It is mainly associated with a quick way to lose weight without feeling hungry, which is normal in the case of reduction diets. It is true that the ketogenic diet works, but using this way of losing weight in an uncontrolled way carries some risks. If you are considering using this type of diet to lose weight, consider all the pros and cons first!
Let’s start with the fact that this is not a diet designed to reduce body weight. It was invented to help people suffering from epilepsy, as well as in the case of rare genetic and metabolic diseases, when drugs did not bring satisfactory results. Weight loss is only a “side effect” of using this diet.
What is the ketogenic diet?
There are many such diets. They differ in the selection of the type of fat, recommended calorie deficit, etc. Their common feature is that by drastically reducing the consumption of carbohydrates, they lead to an increase in the amount of ketone bodies in the body. By limiting carbohydrates in this way, ketone bodies are produced, which go to peripheral tissues and therefore fat is used as a source of energy, as a result of which we lose weight.
Benefits of the ketogenic diet:
- Treatment of specific cases of diseases in children. The use of this diet allows you to limit the medications they take, but it must be done only under the supervision of a specialist. Taking such actions without consulting a doctor may be associated with the risk of delaying the development of the child.
- Ketone bodies have a positive effect on the weight loss process, because they also inhibit the feeling of hunger. According to tests and studies, the ketogenic diet affects satiety even after reducing caloric intake and losing weight.
- It helps with weight loss, although initially this is mainly due to dehydration, caused by the cleansing of ketone bodies and the loss of glycogen. Its action is visible a little faster than in the case of standard slimming diets, because it brings fairly quick results.
Disadvantages:
- Ketone bodies tax the liver and kidneys.
- At the beginning of the diet, its side effects may appear: constipation, fatigue and nausea.
- Although after prolonged use, energy increases and well-being improves, over time there is a deficiency of minerals, vitamins, dietary fiber, protein and antioxidants. Such deficiencies lead to numerous ailments, i.e. kidney and gallstones, as well as pancreatitis.
Although the ketogenic diet works quite quickly, there is not much difference in its effectiveness compared to the traditional diet. To prevent problems with deficiencies and the functioning of individual organs, it is definitely better to opt for balanced meals tailored to the needs of the body.