Is Keto Bad For You?

The ketogenic diet is an eating plan that prompts the body to produce more ketones in order to burn fat for energy instead of carbohydrates.

That may sound like a lot of mumbo jumbo, but it essentially means that you’ll be eating lots of fat and almost no carbs.

This essentially flips your body from being a carbohydrate burner to a fat burner.

For many people, this can be a good thing — especially if you have excess weight that needs burning off or if you’re part of the 90% of the population that’s insulin resistant.

But how safe is the ketogenic diet? Is it bad for your health?

In this article, I’ll discuss if a ketogenic diet is bad for you and if you should do it or not.

What Is the Keto Diet?

The ketogenic diet is an eating plan that encourages your body to use fat as its primary source of energy. People who follow a ketogenic diet aim to get between 30% and 60% of their daily calories from healthy fats such as meat, fish, avocados, and nut butters.

They also consume moderate amounts of protein from eggs, grass-fed meat, and low-sugar dairy products like cheese.

And lastly, they limit their carbohydrates to less than 5% of their daily calories, which is around 30 – 50 grams of carbs.

If you eat too many carbohydrates, your insulin will spike and your body will use them for energy rather than fat.

And, when you limit your carbs, you’ll reach a state of ketosis, where your body uses molecules called ketones for energy.

These ketones are a byproduct of the breakdown of fats in your body.

How Does the Keto Diet Work?

The name “keto” refers to the state in which the body produces molecules called ketones. It happens when the body doesn’t have enough glucose (a form of sugar) to function properly, either because you’re not eating enough carbohydrates or you’re eating fewer than your body needs.

The body breaks down fat for energy when glucose isn’t available, and that’s what produces ketones.

Everyone enters a state of ketosis on a low-carb diet.

When ketones are present in large amounts in the blood or urine, the person is said to be in ketosis.

The keto diet works by tricking your body into thinking it’s in a state of starvation.

When you don’t eat enough carbohydrates, your body goes into a “fat-burning mode” and begins eating its own fat.

When your body thinks it’s running out of glucose, it will increase the production of a hormone called cortisol.

Cortisol helps your body break down fat into ketones, which is what makes your body run on keto.

Pros of a Ketogenic Diet

• Weight loss — You can lose a significant amount of weight in a short amount of time with the ketogenic diet. You can also do it with more energy & less discomfort since you’re using your own fat.
• Improved mental function — Ketones are an alternative source of fuel for the brain. Some studies suggest that they may help improve memory and cognition.
• Reduced risk of heart disease — High intake of fat and low intake of carbohydrates can improve blood cholesterol levels and reduce the risk of heart disease.
• Improved athletic performance — Many endurance athletes use this diet to increase their endurance and improve their athletic performance.
• Relief from certain diseases — The ketogenic diet can help to treat or manage certain diseases like type 2 diabetes, Alzheimer’s, epilepsy, and Parkinson’s.

Cons of a Ketogenic Diet

• Risk of malnutrition — The ketogenic diet can be restrictive. It can result in malnutrition if you don’t eat vegetables as you aren’t getting vitamins, minerals, and fiber through high-carb vegetables.
• Bad breath — When your body breaks down fat, it produces a substance called acetone. Acetone is what gives your breath that distinct smell of “keto breath.” To negate bad breath, just make sure to brush your teeth & floss consistently.
• Increased risk of kidney stones — The ketogenic diet may increase your risk of developing kidney stones, especially at the beginning of your diet. This is because, on keto, your kidneys don’t expel citrate, a type of acid, so it may build up & contribute to kidney stones. To negate this, make sure to drink multiple glasses of water a day.
• Impaired explosive athletic performance — Some explosive athletes (think sprinters, not long-distance runners,) report that the ketogenic diet negatively impacts their athletic performance. This is likely because carbs can be used faster in explosive bouts, so you’ll likely see a slight decrease in explosive athletic performance. I personally noticed around a ~15% speed decrease after I started keto.
• Difficulty adhering to the diet — The ketogenic diet takes a lot of dedication. It can be difficult to follow the diet and sustain it over a long period of time.

Is Keto Bad for You?

No, keto isn’t bad for you. Keto can possibly be harmful if you keep eating at a caloric restriction after you’ve reached a low body fat, but that doesn’t make keto bad. Keto just helps you utilize the fats you eat & your own fat for energy, so it helps you lose fat quicker than just caloric restriction. 

Who Should Do the Keto Diet?

• People who want to lose weight easily & quickly — If you want to lose weight easily, I highly recommend the keto diet as it allows you to lose weight with less hunger. In addition to that, keto can help you to lose weight faster and more sustainably compared to just caloric restriction alone.
• People who want to be more energetic — If you want to be more energetic throughout the day, I highly recommend the keto diet. When I ate carbs, I usually slowed down during one part of the day. Now on keto, my energy levels are always consistent, which allows me to live life better.
• People with metabolic disorders — The ketogenic diet may be a helpful treatment option for people with metabolic disorders such as type 2 diabetes or metabolic syndrome.
• People with epilepsy — The ketogenic diet has been used as an effective treatment for people with epilepsy since the early 20th century as it allows the brain to run off of ketones, which have been shown to solve epilepsy.
• Endurance athletes — Many athletes use this diet to increase their endurance and improve their athletic performance as it allows them to keep moving off of their own fat when they’re tired instead

Conclusion

In conclusion, the ketogenic diet is not bad for you.

Keto is a low-carbohydrate and high-fat diet that can be helpful for people trying to lose weight easily or gain better focus.

But it will be hard to adjust to for the first couple of weeks.

If you’re interested in trying the ketogenic diet, you’ll want to start by reducing your carbohydrate intake to 20 – 50 grams per day.

This means eating more protein and healthy fats like nuts, eggs, and fish.

If you’re trying to lose weight, you should also keep an eye on how often you eat and try to maintain a caloric deficit.

I also highly recommend combining the keto diet with intermittent fasting as they both work synergistically.

If you want to know about the best type of intermittent fasting for people trying to lose weight whilst being full & energetic, I recommend reading my article about the OMAD fasting plan & if it’s right for you.

Hope this helped!