The ketogenic diet is considered one of the most effective for weight loss. Some adherents of a healthy lifestyle believe that such nutrition is the most appropriate for a person. But, like any diet, it has its drawbacks.
Man always smells like acetone
The name of the diet comes from the word ketosis - a chemical process that exists in any body, but usually in limited quantities. As you know from the course of biology, one of the important sources of energy for the brain, muscles and simply tissue cells of any living being is glucose. It is found in many foods that come with food. For the functioning of the human body, a lot of glucose is needed, and if its amount is limited for one reason or another, ketones begin to be produced, which become an alternative for obtaining energy. But even when glucose is in excess, organs such as the heart and renal cortex still use ketones as their personal fuel.
They are more efficient for chemical processes and when processed, they contribute to the formation of free radicals and other reactive oxygen species required by vital organs.
The keto diet provides a minimum intake of carbohydrates in relation to fats, like 1:85 and not very high intake of proteins - 1: 4.
Ketones are formed from fats and proteins, which are broken down and converted by the liver into glycerol and fatty acid molecules.
These elements are involved in ketogenesis, during which the first derivative, acetoacetate, appears. The further process converts this substance into acetone, and it, in turn, is sent to the excretory system of the body. As a result, anyone on a ketogenic diet will inevitably smell like acetone. The liquid compound comes out in sweat, in urine, and is exhaled in carbon dioxide. In another way, those who strictly follow the keto diet do not.
Lack of athletic performance
Representatives of the National Association of Dietitians and Nutritionists of Russia clearly distinguish between low-carb and ketogenic diets. The first forces the body to use fat and carbohydrates for daily energy needs, and the second, due to their lack, will actively use the available fat from the tissues. When it is over, metabolic changes in the body will be such that the level of ketones in the blood will always be elevated so that they are available for the necessary energy of the body.
Accordingly, all fat mass in a person adhering to a ketogenic diet will go away, but muscle mass will not increase at all. Moreover, no energetic prerequisites for such a process are provided in ketogenesis. At this point, the body is on a keto diet, which is biologically calculated only for survival, not for weight gain. Many studies by sports nutritionists in the United States show that the ability to perform high-intensity muscle work in athletes who switch to a keto diet is immediately reduced.
This is due to a decrease in intramuscular glycogen and a decrease in the liver's ability to release glucose, so necessary during vigorous exercise. People on a keto diet do not biologically have the energy to perform any increased physical activity and to achieve good sports results, in this case it is not necessary to speak.
Can't be used by fat people
Since a person who adheres to a strict ketogenic diet is rapidly losing adipose tissue, it is logical to assume that this type of food is simply necessary for overweight people. However, doctors of the Interregional Public Organization Russian Diabetes Association do not specifically advise people with great excess weight to switch to a keto diet. A healthy body creates a lot of insulin, and its cells respond to this hormone in a certain, correct way.
This allows the liver to produce ketones at the right time and stop them when too many ketone bodies enter the bloodstream.
An overweight person almost always has, for ordinary life, small, but in this case, extremely dangerous problems with the work of the pancreas. When insulin is not produced or the process does not work properly, ketone levels can skyrocket and continue to rise to critical levels in the blood. Doctors call this diabetic ketoacidosis.
Excessive amounts of ketones cause the blood to become very acidic and this shift in acidity can be fatal. Instead of healthy weight loss, a person begins to develop diabetes. Well, this disease brings with it the corresponding negative symptoms that remain forever and are able to progress in the future. Ideally, the keto diet can only help completely healthy people who are very slightly overweight. But is it worth in this case to make such sacrifices and risks?