The keto diet is a diet high in fat and low in carbohydrates

The emergence of a wide variety of diets can be confusing. The various benefits of any diet sound very tempting, especially with claims of "effective weight loss". However, don't just diet! Find out clearly about the diet that you will live. Make sure it is suitable and safe for you. One type of diet that is in vogue is the keto diet. The keto diet is a diet that is considered effective in losing weight quickly and effectively.

Before starting the keto diet, I will explain various important facts about the complete keto diet, plus the various ways the keto diet is wrong.

What is the keto diet?

The keto diet is a dietary arrangement with a very low carbohydrate intake, which is less than 10 percent or less than 50 grams per day. In a normal diet, daily carbohydrate intake ranges from 50-60 percent. While the keto diet is only about 5 to 10 percent and the rest is replaced by fat and protein intake.

The keto diet or also called the ketogenic diet comes from the word ketone. Ketones are chemical compounds that are produced from the breakdown of fat by the liver. Usually, energy is taken from glucose which comes from carbohydrates. However, because it is low in carbohydrates, the body will lack glucose. As a result, the body automatically uses energy reserves from other compounds, namely fat.

Medically, the goal of the keto diet is to reduce the incidence of epilepsy in children. In addition, this diet is also widely used for weight loss. Even so, further research is needed regarding the side effects of the keto diet if done for a long time.

The benefits and risks of the keto diet

Just like other types of diets, ketogenic also has benefits and risks that need to be known. I will review one by one, starting with the benefits then also the risks.

Benefits of the keto diet

1. Control epilepsy

The keto diet is a diet recommended for children with epilepsy. Experts say ketones are produced when processing fat into energy to help normalize the electrical activity of the brain that is disturbed in epilepsy patients.

2. Lose weight

When you go on a keto diet, your body uses fat reserves to burn for energy. This burnt fat can ultimately help you lose weight.

3. Control blood sugar levels

Going on a keto diet means lowering your carbohydrate intake. In the body, carbohydrates are broken down and absorbed into glucose (blood sugar). The less carbohydrates you consume, the less glucose in the body so that blood sugar levels become more controllable.

The risks of the keto diet

People who are on the keto diet will experience a condition known as ketosis. Ketosis comes from ketones as a result of fat being processed in the body. If enough fat is processed into energy, the ketone levels will increase and the body will experience a condition called ketosis.

Ketosis is normal in the body. However, it becomes dangerous if the levels are too much. High ketone levels can cause dehydration and make chemical compounds in the blood imbalance.

In addition, the complications that can arise are also quite serious if not supervised by an expert. For example, disorders of the kidneys, liver and blood fats.

The side effects that are usually felt when on a keto diet are:

Nausea
Gag
Headache
Difficulty defecating
Decline mood
High levels of cholesterol in the blood

Common keto diet mistakes

Broadly speaking, the main mistake in the keto diet is the choice of the type of fat consumed. Even though this diet relies on high fat consumption, it's not just any fat that you can consume.

Generally, many people eat all types of fatty foods without considering whether the fat is good or not for the body.

In fact, the recommended fat intake on the keto diet is good and healthy fat. Examples of good fats for consumption include pure head oil (VCO), pure olive oil, fish fat, fat in avocados, and also fat from nuts.

Instead, you need to avoid bad fats such as saturated and trans fats from fried foods, packaged meat, butter, or junk food.

The keto diet rules are safe for beginners

Basically, the keto diet is a safe eating pattern and can be run as long as it is under the supervision of a nutritionist. The reason is, if not monitored and carelessly do it, the side effects you get can be very serious.

Therefore, the right diet method needs to be adapted to each condition. This is because the side effects and reactions that occur in each person on this diet can be different. That's why you need to consult a clinical nutrition doctor first.