Author: Stephen Johnson / Source: Big Think
- The keto diet might be a fad diet, but it’s unique in that involves putting the body into an alternate and natural metabolic state.
- However, the diet likely isn’t safe for everyone, particularly when it’s implemented poorly.
- Children, pregnant women, breastfeeding women and those at risk for heart disease should understand the risks of the keto diet before experimenting with it.
People experiment with all kinds of crazy, unhealthy diets to lose weight: eating cotton balls soaked in orange juice, intentionally ingesting tapeworms, and surviving on only grapefruit, to name a few. Some would add the keto diet to that list. As it’s gained popularity in recent years, many have questioned whether the diet really is the hyper-effective weight-loss tool its supporters claim it to be, or simply another fad diet that could lead to serious health complications.
Unlike other fad diets, the high-fat, low-carb keto diet involves putting the body into a natural metabolic state called ketosis, in which the body burns fat for fuel instead of glucose. Although this metabolic state is a generally safe way to help you lose weight, it can be very difficult to maintain. For example, eating just one carb-heavy meal can kick you out of ketosis, forcing you to restart the process. It can also lead to health complications when done improperly, or when people with certain health conditions attempt the diet.
In short, it’s not for everybody. So, who exactly shouldn’t try it?
Pregnant women
Pixabay
Dieting of any kind isn’t recommended for pregnant women, who are advised to eat about an extra 300 calories per day while expecting, according to the American Pregnancy Association. The keto diet doesn’t seem to be an exception: Multiple studies on rodents have linked maternal ketosis to fetal abnormalities.
One reason the keto diet is potentially unsafe for pregnant mothers is that it can result in fewer and less diverse nutrients. Fats, after all, don’t pack as many nutrients as many other proteins and carbs.
“Nourishing your baby is the most important thing when you are pregnant,” Charles Seltzer, a nutritionist based in Philadelphia, told INSIDER. “Ketogenic diets steer you away from really nutrient dense foods like fruit, which are packed with vitamins and minerals. These are crucial for the development of a baby.”
What’s more, subjecting newborns to a limited diet could lead to serious changes in their developing bodies.
“If you’re restricting carbs while pregnant (like you would be on the keto diet), this restriction tells your baby’s developing body that carbs are not a readily available food source,” wrote registered dietician Laura Schoenfeld on her website. “So their body learns that foods high in this macronutrient won’t be as available when…
The post Is the keto diet safe for everyone? Probably not. appeared first on FeedBox.