A new twist on extreme weight loss is catching on in some parts
of the United States. It’s called the "keto diet."
People promoting the diet say it uses the body’s own fat burning
system to help people lose significant weight in as little as 10 days.
It has also been known to help moderate the symptoms of children
with epilepsy, although experts are not quite sure why it works.
Proponents say the diet can produce quick weight loss and
provide a person with more energy.
However, critics say the diet is an unhealthy way to lose weight
and in some instances it can be downright dangerous.
Critics say the keto-type diets usually work only in the short
term and can be unhealthy.
For starters, most of the lost weight is water weight, according
to Lisa Cimperman, R.D.N., a clinical dietitian at University Hospitals Case
Medical Center in Cleveland, Ohio, and a spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition
and Dietetics.
“Once your body enters ketosis, you also begin to lose muscle,
become extremely fatigued, and eventually enter starvation mode. Then it
actually becomes even harder to lose weight,” Cimperman told Healthline.
Mawer said he doesn’t believe the keto diet causes muscle loss.
He did caution it’s not optimal for someone trying to gain muscle.
Other experts interviewed by Healthline had stronger words of
caution.
“Keto diets should only be used under clinical supervision and
only for brief periods,” Francine Blinten, R.D., a certified clinical
nutritionist and public health consultant in Old Greenwich, Connecticut, told
Healthline. “They have worked successfully on some cancer patients in
conjunction with chemotherapy to shrink tumors and to reduce seizures among
people suffering from epilepsy.”
In the general population, Blinten said a keto diet should only
be considered in extreme cases.
“It can do more harm than good. It can damage the heart, which
is also a muscle,” she explained.
Anyone with type 2 diabetes can benefit from weight loss and a
reduced-carb diet because it will improve insulin sensitivity, Cimperman
explained.
“But there are many other ways to do it besides a fad diet that
won’t keep weight off long-term,” she said.
Blinten, who has used a keto diet for some cancer patients in
specific circumstances, cautioned, “people will do anything to get the weight
off.” However, a keto diet will do more harm than good for the majority of
patients, especially if they have any underlying kidney or liver issues.
“People are using this for cosmetic reasons, but it’s so extreme
that it’s dangerous,” she said.
The keto diet was created by Dr. Gianfranco Cappello, an
associate professor of surgery at the Sapienza University in Rome, Italy.
He claims great success among thousands of users. In his study,
more than 19,000 dieters experienced significant, rapid weight loss, few side
effects, and most kept the weight off after a year.
According to the reported results, patients lost an average of
10.2 kilograms, or about 22 pounds, after 2.5 cycles of the keto diet. Cappello
concluded that the diet was a successful way for overweight and obese people to
lose weight, and the few side effects, such as fatigue, are easily managed.
Bette Klein, a registered dietitian at Cleveland Clinic
Children’s Hospital, has used the keto diet for years to help ease the symptoms
of children with epilepsy.
She told Healthline it is particularly effective with children
with refractory epilepsy who have not responded well to at least two different
drug treatments.
Klein said about half of these children who go on the diet see a
reduction in the number of seizures they have.
The dietitian said, however, that medical professionals are not
sure why the diet works in these cases.
“There is not a clear definition of what is happening,” she
said.
Rudy Mawer, a
sports nutritionist, has also found some success with the keto type of diet.
He said he uses this low-carb approach with some people who have
trouble losing weight. He also has high performing athletes on the plan.
Mawer told Healthline there are a number of benefits to the
program.
One benefit is its quick results. People can lose some initial
weight rapidly and that, in turn, helps encourage them.
“You can get motivated by this weight loss,” he said.
He added the keto diet is simple in concept. It eliminates a food
group, making it easier for people to follow.
He said the diet also makes people feel full despite having
fewer calories and it gives them more energy. That’s because, he said, people
are giving up their sluggish diet of processed foods. He added the keto diet
keeps blood sugar levels stable, which produces a more stable flow of energy.
Mawer notes there are some drawbacks.
He said the diet would not necessarily improve athletic
performance, a fact that may discourage some athletes.
He added people need to adhere closely to the program or it will
not work.
“It is a very strict diet,” said Mawer. “You have to do
everything right.”
Every individual, he notes, is different and will react
differently to such a program.
“What’s great for one person can be horrible for another
person,” he said.
