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Ah, the keto diet. It has become one of the most popular nutrition fads in recent years, with celebrities – including the Kardashians, natch – extolling its benefits.
But the high protein, high fat and pretty much zero-carb plan has attracted accusations that it could lead to nutritional deficiencies and eating disorders.
In fact, it’s important to say up top that anyone with an eating disorder should avoid the keto diet. The same goes for those with a history of disordered eating. (If you’re struggling with an eating disorder, contact BEAT, The UK’s eating disorder charity).
And alongside those headline Keto Diet dangers, there are also ketogenic diet side effects aplenty.
While keto fans swear the diet leads to weight loss, better energy levels, and less cravings, plenty also acknowledge that it comes with some unusual downsides like the keto flu and possible digestive issues.
How does the Keto Diet plan work?
In a typical keto diet plan, fat provides as much as 80% of your daily calories, while a mere 5% comes from carbohydrates, explains dietician Jessica Cording.
Worth noting: That’s 40-60% fewer carbs than the usual recommended dietary amount.So, if you eat 2,000 calories a day, that means that only 100 of them are coming from carbs—including seriously healthy carbs like fruits and vegetables.
The main goal of the keto diet is to put you into a state called ketosis, where your body burns fat for energy instead of the usual carbs, Cording explains. But, again, that can lead to some side effects.
Keto side effects can vary for everyone—if you have them at all, says dietician Scott Keatley of Keatley Medical Nutrition Therapy. Typically, though, you’ll have side effects in the beginning of the diet as your body gets used to the new eating plan.
When do Keto Diet side effects show up?
‘The general timeline is about five to seven days of feeling low energy, i.e., keto flu,’ Keatley says. ‘In some people, this will manifest itself in general tiredness or brain fog and in others it may be nausea.’
That sounds…pretty rubbish, right?
That could be followed by unusual side effects like…