By Megan Brown and McKayla Holson
Student Reporters
Is the ketogenic, or keto, diet a good, well-balanced diet or just another yo-yo diet?
Keto is a low carb, high fat diet that many say has health benefits. The body is put into ketosis during this diet. According to
Medical News Today, ketosis is a normal metabolic state. The body does not get enough glucose for energy, this causes it to burn fat for energy.
The diet aids in weight loss, can reduce acne, improves heart health, may help reduce the risk of cancer, may reduce seizures and includes many other health benefits.
Weight loss occurs when on the keto diet because the dieter is not consuming as many calories and the body break-ing down fat for energy.
There is evidence showing that the diet reduces seizures in children, sometimes even as effectively as medi-cine, says Marcelo Campos, MD, primary care doctor at Harvard Vanguard, lecturer at Harvard Medical School and Clinical Assistant Professor at TUFTS Schoolf Medicine.
Kaytlin Brown, a junior and psychology major from Alva, has spent the last year sticking to the strict rules of the keto diet.
Brown said her favorite part about the diet is eating less while still having energy.
While there may be many health benefits, there are risks.
“It is very restrictive which can trigger bad dieting habits and disordered eating,” Brown said.
The break down of fats leads to the release of ketones, an acid, in the body. If the level of ketones gets too high, ketoacidosis can occur. Ketoacidosis can be fatal.
The diet is high in red meat and salty foods. If the dieter is not careful, the diet can have a negative impact on their health.
The diet is hard to stick to because of the low carbs. According to Campos, the American diet is about 50% carbs versus the 5% for the keto diet.
“This diet is a fad right now so there are lots of unnecessary products for sale that make false claims about how they can help you lose weight. Don’t buy into it. Do your own research. This diet has been around since the 1970s, and no extra products marketed as “keto” are required to be successful — just a lot of discipline. If it’s not right for you and you don’t like the diet, stop. There are other, more conventional, ways to achieve the same re-sults,” said Brown.
It is unclear what the long-term effects are. These conditions make it a yo-yo diet which can lead to in-creased mortality according to Campos. “Instead of engaging in the next popular diet that would last only a few weeks to months (for most people that includes a ketogenic diet), try to embrace change that is sustainable over the long term.
A balanced, unprocessed diet, rich in very colorful fruits and vegetables, lean meats, fish, whole grains, nuts, seeds, olive oil, and lots of water seems to have the best evidence for a long, healthier, vibrant life,” says Cam-pos.