Experts say the keto diet isn't sustainable, so why is it so popular?

What's Keto

The popular ketogenic diet is a high-fat, adequate-protein, low-carbohydrate diet that involves strictly limiting carbs to less than 50 grams a day (that's no more than two apples' worth) and subsisting primarily on high-fat foods, is one of those restrictive diets that could have harmful long-term consequences.

The idea is for you to get more calories from protein and fat and less from carbohydrates. You cut back most of the carbs that are easy to digest, like sugar, soda, pastries, and white bread. (WebMd)

How It Works

When you eat less than 50 grams of carbs a day, your body eventually runs out of fuel (blood sugar) it can use quickly. This typically takes 3 to 4 days. Then you’ll start to break down protein and fat for energy, which can make you lose weight. This is called ketosis. It's important to note that the ketogenic diet is a short term diet that's focussed on weight loss rather than the pursuit of health benefits. 

What Experts Are Saying

"Losing weight fast by using a severely restricted, silly, unbalanced diet inevitably leads to even faster weight regain," said Katz, who is the president of the True Health Initiative, a non-profit organization dedicated to health promotion and disease prevention.

"Absent ketosis, keto is just a false label for some kind of diet that presumably restricts added sugar and refined carbohydrate -- which, frankly, any good diet does," Katz said.

What The Studies Say

"The ketogenic diet is designed to be a short-term diet, and there are a number of studies and trials demonstrating its effectiveness," said chiropractor Josh Axe, a spokesperson for the Vitamin Shoppe, in statement.

Not exactly accurate, according to Gardner and Katz.

"There's very little research, and to the best of my knowledge, all of it is linked to a company marketing the keto diet," Katz said.

"The bottom line is that despite its current popularity, we have very few studies that can support or refute its impact on health," Gardner said.

"What the early studies have shown is that there are early benefits in terms of weight loss and glucose control," Gardner said. "But in the few studies that have gone on for 12 months, the benefit in comparison to other diet approaches diminishes and is no longer statistically significant."

Which is why nutritionists fail to see the benefit of subjecting your body to the stresses of a low-carb diet just to lose a bit of weight, gain it back, and then start all over again.

"To achieve and maintain a healthy body weight, or optimize diabetes or heart disease risk factors, we should not be focusing on a 'diet', " said Alice Lichtenstein, director and senior scientist at Tuft's University's Cardiovascular Nutrition Laboratory.

"We should be focusing on dietary patterns, making changes in current practices that can be sustained lifelong."

Takeaway

Of course, there will always be a risk when trying a new dieting trend. But I think it's most important to try something that works for you. Some people may find Keto effective, while others may find more success with intermittent fasting.

What are your thoughts on Keto? Have you tried it? Are you going to try the dieting trend?

Sources: https://www.cnn.com/2020/01/05/health/keto-diet-day-wellness/index.html

I'm a UofT student and this is a student exploration project sponsored by KiImpact.com