Ketogenic Diet Myths

One of the most frustrating things I experienced when first learned about this low carb ketogenic (low carb, high fat) way of eating, was trying to sort through what is real and what is propaganda. The food and diet industry is gigantic, so it makes sense that companies will feed fear into their consumers to protect their bottom line, even if based on little or no facts.

I have spent countless hours, probably months by now, trying to find out why a ketogenic diet could be an unhealthy way of eating. I tried to find studies or articles from reputable doctors to convince me that the keto diet would cause fatty liver disease, heart disease, nutritional deficiencies, etc.  The list went on and on of the warnings that well meaning nutritionists and doctors would post, who did not agree with this way of eating. But when it came down to proof, the best they could offer was, “there are not enough long term studies yet to prove…”. Well, let me tell you, there are still no long term studies yet that prove that the high carb low fat way of eating works either.

In fact, if you look at the health of today’s society, I would say that there is pretty clear evidence that the high carb low fat way of eating is not healthy. It causes us to crave food constantly which makes it nearly impossible to avoid all the delicious high carb treats we are surrounded by that are toted as being “healthy” because they are low in fat. They are loaded with fruits and honey, which we are told is healthier. Although it is better than refined sugars, those natural sugars are digested and turn into fat folks!! Natural does not mean safe! The rates of diabetes and heart disease continue to grow. Society is starting to be of the opinion that it is ok to be overweight, because it is just too hard to for us to remain under that obesity line. The way we eat is slowly killing us.

To stop myself before I become one of those fear mongers, I would like share with you a great article from Nina Teicholz, author of The Big Fat Surprise where she provides studies and reputable sources to debunk common ketogenic diet myths. This is a great list to print out and share with your doctor, if he/she is not familiar with the modern ketogenic way of eating.

In this article you will learn why the following is FALSE:

1. Keto is bad for athletes – totally false. In fact, Ultra-marathon runners are adopting this way of eating to give them a steady flow of nutrition and avoid the awful gels. High performing athletes such as CrossFit and gymnasts are finding increased performance using this way of eating.
2. Keto is dangerous if you have diabetes – Type 1 Diabetics do require very close medical supervision, but Type 2 Diabetics not on insulin supplements are finding the low carb way of eating so much easier to control their blood sugars that they are able to get off medication. Some groups of doctors like Virta and Intensive Dietary Management are actually reversing Type 2 Diabetes using ketogenic approaches.
3. Keto causes fatigue and flu-like symptoms – as your body switches over to ketosis, you may experience this if you don’t drink enough water and consume enough sodium. Regardless it is a short lived symptom.
4. Keto is bad for heart health and will raise your cholesterol – quite the opposite actually. Keto raises the good HDL cholesterol that prevents heart disease.
5. Keto will make you break out – I can say first hand that my son’s 19 year old skin cleared up immediately once he started eating keto.
6. Keto is not good for your gut – gastroesophageal reflux disease has been show to actually improve after eating low carb diets.
7. Keto causes, or worsens, fatty liver disease – as backwards as it seems, keto actually treats fatty liver. It is the consumption of sugar (especially fructose), converted to fat, that causes fatty liver.
8. You will lose sleep on a ketogenic diet – I know many people on a high carb diet that have troubles sleeping. There doesn’t seem to be proof of either being better.
9. Keto causes gallbladder problems – diets higher in fat have been shown to prevent gallstone formation.
10. Keto reduces lean body mass – I don’t think this way of eating would be gaining so much attention from the fitness world if that were the case.
11. Keto is not good for long-term weight management –  I tried for 20 years to lose 15 lbs and despite diligent exercise and sticking to eating healthy, I struggled with my weight yo-yo-ing. When I switched to keto, I lost those 15 pounds in 4 months as have kept at that steady weight for over a year. I am not the only one proving that myth to be wrong.
12. People just can’t stay on keto – there are millions of us proving this to be wrong. It is a change to what you are used to, so making the transition is way easier if you have a keto coach to help you through the transition.

If you want the full details of this article and the related studies, you can find it at https://ninateicholz.com/ketogenic-diet-myths-vs-facts/. It would be a handy tool to have when you go to discuss keto with your doctor.

Happy myth debunking!

Tiffiny Poirier

www.lowcarblifenow.com