{"id":18,"date":"2021-06-13T11:32:19","date_gmt":"2021-06-13T11:32:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ketodietchoice.com\/?p=18"},"modified":"2022-02-04T19:38:00","modified_gmt":"2022-02-04T19:38:00","slug":"myths-facts-about-keto","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ketodietchoice.com\/myths-facts-about-keto\/","title":{"rendered":"Myths & Facts about keto"},"content":{"rendered":"
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A ketogenic diet is high in fat and very low in carbohydrates.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Here we will address the 11 most common anti-keto claims found in the media. While we are not suggesting a ketogenic diet is appropriate for all, this diet is clearly a safe and highly effective option for people with metabolic diseases (obesity, diabetes, heart disease, etc.), and therefore should not be falsely portrayed as a dangerous fad.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Claim #1:<\/strong> Keto is bad for athletes<\/h3>\n

Fact:<\/strong><\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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Numerous studies show that the ketogenic diet has helped athletes improve their body composition, trim fat, maintain performance and improve recovery. These studies have included\u00a0marathon runners,\u00a0triathlon competitors,\u00a0CrossFit athletes,\u00a0gymnasts, and other athletes\u00a0performing high intensity\u00a0and\u00a0interval\u00a0exercises.<\/p>\n

One study found that after 12 weeks eating a ketogenic diet, endurance athletes cut body fat, increased oxidation and sprint power, and performed better overall on a critical power test compared to athletes on\u00a0high-carb diets.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Claim #2:<\/strong>\u00a0Keto is dangerous if you have diabetes<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
Fact:<\/strong><\/div>\n
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The ketogenic diet has actually been endorsed by the American Diabetes Association as the best diet to control blood sugar for people with Type 2 diabetes. Some studies have shown that extreme caloric restriction can also reverse diabetes, but continued starvation is largely unsustainable.<\/p>\n

No other diet<\/em>\u00a0has demonstrated more promising results for Type 2 diabetes than one very low in carbohydrates.<\/p>\n

Upwards of 17 scientific studies support the idea that carbohydrate restriction works to manage blood sugar, or glycemia, in patients with diabetes.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Claim #3:<\/strong>\u00a0Keto causes fatigue and flu-like symptoms<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
Fact:<\/strong><\/div>\n
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Upon starting the diet, some patients report symptoms like fatigue, headaches, and muscle aches. However, these short-lived symptoms are, in fact, a sign that the diet is working, and the body is switching over from burning glucose as fuel to burning fat. This transition involves upregulating certain enzymes and down-regulating others; it is a profound shift for the human body that can have uncomfortable symptoms. However, these side effect usually last only 3-4 weeks.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Claim #4:<\/strong>\u00a0Keto is bad for heart health and will raise your cholesterol<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
Fact:<\/strong><\/div>\n
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While it\u2019s true that low-carb diets do raise the so-called bad LDL-cholesterol in some people, it\u2019s important to note that LDL-C, when influenced by diet, has never been shown to have any effect on cardiovascular risk.<\/p>\n

More importantly, the ketogenic diet also reliably raise the \u201cgood\u201d HDL-cholesterol, while also improving most other cardiovascular markers, including blood pressure, as\u00a0this study shows. Thus, the overall effect on cholesterol and other markers for heart disease is positive.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Claim #5:<\/strong>\u00a0Keto will make you break out<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
Fact:<\/strong><\/div>\n
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One study\u00a0found carbs to be the \u201cmain culprit\u201d in causing acne. However, another study found that\u00a0low-glycemic diets lessened acne. What\u2019s more,\u00a0a review conducted by Italian researchers suggested that the keto diet could target acne by reducing inflammation and levels of insulin and IGF-1 \u2014 all\u00a0known causes of acne.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Claim #6:<\/strong>\u00a0Keto is not good for your gut<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
Fact:<\/strong><\/div>\n
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Patients with gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) have been shown to\u00a0improve<\/em>\u00a0after eating very low carbohydrate diets.\u00a0Another study\u00a0found increased carb-intake worsened GERD, while a high-fat, low-carbohydrate diet reduced symptoms. And two studies have linked esophageal diseases, including\u00a0Barrett\u2019s esophagus (BE)\u00a0and\u00a0GERD, to sugar and carbohydrate intake.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Claim #7:<\/strong>\u00a0Keto causes, or worsens, fatty liver disease<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
Fact:<\/strong><\/div>\n
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The European Association for the Study of the Liver actually\u00a0cites\u00a0a low-carbohydrate diet as a way to treat the disease. Studies show that\u00a0cutting carbohydrates\u00a0and\u00a0particularly fructose, or sugar from plants, works to\u00a0improve<\/em>\u00a0liver fat metabolism.<\/p>\n

