Keto diet in the recent time has gained much popularity among the fitness enthusiast, who are trying to shed those extra kilos. Are you among those who swear by keto diet? One of the major reasons behind its popularity is the immediate weight loss result. Keto diet basically zeroes down carb intake and includes high-fat foods to fuel the body. But did you feel nausea, dizziness and several such symptoms during the initial few weeks of the diet? If yes, then fret not! A recent study has found that ketogenic diet can lead to several flu-like symptoms within the first few weeks of the eating plan, but gets diminished with time. The research was published in Frontiers in Nutrition.
The researchers of this study analysed the symptoms reported on social media platforms by several keto diet followers. As per the report, there were some common symptoms like flu fatigue, nausea, dizziness, decreased energy, feeling faint and heartbeat alterations. The online testimonies, an article by ANI says, also mention that these symptoms peak in the first seven days and dwindle after four weeks and range in severity.
"The experiences of symptoms by many people strengthen the evidence for side-effects following the initiation of a ketogenic diet," said Dr Emmanuelle Bostock of the Menzies Institute for Medical Research of the University of Tasmania, in Australia, adding, "These consumers have the most immediate experience of effects and side-effects and many choose to report and share these in online forums."
On this note, 'keto flu' is one of the most commonly discussed side effects of this diet, which as per the article is a cluster of transient symptoms occurring within the first few weeks of the diet. For a better understanding of these symptoms, the researchers identified 43 online forums referring to 'ketoflu' and manually gathered personal experiences of 101 people describing symptoms, severity and time course.
After conducting the study, the researchers reported that some of the common flu-symptoms that the dieters faced were headache, difficulty concentrating and gastrointestinal discomfort, flu, fatigue, nausea, dizziness, decreased energy, feeling faint and heartbeat alterations.
The results of this study also highlighted, "the sudden onset of symptoms, peaking in the first, dwindles after four weeks. Once symptoms are manifested, most of them got resolved within little more than two weeks."