The ketogenic, or keto, diet was first used in 1921 to treat epilepsy. For the uninitiated, keto is a high-fat, adequate-protein, and low-carbohydrate diet. In recent years, many people seeking to lose weight have embraced this diet for its weight-loss benefits. However, apart from helping you lose weight, is this diet healthy for your body? A recent study from the University of Bath reveals that ketogenic low-carbohydrate diets can increase cholesterol levels and reduce beneficial gut bacteria. When trying to lose weight, it is important to follow a diet that will help you not just attain your weight loss goals, but also be healthy for your body in the long run.
The study, published in Cell Reports Medicine, involved 53 healthy adults for up to 12 weeks. Participants followed either a moderate sugar diet (control), a low-sugar diet (less than 5% of calories from sugar), or a ketogenic (keto) low-carbohydrate diet (less than 8% of calories from carbohydrates).
How Does the Keto Diet Work?
The keto diet pushes your body to use a different type of fuel instead of sugar, explains Harvard Health. Instead of relying on glucose from carbohydrates, the keto diet relies on ketone bodies, a type of fuel that the liver produces from stored fat. Burning fat through ketone bodies requires you to deprive yourself of carbohydrates, consuming fewer than 20 to 50 grams of carbs daily. Further, it typically takes a few days to reach a state of ketosis, and too much protein intake can also interfere with ketosis.
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What to Eat on a Keto Diet For Weight Loss
According to Nutritionist Rupali Datta, high-fat, high-protein, low-carb foods work best on the keto diet. Some of the foods that you can include in a keto diet are coconut oil, clarified butter (ghee), butter, chicken, eggs, all vegetables, lentils, legumes, pulses, dry fruits, nuts, seeds, cottage cheese, and other types of healthy cheese like goat cheese and feta cheese.
High-carb foods like grains, flour, oats, cakes, and desserts made of refined flour should be avoided.
Keto Does Help in Weight Loss
The researchers found that after 12 weeks, the keto diet resulted in an average of 2.9 kg fat mass loss per person. Comparatively, the sugar-restricted diet resulted in an average of 2.1 kg fat mass loss per person.
Health Risks of Following Keto
The following are the negative health impacts of the low-carb keto diet identified in the research:
1. Increase in Cholesterol
The researchers found that the keto diet raised cholesterol levels. The diet increased apolipoprotein B (apoB), which causes plaque buildup in arteries. Lead researcher Dr. Aaron Hengist said, "Despite reducing fat mass, the ketogenic diet increased the levels of unfavorable fats in the blood of our participants, which, if sustained over years, could have long-term health implications such as an increased risk of heart disease and stroke."
On the other hand, the low-sugar diet significantly reduced cholesterol in LDL particles.
2. Reduction in Beneficial Gut Bacteria
The keto diet altered gut microbiome composition, notably decreasing Bifidobacteria, beneficial bacteria often found in probiotics. This bacteria helps the body produce B vitamins, inhibiting pathogens and harmful bacteria, and lowering cholesterol. Dr Russell Davies, who led the microbiome research, explained, "This reduction in Bifidobacteria might contribute to significant long-term health consequences such as an increased risk of digestive disorders like irritable bowel disease, increased risk of intestinal infection, and a weakened immune function."
Sugar restriction did not significantly impact the gut microbiome composition.
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3. Glucose Tolerance
The keto diet reduced glucose tolerance. This means that the adults' bodies became less efficient at handling carbohydrates. According to Professor Javier Gonzalez, who oversaw the research, this could "increase the risk of developing type 2 diabetes in the long-term" when people switch back to a higher carbohydrate diet.
If you want to lose weight, researchers suggest a low-sugar diet will be better for most people. More work is needed to understand how individuals may benefit from each type of diet.
Disclaimer: This content, including advice, provides generic information only. It is in no way a substitute for qualified medical opinion. Always consult a specialist or your doctor for more information. NDTV does not claim responsibility for this information.