After several celebrities appeared on social
networks confessing to following it, the Keto diet or Ketogenic diet is on
everyone's lips again. It seems to be an effective diet but challenging to
follow, and which neither nutritionists nor doctors like because it changes the
natural functioning of the metabolism.
We will explain what
the Keto diet consists of and its pros and cons to having all the information you
need before deciding whether to follow it.
The Keto or ketogenic
diet changes the way our body obtains the energy necessary to function. Most of
it comes from carbohydrates, which are metabolized into glucose.
The Keto diet consists of reducing the
consumption of carbohydrates as much as possible to force the body to carry out
a process called ketosis, which consists of extracting energy from the fat that
we accumulate.
It is an adequate diet
because by not ingesting energy through carbohydrates, we force the body to
burn fat to obtain it.
Still, at the same time, we deprive essential
organs such as the brain of the energy it needs through glucose and essential
nutrients in fruit, vegetables, and cereals, foods that cannot be consumed when
a Keto or ketogenic diet is carried out.
Pros of the Keto Diet
The ketogenic diet has
a series of advantages over other diets due to its particular way of
understanding food. But don't also forget to check the cons...
It's True. You Burn Fat
Since the diet's basis
consists of receiving energy only through meals that contain fat and protein,
you effectively burn fat, both the ones you consume and the ones you have
accumulated in your body. Some people have lost quite a few pounds by following
this diet.
It's Tasty, and it's
Satisfying
Most of the foods consumed in the Keto diet are
foods rich in fat and protein: meats, nuts, eggs, cheese, avocado, oils,
certain types of seeds, etc.
It is a tasty diet that
also requires a small amount to satiate.
Controls Blood Sugar
Reducing glucose intake to a minimum helps keep
type 2 diabetes at bay but always under medical supervision.
Reduces Stomach
Inflammation
The Keto diet has been shown to reduce
inflammation of the stomach, further promoting volume reduction.
It Can Reduce Blood
Pressure
It is an indirect effect, but it happens if the
Keto diet is practical: by losing weight, the blood pressure associated with
obesity is also reduced.
Cons of the Keto Diet
Like other
out-of-the-ordinary proposals, such as the Dukan diet, ketogenic diets cause
many controversies and are not recommended by many doctors and nutritionists.
It is Not a Balanced
Diet
On the contrary, the
Keto diet seeks to achieve an imbalance: minimizing the consumption of
carbohydrates and increasing fat consumption.
From a nutritional perspective, this is not
recommended because fruits, vegetables, and cereals contain carbohydrates and
many other essential nutrients.
It is not a diet to be
followed for extended periods because it has a significant deficit of vitamins
and minerals.
It Isn't Easy to Follow
Eliminating fruit,
vegetables, sugar, and cereals from a diet can be very hard for many people eating these types of foods.
It Raises Cholesterol
Since most of the foods
consumed in the ketogenic diet are saturated fats, cholesterol levels can
skyrocket. It must be monitored.
It Causes Dehydration
The process of burning
fat for energy, called ketosis, changes the blood's composition, making it more
acidic, which causes dehydration. You have to hydrate yourself a lot.
Health Problems
Organs such as the
brain, nervous system, or red cells feed on glucose, which is obtained by
metabolizing carbohydrates. Replacing them with fat can affect cognitive
performance, as some scientific studies have shown.
Also, in many cases, the body reveals itself
against this diet and begins to obtain protein from the muscles, thus reducing
muscle mass.
That is why many diets of this type combine the
consumption of fat with protein.
In summary, if you intend to follow a Keto or ketogenic diet, always under medical supervision.