So what is the Ketogenic Diet?

The Keto diet principles vary from person to person but generally the basis of the diet is high-fat meats and dairy, followed by oils. Nonstarchy vegetables are also allowed. Very little fruits, nuts, and starchy vegetables are to be consumed.

The goal of the Ketogenic diet is to reach and maintain a level of ketosis in the body. To do so, very few carbs can be consumed. Ketosis is a metabolic state in which levels of ketone bodies are raised, due to the lack of glucose. In other words, the body burns fat, because it does not have dietary sugars to break down for energy. This sounds amazing, and it is. It's used to treat some medical patients, like those with epilepsy, because it appears to have neuroprotective qualities in the brain.

Many other conditions such as "metabolic syndrome, Alzheimer's disease, and Lou Gehrig's disease" are being studied to see if the Ketogenic diet is beneficial, according to Medical News Today.

Those conditions affect a select few, yet Keto is practiced by many of us in the general public.

Why is the Keto diet do popular?

The Ketogenic way of eating has seemingly grown overnight, amassing thousands of people swearing it to be an end all be all of health and wellness. Followers of the Keto diet report seeing immediate and rapid weight loss. Due to the society we live in, fat loss tends to align with the idea that it is healthy. The weight loss occurs from the lack of carbohydrates in the diet. As much as 80% of the prescribed calories is recommended to come from fat. Whether the fat is coming from bacon and fries or avocado is to the individual's discretion.

The problem with the diet.

One of the most obvious ways a high-fat diet may harm the body is through the heart. Now adequate servings of "healthy" fats are in fact good for the heart, but extreme amounts of fat have not been studied sufficiently. The American Heart Association in congruence with the College of Cardiology and The Obesity society "have concluded that there is not enough evidence to suggest that low-carbohydrate diets such as the ketogenic diet provide health benefits to the heart."

More strikingly, the Keto diet is a very limiting diet. Many essential nutrients and micronutrients are found in the foods that limited or banned by the diet. Followers of the Keto diet also tend to lack a very important nutrient, fiber.

The Ketogenic diet can help some lose weight. Whether that is worth the possible side effects and can be maintained is up to the individual. Like many diets, people tend to quit, or at least taper off of them. With the introduction of carbohydrates in the diet, the body will tend to naturally gain back the weight, since it has been "starved" in a sense.

Diets should be researched carefully, and if possible, suggested by a medical professional. The Ketogenic diet is likely a fad but still contains harmful and potentially dangerous side effects. It demonizes carbohydrates of all kinds, not just those that are refined and have excess sugar. It preaches the idea that even fruit and starchy vegetables are intakes should be monitored.

Convinced? Try the Mediterranean diet!

If you would like to try a diet, perhaps look into the Mediterranean diet, voted the best diet for several years, and is also a region home to some of the bluest zones in the world. Blue zones being a place with abnormal rates of people living over a hundred years. Diets like the Mediterranean, are not only more sustainable in the long run, but focus on the quality of life. Which should be the ultimate goal of any diet.