Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsHow Ketosis WorksThe Ketogenic DietIs It Healthy?Signs You Are in KetosisHealth BenefitsSide Effects and RisksWho Should Avoid It?Ketosis vs. KetoacidosisPreventing Ketoacidosis
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
How Ketosis Works
The Ketogenic Diet
Is It Healthy?
Signs You Are in Ketosis
Health Benefits
Side Effects and Risks
Who Should Avoid It?
Ketosis vs. Ketoacidosis
Preventing Ketoacidosis
This article examines the ins and outs of the keto diet and whether being in a state of ketosis is healthy for your body.
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How to Maximize Benefits of Keto Cycling
When you start drastically cutting your carb intake, your insulin levels fall. This shift triggers your body to seek alternative energy sources. It also causes your liver to convert stored fatty acids intoketone bodies, which are released into your bloodstream and taken to your brain and other tissues for energy.
Your body taps into its fat reserves, promoting fat loss while providing a steady energy supply. The transition into ketosis typically takes a few days of very low carbohydrate intake, during which your bodygets used to this new metabolic state.
How Long It Takes to Enter Ketosis
Ketosis and the Ketogenic Diet
The ketogenic, or “keto,” diet is a high-fat, low-carbohydrate diet designed to shift your body into a state of ketosis. It significantly reduces carbohydrate (carb) intake to 5% to 10% of total daily calories and increases fat intake to about 70% to 75%, with moderate protein making up the remaining 20% to 25%. For example, on a 2,000-calorie keto diet, someone might aim for a goal of 20 to 50 grams (g) of carbs per day.
On a keto diet, you’re typically encouraged to avoid foods that are naturally higher in carbs, like:
On the other hand, a keto diet usually prioritizes these types of foods:
Adhering to these general macronutrient (carb, fat, and protein) ratios and food choices helps make it easier to maintain ketosis.
What Is a Lazy Keto Diet? Is It Better Than Keto?
Is the Keto Diet Healthy?
The keto diet can offer certain health benefits, but its overall benefits depend on individual circumstances and how it is implemented.
Advocates of the keto diet highlight its effectiveness for weight loss, improved blood sugar control, and improved mental clarity. It may be particularly beneficial for people with type 2 diabetes, as it helps lower blood sugar and insulin levels. The emphasis on fats and protein may help promote satiety and reduce hunger.
However, a keto diet also poses numerous challenges and potential risks. A high intake of saturated fats can increase low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol (considered bad cholesterol) levels andwork against heart health. Restricting carbohydrates from healthy foods like fruits, grains, and legumes can also set you up for nutrient deficiencies if you don’t manage your diet carefully.
The keto diet is unlikely to be sustainable long term. If you’re adopting it for weight loss, you will likely lose weight initially. However, it’s common to regain lost weight when returning to a regular eating pattern that includes your typical carbohydrate intake.
The keto diet may also increase your risk of dealing with issues like constipation, muscle cramps, and a phenomenon known as “keto flu” during the first few days of the diet in which people complain of headaches, fatigue, nausea, and irritability similar to the flu.
Furthermore, there’s a lot of room for variability in how a keto diet is designed. Just because you’re adhering to your macronutrient goals doesn’t always mean a keto diet is automatically healthy or nutritionally adequate.
Anyone considering the keto diet should consult with a healthcare provider or a registered dietitian to ensure it aligns with their health needs and monitor their nutritional intake to mitigate potential risks.
Signs Your Body Is in Ketosis
Several signs and symptoms may indicate a metabolic shift into ketosis. Common indicators include:
While these symptoms can be obnoxious or uncomfortable, they’re generally temporary. It’s important to stay hydrated, maintain electrolyte balance, and be patient as your body adjusts.
Health Benefits of Ketosis
With the exception of managing epilepsy (a seizure disorder), there is limited high-level evidence supporting the health benefits of adopting a keto diet.Evidence for some of the keto diet’s main uses follows.
Epilepsy
The keto diet is effective for epilepsy, particularly when medications don’t work, because it induces a state of ketosis.The metabolic shift to using ketone bodies for energy instead of glucose can stabilize electrical activity in the brain, reducing the frequency and severity of seizures.
Ketones have anticonvulsant (anti-seizure) properties, and the diet’s high-fat, low-carb composition helps maintain stable blood sugar levels. Furthermore, the ketogenic diet can boost the production of gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), a brain chemical that has inhibitory effects and helps with seizure control.
Type 2 Diabetes
Weight loss from eating a keto diet further improves blood sugar control.However, some researchers say more studies are needed to explore the relationship between ketosis and diabetes control.
Weight Loss
A keto diet’s high-fat, moderate-protein, low-carb macronutrient composition promotes fat-burning and satiety and reduces hunger. The shift into ketosis, during which ketones from stored fat are used for energy, promotes weight loss. The keto diet also reduces levels of the hunger hormoneghrelin, which decreases appetite.
However, weight loss achieved on a keto diet is typically not maintained, as this dietaary pattern isn’t sustainable long term. Many people who achieve weight loss on a keto diet tend to regain it when they return to their standard eating patterns with higher amounts of carbs.
Side Effects and Risks of Ketosis
While adopting the keto diet may provide some benefits, it also poses several potential risks and downsides.
In the short term, a keto diet may trigger keto flu symptoms, like:
Over a more extended period, the keto diet may have additional side effects and risks, such as:
If you’re considering the keto diet, consult with a healthcare provider orregistered dietitian. They can provide personalized guidance on safely implementing the diet, monitor potential side effects, and ensure nutritional adequacy.
Who Should Avoid Being in a State of Ketosis?
A keto diet is pretty restrictive and is not a good fit for everyone. Before adopting a keto diet, it’s essential to understand the potential risks and downsides. Furthermore, certain groups of people, such as the following, should practice caution as they may be at a higher risk for side effects:
Ketosisandketoacidosissound similar, and both are physiological states involving ketone production, but they are very different.
Ketoacidosis is a serious and potentially life-threatening condition that occurs primarily in people with uncontrolled diabetes (most common among people with type 1 diabetes).In ketoacidosis, the body produces excessively high levels of ketones, which causes a dangerous imbalance in blood pH levels and severe metabolic disturbances.
Ketoacidosis leads to extremely high blood sugar levels, dehydration, electrolyte imbalances, with symptoms such as:
Can Someone With Diabetes Prevent Ketoacidosis?
It’s important for someone with diabetes to regularly monitor blood sugar to ensure they stay within their target range. This might also involve corrections usinginsulin therapyand adhering to a balanced diet that promotes stable blood sugar management.
If you have diabetes, it’s essential to understand the early signs of ketoacidosis, such as increased thirst, frequent urination, nausea, abdominal pain, and fatigue, and to seek medical attention promptly if you experience these symptoms. Communicate with your healthcare provider, attend regular wellness exams, and stick to your management plan.
Summary
Everyone has unique needs and goals and a keto diet isn’t right for everyone. If you’re considering a keto diet, speak with a registered dietitian knowledgeable in it who can provide personalized guidance.
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Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
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