Some enthusiasts consider the keto diet to be a panacea, but a low-carb, high-fat eating plan is not as beneficial for diabetes prevention and weight loss as its fans claim. In reality, this diet can have serious side effects, including heart disease, kidney stones, high cholesterol, keto flu, selenium deficiency, heart rhythm disturbances, and even death.
Due to the lack of real health benefits and potential serious harm, doctors warn people against following the keto diet methodology. One We’ve already detailed why the healthiest diet is whole, plant-based foods. And if you’re still not completely convinced, here are 8 medical reasons to abandon the keto diet and go vegan!
1. Inuit are not subject to the process of ketosis
Despite popular misconception, Inuit who eat a diet high in animal fat and protein are not subject to the process of ketosis, mainly due to a widespread genetic pattern in the Arctic Inuit population that prevents it from occurring. This may seem like a curious little thing, but it actually has a sinister connotation. Ketosis appears to have harmed the Inuit for generations and contributed to the survival of people with a mutation that bypassed the production of ketone bodies. One version of this phenomenon is that ketoacidosis—a potentially fatal complication—occurs all too easily during times of stress on the body, such as illness, injury, or starvation. The combination of the keto diet and stress lowered the body’s acid-base balance to levels of ketoacidosis, causing the blood to become too acidic and lead to death.
2. Vitamin and mineral deficiency
The keto diet has a long history of use as a treatment for children with refractory epilepsy. In one, these children were found to be deficient in thiamine, riboflavin, niacin, pantothenic acid, vitamin B6, folate, biotin, vitamin C, calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, iron, zinc, copper, selenium, manganese, chromium, and molybdenum. Even worse, the degree of deficiency typically increases as the intensity of ketosis increases as a result of increasingly restrictive diets.
3. Stunted growth
Also, according to written sources on the topic of childhood epilepsy, another common side effect in children on a ketogenic diet is. Children on this diet did not grow as fast as their peers who received enough carbohydrates. One reason for this is that they have been found to contain many important minerals needed for bone growth, such as calcium, phosphorus, and vitamin D.
4. Glucose levels don’t go down
Fans of the keto diet claim that it can lower glucose levels – which makes sense since the diet severely restricts carbohydrate intake. However, in a meta-analysis comparing low-carbohydrate ketogenic diets with low-fat diets, researchers found differences in fasting blood glucose levels between the two groups after a year on the diets. One possible explanation is that despite reduced carbohydrate intake, glucose metabolism is impaired by higher fat intake on a ketogenic diet.
5. Pancreatitis
There are several pancreatitis on the ketogenic diet in the literature on the topic of childhood epilepsy, and at least one of them resulted in . It has not been established why a ketogenic diet can cause pancreatitis, but it is hypothesized that it is due to the diet’s high fat content, which results in elevated blood cholesterol and triglyceride levels. An extremely high level of triglycerides in the blood is a known cause of pancreatitis.
6. Gastrointestinal Disorders
In addition to pancreatitis, the ketogenic diet is known to cause numerous gastrointestinal problems. This is largely due to the lack of fiber, which is the reason. Fiber affects the amount and size of bowel movements in the body and is found only in plant foods. Keto dieters eat non-starchy vegetables and get some fiber, but over-consumption would stop the ketosis process, so they have to limit their fiber intake. Other common bowel problems include nausea and vomiting, as well as other side effects of this unpleasant phenomenon, dubbed “”.
7. Birth defects
Evidence is emerging that low-carbohydrate diets, such as the ketogenic diet, can be dangerous for unborn babies. One study found that mothers who were on a low-carbohydrate diet had a 30% higher risk of having a baby with a spinal cord or an underdeveloped brain.
8. Brittle bones
With deficiencies in bone-important nutrients such as calcium and vitamin D, it’s no surprise that many children are on a ketogenic diet. Some children have experienced a decrease in bone mass, while others have. Another reason for poor bone health may be the chronic metabolic acidosis seen with ketogenic diets, which can weaken bones over time as the body uses alkali from the bones to buffer acid in the blood.
The list of reasons why you should abandon the keto diet is constantly expanding. It’s hard to find a good reason to stick to this diet, especially when it raises the risk of developing so many health problems. People who want to lose weight or reverse their diabetes or any other disease that has developed as a result of an unhealthy lifestyle should consider a healthy vegan diet that is rich in whole foods such as fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts and legumes.
Ultimately, the best diet is one that is based on whole foods from plant sources, the consumption of which in no way leads to the development of all the problems seen with a ketogenic diet.