Beware: The Ketogenic diet may not be as healthy as believed
A high-fat, adequate-protein, low-carbohydrate diet, known as the Ketogenic diet, has been touted as one of best weight loss programmes. At the same time, it has been dismissed by many.
People who wish to give the Ketogenic diet a try, need to clearly
understand if they will be able to sustain such a drastic change in
eating habits, that too in a safe manner. According to USA Today, the
ketogenic diet involves consuming a low carbohydrate, high fat and high
protein diet. Out of the total daily caloric intake, nearly 70 to 80 per
cent comes from fat, 20 per cent from protein and the remaining 5 per
cent or so are derived from carbohydrates.
The Keto diet is usually not recommended by doctors for the reason that it excludes a wide array of essential food groups that are imperative for optimal health, such as grains, fruits, and some vegetables. Medical professionals caution people to be aware of the difference between weight loss and overall health.
Jeffrey Mechanick a medical director at Mount Sinai Heart’s Marie-Josee and Henry R. Kravis Center for Clinical Cardiovascular Health quite frankly stated to USA Today that “I wouldn’t recommend the keto diet to anybody.” Vasanti Malik, an adjunct assistant professor of Nutrition at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, expressed her concern regarding this extreme system of eating.
“You want to be mindful because these foods – whole grains, fruits, and vegetables – carry a number of beneficial nutrients – vitamins, polyphenols, fibre – that have been shown time and time again to be beneficial for cardiometabolic health,” Malik told USA Today. According to Mechanick, depletion of carbohydrates compels the body to scavenge upon its fat and muscle tissue to keep everything up and running.
“In theory, the Keto diet basically mimics starvation. If you don’t eat carbohydrates but you eat an excessive amount of fat and protein, you’re still going to waste tissue. The tissue is still going to burn off,” explained Mechanick. Fad diets such as keto also lead to weight rebound issues with people who are not able to stick to them after losing weight.
The answer for sustainable weight loss hence lies with emphasising on the quality of food and not exclusively the number of calories that are consumed. Mechanik suggests the minimisation of sugars and starches and an increased intake of vegetables, fruits, nuts, and beans. Malik recommends people to include more grains, fruits, vegetables and nuts, while limiting saturated fat, added sugar and added sodium. Tidying up your menu, in conjugation with daily physical exercise would be enough to create a solid foundation for health.