The ketogenic diet, which allows for high quantities of meat, poultry, fish, shellfish, eggs, butter, and oils, with avocado and dairy products in moderation, are back on trend. | Image: (AlexPro9500/Istock.com via AFP Relaxnews /INQUIRER.NET FILE PHOTO)
CEBU CITY, Philippines — The keto diet is back on trend among the fad diets followed by people who want to lose weight fast. But is it recommended by medical health practitioners?
The answer is that it depends on each individual.
READ: Keto diet–would I recommend it? Yes, but…
Will the diet work?
Registered nutritionist-dietitian April Rose Jacosalem, told CDN Digital in an interview, that whether she would recommend the keto diet to her patients would depend on her assessment of what would suit every individual.
“The safety and suitability of keto diet depends from person to person,” she said.
This was supported by another nutritionist-dietitian, Mariel Migabon, who emphasized that it would be best for anyone to first consult medical professionals on whether a certain type of diet would work for them.
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What is keto diet?
Keto diet or ketogenic diet is a type of diet that consists mainly of macro nutrients of “high fats, moderate proteins, and very low carbohydrates.”
American physician Russel Wilder was the one who first coined the term “ketogenic diet” back in 1921 and it was initially utilized for pediatric epilepsy.
The diet remained in the medical field and nutrition community for almost two decades before it lost its popularity due to the emergence of anti-epileptec agents.
From then on, it served as a therapeutic diet.
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Difference of keto diet from other diets
The keto diet has a different macro-nutrient distribution from other types of diets with an approximate 55 percent to 60 percent fat, 30 percent to 35 percent protein, and 5 percent to 10 percent carbohydrates.
Instead of glucose, the keto diet utilizes fat as the main source of fuel for the body.
What makes the keto diet different from other fad diets is the food choices, according to Jacosalem.
While traditional diets require individuals to consume fruits, vegetables, and grains which are all high in carbohydrates, this is limited in the keto diet.
The keto diet puts focus on foods that have either unsaturated or saturated fats.
These foods include all animal meat, butter, cheese, chocolate, coconut oil, palm oil, ocean fish, soy foods, avocado, peanuts, spinach, broccoli, and many more.
READ: Keto diet menu – beginner’s guide
The main appeal of the ketogenic diet is that it is proven to cause rapid weight loss, which is exactly what many individuals are aiming for with diets such as this one.
Another advantage of the keto diet is that it lessens the amount of times that individuals go hungry which ultimately aids in their weight loss journey.
Along with these advantages, the ketogenic diet also has its own disadvantages.
READ: What I learned when I went keto for 21 days
Disadvantages of the diet
One of these factors is that it causes some people to experience constipation since the main food source is fat.
“These are low-fiber foods so ang atong (our) fruits and vegetable are limited. That’s why some individuals, maka-experience sila og (they can experience) constipation,” said Jacosalem.
The process that happens when you go through the ketogenic diet is called “ketosis,” which results to the production of an energy source known as “ketones.”
This in turn causes the the person’s breath to smell similar to nail polish. Acetone breath or commonly referred to as the “keto breath” is one the negative side effects of this type of diet.
People who follow the keto diet may also experience the side effects known as the “keto-flu” with symptoms of headache, dizziness, and fatigue.
Other adverse affects, according to Migabon, include dehydration, electrolyte imbalance, and hypoglycemia or low blood sugar.
Registered nutritionist-dietitians Mariel Migabon (left) and April Rose Jacosalem (right) advise individuals to consult with medical professionals before following fad diets. | Emmariel Ares
READ: Keto and intermittent fasting
For medical professionals, choosing a diet to follow for specific purposes like wanting to lose weight should be decided carefully since it could heavily affect a person’s health and way of living.
Whether it’s for keto diet or other types of diet, it’s best to always seek guidance from medical professionals on whether it would be effective specifically for each individual.
“Always seek help from our medical health practitioners. Seek help before going into this ketogenic diet,” advised Migabon.
READ: Why a keto diet is unlike other low-calorie crash diets
Short term use
She said that what is known about the effects of the ketogenic diet as of now would be for the short term use.
“Because in ketogenic diet, short term ra man gud kaayo ang atong mga [effects]. Although proven siya to have rapid weight loss in the short term. But in the long run, gamay ra ang studies nga nakasupport niini,” she said.
There is much to study about how the ketogenic diet would affect an individual’s weight and overall well-being in the long run.
But for now, medical experts advise the public to follow the instructions of medical professionals and always listen to what their body is telling them.
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