The keto diet has caught on like wildfire after ringing in the new year. We have discussed the gluten-free diet in the past, but now we would like to discuss the keto diet and its effects on digestive health. It has more of an impact than you may be hoping for.
What exactly is the keto diet:
Adhering to a health regimen is crucial for digestive health. Depending on the diet, you can create a negative or positive reaction on bowel movements, cramping, and weight loss. While doctors at Gastroenterology Consultants of Central Florida often discuss choosing gluten-free options with patients, keto is also mentioned by patients as a popular weight loss diet.
Before changing your eating habits, discuss the new approach you have in mind. Get approval from your gastroenterologist if you have existing medical conditions. If you are pregnant or breastfeeding, consult your OBGYN or midwife in addition to your gastroenterologist.
Of course, if you are thinking of throwing away those extra Valentine’s Day truffles, a doctors approval is not necessary. For short, the ketogenic diet is referred to as the keto diet. To correctly follow the keto diet, you must eat extremely low-carb, high-fat foods and drinks.
If done correctly, the keto diet puts your body into a metabolic state called ketosis. Ketosis makes the human body more efficient at burning fat instead of sugar. But as we know, fat is vital to the body, so a plethora of concerns arise.
Negative effects:
The most recent concern of doctors is the decrease in libido. The libido is a sign of good health and longevity. Doctors are concerned whenever libido is altered. It can be a sign of serious health issues if libido is lowered.
However, some doctors report that the libido will level out after the keto flu and withdrawals pass. Furthermore, the keto flu is the most talked about side effect. People feel flu-like systems for about a week.
The body reacts this way after ingesting foods with less carbs and sugar. Lowering carb intake urges the body to burn ketones instead of glucose. Once the body begins burning fat instead of glucose, the body is in ketosis.
People tend to feel weakness. They may feel irritability, and even nausea and vomiting, in the first days of the keto diet. The body originally uses sugar as a source of energy. The goal of ketosis is for the body to use stored fat as an energy source.
Dehydration from ketosis:
The human body produces ketones during the process of breaking down fat. To get rid of the ketones, people on the diet drink more water and have more frequent urinations. Because of the more frequent urinations, people feel dehydrated. Thus, people experience flu like weakness.
Similarly, dehydration causes a foul mouth odor, or bad breath. Keto has not been studied as much as others diets. Blood cholesterol increases and decreases inconsistently between patients. It it difficult to track the keto diet on a long-term basis because most dieters do not stick with it long enough.
Some dieters also experience constipation due to the dehydration. People need to drink a sufficient amount of water to maintain ideal body function. Without enough water, the digestive system cannot work properly. The lack of water produces mild to severe cramps.
An insufficient amount of water retention can cause kidney and liver damage too. In addition, irregular menstrual cycles and decreased bone density are two serious side effects which leave doctors concerned.
Nutritional concerns:
Keto is mainly low-carb and high-fat foods. In theory, this sounds great. Unfortunately, this rule of thumb greatly reduces the number of vegetables and fruits allowed in the diet. A shortage of vegetable and fruit intake reduces the fiber a person eats. Lower fiber intake causes further constipation.
The body can miss out on vitamins, minerals, and phytochemicals. Beneficial nutrition can be found in vegetables, fruits, grains, and legumes. The keto diet restricts, or at least reduces, these foods. It seems the short-term solution for weight loss may not outweigh the risks for long-term health issues.
As always, consult with your primary care and gastroenterologists before following a new diet. The keto diet is not for patients with diabetes, high blood pressure, and many other conditions. Many people may require an electrolyte supplement.
Make an appointment for an overall exam on your digestive health before or after the keto diet. Your body may have gone through some negative changes you are not aware of.
We thank you for stopping by. Check in next week for another informative blog. Have a great week!
Staff Writer