Indigestion, a side effect of the keto diet that is often overlooked

Is it true that the side effects of the keto diet can interfere with digestion?

It's not just the keto diet, any changes to your daily diet can have a direct effect on the digestive system. Described by John Riopelle, DO, a gastroenterologist in Colorado, United States, that the keto diet method that is high in fat, but low in carbohydrates can be at risk of causing digestive problems.

This is because the recommended food sources in the keto diet are generally low in fiber. In fact, this type of food is precisely what is needed to smooth the work of your digestive system. As a result, some people experience side effects of the keto diet in the form of nausea, fatigue, headaches, diarrhea, and various other complaints.

All of these symptoms are known as the keto flu. For example, the keto flu is a period when the body adapts to a new diet, the keto diet.

Although it usually recovers in a matter of days, many people on the keto diet feel that their condition is getting worse with the onset of digestive problems. Regarding this, Dr. Riopelle further explained that the digestive system, especially the large intestine, each person is not the same.

That is why some people sometimes experience constipation (constipation), diarrhea, stomach pain, and even stomach acid rises due to lack of certain nutritional intake. Meanwhile, the rest of the people who are on the keto diet don't feel any problems.

What caused it?

It turns out that there is a special reason behind the side effects of the keto diet which often make you experience digestive problems. According to Lindsey Albenberg, DO, a gastroenterologist at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States, that of all the nutrients we eat, the digestion of fat takes the longest.

That is why, fat can make you full longer. Unfortunately, in this keto diet, even though it can make you full for a long time, the process of breaking down and digesting fat that doesn't take a while will actually make your stomach uncomfortable. As a result, you experience stomach upset, acid reflux, and other digestive problems.

Not only that, because the condition of everyone's digestive system is different, there are some people who are not familiar with the process of digesting fat which takes a long time.

In fact, sometimes some fat may not be completely absorbed in the digestive system. When the undigested fat enters the small intestine and large intestine, there will be a lot of water used to help facilitate digestion of fat.

However, using too much water turns out to have a bad impact on feces, causing diarrhea. Conversely, if you are on a keto diet but complain about constipation (constipation), it is usually due to fat that is difficult for the body to digest. Coupled with the minimum intake of fiber you eat.

How to deal with this condition?

Anyone who is on a diet, of course, wants his business to be successful while still being supported by smooth digestion work. So, the key is to eat more high-fiber foods that can be obtained from fruits, vegetables, seeds, nuts, and so on.

Avoid milk for a while because it is feared that it will make your digestive condition worse. Taking medications for diarrhea and constipation may help treat digestive problems, but they should not be used for a long time.

If you find that your condition is getting worse every day, it is better to stop the keto diet and return to a normal diet as usual. The reason is, each person has a different body condition with the ability of different organs. There are people who may be able to accept a high-fat diet, but some are not.

So, look for and find out what kind of diet is most suitable for your body condition. Don't forget to keep your body hydrated under any circumstances to prevent dehydration.