When you’re thinking of following any diet plan, it’s crucial to learn more about its risks and side effects. Every diet that restricts some type of food group will have a number of risks and side effects – major or minor depending on the diet.
With the keto diet, there are a few factors you’ll need to consider before deciding whether or not it’s right for you. Here are some of the key risks and side effects to be aware of before starting the diet.
What Short-Term Side Effects Can Occur?
When you’re just starting out with the keto diet, there are a lot of short-term side effects which can crop up. This is because you’re making drastic changes to your normal diet.
Anything drastic you change is going to be a shock for the body. If you’re used to consuming a high level of carbs each day, suddenly reducing them can have a number of effects. These include:
- Excessive thirst and increased urination
- Fatigue
- Flu-like symptoms
- Lightheadedness
- Hunger
It’s really common for followers of the diet to experience flu-like symptoms and fatigue. These tend to last for up to three days, and they can be accompanied by hunger and lightheadedness. Excessive thirst and frequent urination also go hand in hand.
While these side effects can be difficult to deal with, they are only temporary in most cases.
Understanding the Long-Term Side Effects
If the keto diet is followed for long periods of time, you may also experience a few long-term side effects. Children following the diet can experience kidney stones. In fact, it is estimated that around 5% will suffer from kidney stones as a result of the keto diet.
There is also an increased risk of a bone fracture. This occurs due to acidosis and changes within the insulin style growth factor 1. The bones can be eroded over time and they can also become much weaker. Therefore, it is advised you take vitamin supplements to ensure you’re still getting the nutrients required from your limited diet.
What about the Risks?
As well as the side effects above, there are also a few risks you’ll need to be aware of. If you’re diabetic, there is the chance you’ll develop ketoacidosis, a potentially dangerous condition.
If you’re following the keto diet for weight loss, there’s also a risk you could regain the lost weight once you finish the diet. In fact, the keto diet has one of the biggest weight-regain rates of any diet. This basically means when you go back to eating normally, you’ll start to put the weight back on that you’ve lost.
Over time, you may also lose muscle mass with the keto diet. It can also decrease athletic performance.
So, while the Keto diet can provide wonderful short-term benefits, it does produce a number of side effects and risks. The above are just some of the most common you’ll need to be aware of. As it isn’t a diet you can follow for the rest of your life, it’s important to understand the short- and long-term side effects that you may need to deal with.