilepsy, it’s now mostly known as a weight loss diet. Similar to Atkins, which gained popularity throughout the 70s and 80s, the keto diet aims at reducing carbohydrates and increasing fat. On this plan, 75% of daily calories should come from fat sources such as butter, eggs, cheese, and meat. 20% of the remaining calories should be obtained from proteins, and only 5% from carbohydrates. But that’s not all. The ketogenic diet excludes fiber and mineral-rich foods such as whole grains, legumes, many fruits, and starchy vegetables such as potatoes.

How the Ketogenic Diet Works

During times of plenty, carbohydrates not used for energy are stored in the liver as glycogen (clusters of glucose, also called animal starch). When these stores are full, excess carbohydrates are converted to fat and stored for later use, hence the weight gain. In a ketotic state, the glycogen stores are depleted, so the liver reaches into fat storage to break down fat into ketones to use for energy.
Initially, the dieter can experience rapid weight of weight due mainly to water loss. In order to break down and convert fat or protein, the liver needs a lot of water to excrete the byproducts. But eventually the weight stops changing.

Living on ketones is supposed to be an emergency state to prevent starvation, not a permanent lifestyle. After a while, the dieter craves carbohydrates. Once they resume normal eating, the weight comes back and often more than before the diet.

Benefits of a Ketogenic Diet

The chief attraction to the keto diet is it allows people who like meat, cheese, and other fatty foods to indulge without guilt. However, nutrition scientists advise to steer away from saturated fat and instead using polyunsaturated fat such as avocados, olive oil, nuts, and seeds. As a bonus, these foods come with fiber (except olive oil) and antioxidants. Another benefit is satiety. Since fat is richer in calories than carbohydrates or proteins and digests more slowly than carbohydrates, dieters reported faster and longer satiety. Many studies have reported better glucose control, lower fasting insulin, and increased insulin sensitivity.

Side Effects of a Ketogenic Diet

But is weight loss with a low-carbohydrate diet worth it? So far, all the studies conducted on the ketogenic diet are for the short term (2 years or less). There is no data on the long-term benefits because the diet is unsustainable and presents several health hazards, including:

• Digestion: constipation, bloating, and other digestive problems resulting from a lack of fiber in the diet
• Kidney Health: A high-fat diet that discriminates against carbohydrates may cause kidney stones. “Some people also experience dehydration on the keto diet because they’re eliminating glycogen, which holds water, from the bloodstream. This can lead to a loss of electrolytes, potentially stressing the kidneys and making underlying conditions worse.” (1)   
• Heart Health: Excess intake of saturated fat, coupled with low fiber and antioxidants, can lead to elevated cholesterol and heart disease
• “Keto flu.” Some dieters experience nausea, headache, fatigue, and insomnia. Although these symptoms resolve after a few weeks. “If you drink a lot of fluids and increase your carb intake, the keto flu does go away. But if you stay on the diet, it’s possible that it will get worse and it won’t go away,” Said Dr. Michael Tahery of Cedar Sinai Medical Center, in an article for US.News (2).
• Blood pressure: In the early stages of the keto diet, patients may experience dizziness due to a sudden drop in blood pressure. To synthesize ketones, the liver needs a lot of water, which it can draw from the blood. Blood volume fluctuations affect the fluid balance, leading to lightheadedness and weakness that can result in fainting.
• Cognitive decline: Feeding the brain on ketones long-term can affect brain health and function. The brain runs on glucose but cannot synthesize it or store it. Consequently, it needs a constant supply.
• Nutrient deficiencies: Restricting carbohydrates means the removal of a lot of legumes, grains, resistant starches, fruits, and other vegetables that provide essential vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and fiber.
• Women in peri-menopause: may experience higher frequency or intensity of hot flashes and sweating. The keto diet increases urination and loss of electrolytes (sodium, potassium, calcium). To learn more about menopause, its side effects, and how to manage it, refer to my previous article on this blog called Weight Loss and Menopause: Research found that Diet Can Help

There is another problem with the ketogenic diet and most regimes that confine the patient into a box of “don’ts.” Micromanaging your calories and worrying about every meal, making sure it’s composed according to a certain percentage of fat, proteins, and carbs, distances you from the pleasure of eating; it disconnects you from your instinctual eating that responds to your body’s needs. Constantly monitoring your food will result in the development of anxiety. You could feel shame if you fail to follow the diet; restricting your appetite severely could lead to binge eating, followed by starvation to compensate. You could be trapped in this cycle for years, harm your health, and waste precious time.

This is why, at Zizania, all the recipes of the MicroRiche diet are all-you-can-eat. No deprivation. We focus on increasing foods rich in micronutrients and lowering the amounts of foods that contain too many macronutrients. No calorie counting, no percentages, and no portion control. The result is healthy and delicious meals that take care of all your nutritional needs: reverse diabetes, eliminate inflammation, and lower cholesterol and blood pressure.

In the 18 years I have been a clinical nutritionist, I have heard patients report an improvement in their PCOS symptoms and a restoration of regular periods along with more stable blood sugar, preventing type 2 diabetes. Women entering menopause have seen an improvement in their overall health. They feel more alert, energetic, and sleep better. Many have lost life-changing amounts of weight effortlessly.

The MicroRiche diet is based on the Mediterranean traditional food culture, which has been proven time and time again to heal so many chronic illnesses. It’s sustainable, and the benefits are long-term. It’s been tested by millions of people and has been around for centuries.