What\u2019s more, high-carbohydrate diets have been associated with worsening non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Claim #8:<\/strong>\u00a0You\u2019ll lose sleep on a ketogenic diet<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
Fact:<\/strong><\/div>\n
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There seems to be no foundation for this claim. People eating diets very low in carbohydrates and high in fats and proteins have been found,\u00a0in one study, to enjoy better sleep quality, meaning they spent more time in deep sleep than those on high-carbohydrate, low-fat diets. A survey of 1,580 low-carb consumers published by the\u00a0Journal of Insulin Resistance<\/em>\u00a0found that while more than 11% of respondents reported using sleep-aids before beginning their low-carb diet, less than 5% reported using them after their diet.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Claim #9:<\/strong>\u00a0Keto causes gallbladder problems<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
Fact:<\/strong><\/div>\n
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Multiple studies have found that diets higher in fat\u00a0prevent<\/em>\u00a0gallstone formation. Examples are\u00a0here and\u00a0here. Meanwhile, diets low in fat actually\u00a0increase gallbladder volume\u00a0and may increase the risk of gallstone development,\u00a0as do diets high in sugar and carbohydrates.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Claim #10:<\/strong>\u00a0Keto is not good for long-term weight management<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
Fact:<\/strong><\/div>\n
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Studies have demonstrated that the keto diet may in fact be ideal for long term weight management.\u00a0One meta-analysis\u00a0found that individuals following very low-carbohydrate ketogenic diets lost more weight in one year than those on low-fat diets.<\/p>\n

A survey\u00a0published in the\u00a0Journal of Insulin Resistance<\/em>\u00a0found that three of four respondents on a low-carb diet reported losing 10 pounds or more; one-third reported losing more than 30 pounds. Six out of 10 respondents who were on the diet two years or more reported losing 20 pounds or more and 46% said they lost 3 inches from their waists.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Claim #11:<\/strong>\u00a0People just can\u2019t stay on keto<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
Fact:<\/strong><\/div>\n
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The ketogenic diet does not limit calories; people can eat as much as they like so long as they restrict carbohydrates. This means that people don\u2019t have to endure long periods of feeling hungry\u2014which is why the ketogenic diet tends to be sustainable.<\/p>\n

The survey\u00a0in\u00a0Journal of Insulin Resistance<\/em>\u00a0found that before respondents started their low-carb diets, nearly nine of 10 experienced intense hunger between meals. Once on the diet, only 3.5% said they grew hungry between meals. Respondents reported similar improvements in other aspects of their physical and psychological well-being.<\/p>\n

Of the 1,580 survey participants, more than half reported staying on a low-carb diet for at least one year, and 34% reported more than two years. Further, those on the diet for two years or more said that they had largely maintained their weight loss.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

A ketogenic diet is high in fat and very low in carbohydrates. Here we will address the 11 most common anti-keto claims found in the media. While we are not suggesting a ketogenic diet is appropriate for all, this diet is clearly a safe and highly effective option for people with metabolic diseases (obesity, diabetes, …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[1],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/ketodietchoice.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/ketodietchoice.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/ketodietchoice.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ketodietchoice.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ketodietchoice.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=18"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/ketodietchoice.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":19,"href":"https:\/\/ketodietchoice.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18\/revisions\/19"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/ketodietchoice.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=18"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ketodietchoice.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=18"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ketodietchoice.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=18"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}