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Followers of the keto diet do not eat whole grains, legumes, or fruit because of the carbohydrate content of these foods: Even some vegetables contain too much starch to be allowed in the diet. As a result, the body extracts energy from fats consumed in the diet, which creates ketone bodies as a byproduct of metabolizing fats, hence the name.
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The keto diet has swept the country with promises of diabetes reversal
and weight loss. In the luster of the diet, we need to consider: Is this too
good to be true? Like any number of fad diets that have come and gone over
the years, the keto diet has more marks of wily marketing and unbridled
enthusiasm than of veritable medical therapy. Anyone flirting with the idea
of adopting a ketogenic diet ought to keep reading before wasting their time
and money—or worse, harming their health.
For those who are unaware, the keto, or ketogenic, diet excludes all
carbohydrates to the point that the body derives energy from another
macronutrient: fats. Followers of the keto diet do not eat whole grains,
legumes, or fruit because of the carbohydrate content of these foods: Even
some vegetables contain too much starch to be allowed in the diet. As a
result, the body extracts energy from fats consumed in the diet, which
creates ketone bodies as a byproduct of metabolizing fats, hence the name.
No Human Population Has Survived in Ketosis
Don’t let keto evangelists tell you the Inuit survived and thrived on a nightly fare of seal blubber, whale sirloins, and caribou jerky while being in the purportedly nirvana-like state of ketosis. (“Keto flu,” the common phrase for the symptoms of malaise, nausea, and fatigue that keto dieters regularly experience, is more indicative of the unpleasant truth.) The Inuit certainly ate those things; farmers markets are scarce in the Arctic because, well, there aren’t vegetable farms in the tundra. But they also evolved to avoid ketosis altogether: A mutation occurred several thousand years ago to prevent ketosis in this population.
The mutation is now found
in more than 80 percent of Greenland and Canadian Inuit. Because the keto
diet increases acid levels in the blood, it is hypothesized that ketosis
reduced the ability to tolerate further acidosis during times of illness,
injury, or complete starvation, thereby increasing the chance of death. That
so many Inuit have the mutation strongly suggests that ketosis was perilous
for the aboriginal inhabitants of the Arctic—and likely is perilous for
anyone else on the diet as well.
Deficiencies in Vitamins A to Z
It should come as no surprise to anyone that the ketogenic diet causes
vitamin and mineral deficiencies. After all, there are large food groups
that followers simply cannot eat, such as whole grains and most fruits. The
rules for maintaining ketosis are so strict that an extra helping of
broccoli might push you over the carbohydrate limit.
The only people who should be on a ketogenic diet are children who have
refractory epilepsy, for which the diet has been used as therapy to reduce
seizures for nearly a century. Researchers have been studying the side
effects of the diet in this population, including vitamin and mineral
deficiencies. In one study, researchers found deficiencies in every vitamin
and mineral analyzed except for vitamin B12, which is commonly found in
fatty foods of animal origin. The severity increased with increasing
ketosis. In some cases, deficiencies in selenium were so severe that
children died.
Until Death Do Us Part
Study after study has shown an increased risk of death with low-carb diets,
and the keto diet maintains utmost supremacy in carbohydrate restriction. In
a recent study published in The Lancet, those eating low-carb diets and
relying primarily on animal-based foods, such as lamb, beef, pork, and
chicken, were associated with a higher mortality. We already know that
eating animal-based foods, such as dairy and meat, increases the risk of
dying.
The keto diet, in particular, also worsens levels of both good and
bad cholesterol, which puts one at risk of dying from heart disease. The
foods that the keto diet excludes—fruits, vegetables, legumes, and whole
grains—are some of the healthiest foods around. It’s no wonder the risk of
dying goes up when you leave these foods off the plate.
Does Keto Keep Its Promises?
Keto’s claim to fame is its almost mythical ability to treat diabetes and
obesity. However, long-term studies show no benefit for diabetes. Although
studies of short-term duration (less than a year) frequently show a benefit
in the treatment of diabetes, a meta-analysis of studies lasting more than a
year showed no difference in glucose levels of those on the ketogenic diet
compared with controls. And for weight loss? A paltry two-pound advantage
over a low-fat strategy, after one year of counting carbs. Two pounds of
weight loss is not enough to make you look that much more svelte. There are
saner—and safer—ways of losing two pounds over the course of a year, like
eating a whole-food, plant-based diet.
I’ve Got 99 Problems, but Carbs Ain’t One
Even if you believe the keto diet works for weight loss, there are plenty of
other reasons to avoid it. In reviewing the literature of the documented
side effects in epileptic children on the diet, I found that patients
suffered from no shortage of side effects, including kidney stones,
restricted growth, fatal cardiac arrhythmias, pancreatitis, higher
cholesterol levels, and many more. The diet seems to be worth utilizing only
if one happens to be a child with refractory epilepsy—and even then,
children discontinue the diet because of its numerous side effects.
The ketogenic diet has swept the country up with the hope of a miracle diet,
but, in the end, it may only bring us down with disappointment. Let food be
thy medicine, but not if you need actual medicine to support thy food.
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We began this archive as a means of assisting our visitors in answering many of their health and diet questions, and in encouraging them to take a pro-active part in their own health. We believe the articles and information contained herein are true, but are not presenting them as advice. We, personally, have found that a whole food vegan diet has helped our own health, and simply wish to share with others the things we have found. Each of us must make our own decisions, for it's our own body. If you have a health problem, see your own physician.