Keto Means
Keto Means
Photo: Jess Loiterton
They found that people who follow such diets have a significantly increased risk of developing heart disease, LDL cholesterol buildup, kidney failure, Alzheimer's disease, diabetes, and cancer. They also discovered that keto diets are particularly dangerous for people who are currently pregnant or may become pregnant.
The bottom line: milk and cream are only acceptable on keto if you use them sparingly. (Heavy whipping cream is the best choice; half-and-half and...
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The good news: ketosis may not make you burn body fat all the time, but it does ramp up your metabolism significantly. People in ketosis burn an...
Read More »The negative long-term consequences of ketogenic diets may far outweigh any potential short-term benefits, according to a comprehensive new review published in Frontiers in Nutrition. Keto diets have skyrocketed in popularity over the last decade due to their ability to promote quick weight loss. Typically very low in carbohydrates, modest in protein, and high in fats, the aim of keto diets is to push the body into ketosis—the state in which the body uses fat for fuel. Foods like red meat, fish, nuts, cream, eggs, cheese, oil, and non-starchy vegetables are given the green light while starchy vegetables, fruit, whole grains, beans, and lentils are avoided as much as possible. Struggling to cook healthy meals at home? Forks Meal Planner is here to help. Start your free trial For this latest meta-analysis, a group of physicians, researchers, and registered dietitians analyzed more than 100 peer-reviewed studies on keto diets to identify long-term effects. They found that people who follow such diets have a significantly increased risk of developing heart disease, LDL cholesterol buildup, kidney failure, Alzheimer’s disease, diabetes, and cancer. They also discovered that keto diets are particularly dangerous for people who are currently pregnant or may become pregnant. Low-carbohydrate diets are linked to birth defects, particularly neural tube defects, and gestational diabetes even if the pregnant person is taking folic acid supplements. Additionally, for those living with chronic kidney disease (CKD), the high amounts of protein consumed on the keto diet can place excess stress on the kidneys and worsen the long-term internal damage of CKD. So why does this diet have such negative side effects? The study’s authors suggest that it has to do with the nutrient quality of the food being eaten. “The foods that are emphasized on a keto diet are the very products that cause colon cancer, heart disease, and Alzheimer’s disease,” says study co-author Neal Barnard, MD, FACC, president of the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine and an adjunct professor of medicine at George Washington University School of Medicine. “New research also shows that these same foods raise the risk for severe COVID-19.” This sentiment is echoed by lead review author Lee Crosby, RD. “The typical keto diet is a disease-promoting disaster,” says Crosby. “Loading up on red meat, processed meat, and saturated fat and restricting carbohydrate-rich vegetables, fruits, legumes, and whole grains is a recipe for bad health.” Originally developed in the 1920s as a treatment for patients with severe drug-resistant epilepsy, the keto diet has been shown to be effective for reducing seizures in extreme cases. Scientists believe the diet decreases seizures by making less glucose available to fuel neurons. And although the study authors concluded that eating keto could be beneficial for seizure management, they say the risks far outweigh the rewards for most people. Instead of going keto, Barnard suggests a whole food, plant-based diet: “On a low-calorie diet, people might lose weight, but they have to go hungry to do it. On a keto diet, they might lose weight but they feel guilty if they have an apple, banana, slice of bread, or a cookie. On a plant-based diet, you get the best of all worlds: weight loss, delicious food, better overall health, and you’re never hungry.” To learn more about a whole-food, plant-based diet, visit our Plant-Based Primer. For meal-planning support, check out Forks Meal Planner, FOK’s easy weekly meal-planning tool to keep you on a healthy plant-based path.
The good news: ketosis may not make you burn body fat all the time, but it does ramp up your metabolism significantly. People in ketosis burn an...
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carb count. are high in carbs, they are another type of ketogenic diet food to avoid: Baked beans.
Read More »The pounds you shed are essentially the byproducts of that process. They are excreted in the form of water—when you sweat and pee—and carbon dioxide, when you exhale. In fact, the lungs are the primary excretory organ for fat.
We use energy all the time, whether we’re running, eating, or sleeping. The energy we use at rest—to pump blood, digest food, regulate temperature, repair cells, breathe, or think—is our baseline metabolism, the minimum energy required to maintain the body’s basic biological functions. So if we’re carrying extra weight, it’s because we’re taking in more energy than we’re using. (The much-cursed thickening around our bellies is a combination of accumulated deep visceral fat and more shallow subcutaneous fat.) When we expend energy during intense bouts of exercise and other physical activity, the glycogen in our muscles is used first. The liver releases glycogen to help with muscle activity and to regulate blood glucose levels. After about 30 to 60 minutes of aerobic exercise, the body begins to burn fat. If we take in less energy than the body needs overall to maintain itself—as when dieting—then the body turns more often to fat reserves for energy. As your body metabolizes fat, fatty acid molecules are released into the bloodstream and travel to the heart, lungs, and muscles, which break them apart and use the energy stored in their chemical bonds. The pounds you shed are essentially the byproducts of that process. They are excreted in the form of water—when you sweat and pee—and carbon dioxide, when you exhale. In fact, the lungs are the primary excretory organ for fat. The body uses energy to carry out the usual basic processes at rest—again, your baseline metabolism—and for the physical activity you do on top of that, which is considered your active metabolism.
You'll Lose Water Weight Glycogen helps your body retain water. You may also lose some salt along with the carbs you cut out. When you start to eat...
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Due to their high carbohydrate content, most types of beans, such as red kidney beans, black beans, and pinto beans, should be avoided on a typical...
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An infection or other illness can cause the body to make higher levels of certain hormones, such as adrenaline or cortisol. These hormones work...
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The short take. In the shortest possible terms: yes. Keto diets definitely work without exercise. In fact, many personal trainers and nutritionist...
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