Ketogenic Diet: The Possible Side Effects and How to Prevent them

Ketogenic diet is a great way to lose weight and get your body in shape with great efficiency. But you shouldn’t start any diet without knowing some of the possible health side effects. Read on to learn what the potential risks of subscribing to a keto diet entail.

The Keto Flu
Once you start keto, you are at risk of developing the “keto flu”. It is not an actual flu, as in you come down with a viral infection. Rather it is a result of the body transitioning to a low carb state. When you reduce your carb intake, your body begins to forcibly burn ketones instead of glucose as a source of energy. When your body makes this switch, it will begin to remove the excess ketones via increased and frequent urination. This can lead to flu like symptoms, including, dehydration, fatigue, nausea irritability, dizziness, etc.

Kidney and Heart Damage

Dehydration is a major cause for worry when you’re on the keto diet. You will naturally need to urinate more frequently once you begin keto, so that your body can remove the excess waste caused by ketosis. If you don’t monitor your fluid levels well, this will lead to dehydration which can affect your kidneys and your heart if left untreated.

Yo-Yo Dieting Patterns

One issue that people don’t consider when starting a diet like keto is that it is not a long term dieting solution. It is great for helping you to lose weight effectively, but eventually you will have to switch to a more nutrient balanced diet. This can lead to a series of yo-yo dieting if you’re not careful. Most people pick up keto to lose weight but will revert to their original eating habits once they’ve lost the weight. Then they will switch back to keto and this could be a vicious cycle.