What Is Ketosis, What Are the Benefits, and Is It Safe?

Ketosis is a natural metabolic state when your body doesn't have enough glucose for energy. Learn what it is, how to get into ketosis, and the benefits.

What Is Ketosis, What Are the Benefits, and Is It Safe?

While a ketogenic diet can provide some benefits, it can also trigger multiple side effects and isn't for everyone. It also helps you maintain muscle. It's common for a person who is new to ketosis to experience a variety of symptoms known as keto flu, such as headaches, fatigue, nausea, and an upset stomach. Shifting metabolism and reaching ketosis can accelerate weight loss and lead to other health benefits such as increased energy and lower blood pressure.

To get into a state of ketosis, you may need to eat less than 50 grams of carbohydrates a day, sometimes just 20 grams

Is it safe for your body to suffer from ketosis?

Both Condon and Kleinman said they wouldn't recommend the keto diet to their patients because it's ultimately not realistic or sustainable. While some preliminary research suggests that the keto diet may be safe and effective for certain people with type 2 diabetes, there is still a risk of low blood sugar, especially insulin patients, and the keto diet omits certain food groups that are known to be benefit people with this disease. A doctor can also help you follow the diet safely to minimize the risk of side effects. This occurs when the body stores too many ketone acids, which are a by-product of fat burning, and the blood becomes too acidic, which can damage the liver, kidneys, and brain.

What are the negative effects of a keto diet?

There is a responsible way to go keto, but there are also some strange side effects, namely “keto flu,” that you should be aware of before you start. The effectiveness of different types of diets based on different macronutrient restrictions has been controversial in recent years. People who follow the keto diet should eat foods like fatty fish, eggs, dairy, meat, butter, oils, nuts, seeds, and low-carb vegetables. If the ketogenic diet is continued for an extended period of time, there are other adverse effects that become more apparent and have a greater impact on the individual.

Other causes of diarrhea on the keto diet include eating a low-fiber diet (fiber helps ward off diarrhea by replenishing stools) and eating processed low-carb foods, such as shakes and bars, which can contain sugar alcohols.

What are ketones and why are they dangerous?

The body does this when it doesn't have enough insulin to use glucose, the body's normal energy source. The safe amount of ketones in urine varies from person to person and depends on underlying health conditions. When you're healthy and on a balanced diet, your body controls how much fat it burns, so you don't typically make or use ketones. While people without diabetes can have ketones in their urine, DKA is only a problem for diabetics.

Diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) is a serious complication of diabetes and may be due to unaddressed ketone levels.

Elsie Parry
Elsie Parry

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