5 reasons to ditch Keto and get more protein from plants

In diet culture, low-carb diets are hailed as weight-loss wonders, and we know them by name: Atkins, South Beach, and paleo. The ketogenic diet, abbreviated to ‘keto’, is one of those low-carb diets. The difference between the keto diet and others is that while one group recommends replacing carbohydrates with proteins, the keto diet replaces carbohydrates with fats. But while results seem to occur quickly, this diet, which has a history as a medical treatment, does come with some health risks.

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What is the keto diet?

When done correctly, the lack of carbohydrates consumed on a keto diet forces the body into a metabolic state called “ketosis.” In this condition, the liver produces a substance called ‘ketones’ from stored fats. These ketones then provide the body with energy instead of carbohydrates (the body’s usual energy source), leading to rapid weight loss in many people. But is that a good thing? And is the keto diet actually healthy?

“​It is effective for weight loss because it removes so many foods from the diet and it is an extremely restrictive diet. Any diet that eliminates entire food groups will cause weight loss,” Dana Ellis Hunnes, PhD, MPH, RD, explains to VegNews. “However, this is not a healthy diet.”

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The keto diet that puts your body in a state of ketosis is not for regular people. Doctors introduced it to the medical community in the 1920s to treat children with epilepsy and seizures and as a complementary therapy to reduce the risk of seizures. “Not for the average person just trying to lose weight,” Hunnes adds. Most keto diet fad followers are not actually in ketosis unless they are closely monitored by a dietitian who knows how to develop a ketogenic plan.

What can you eat on a keto diet?

In general, a keto diet consists of 70 to 80 percent fats, 5 to 10 percent carbohydrates, and 10 to 20 percent protein. According to Harvard Health, this amounts to 165 grams of fat, 40 grams of carbohydrates and 75 grams of protein. To put these numbers in perspective, half a cup of cooked long-grain brown rice contains almost 26 grams of carbohydrates. And the Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommend that you get about 25 to 35 percent of your daily calorie intake from fats.

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To get more specific, the keto diet includes meat, eggs, oily fish, high-fat dairy products, nuts and seeds, avocados, healthy oils, green beans, and vegetables that are members of the cabbage family. It limits grains and starches (such as rice, pasta and bread), all other vegetables, tubers, most fruits, beans and legumes, processed low-fat and sugar-free products, highly refined oils, sugary foods and drinks, and alcohol.

The health risks of a keto diet

When it comes to maintaining a healthy weight, this fast-acting eating plan may be best left in the graveyard of fad diets.

But you may want to consider a long-term, completely plant-based diet instead. Often abbreviated to WFPB, a plant-based diet emphasizes whole grains, vegetables, fruits, legumes, nuts and seeds. It excludes all animal products and limits processed oils, refined sugars, white foods (such as bread, rice and pasta), fried foods and many prepared foods.

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5 Reasons Why You Should Forget Keto

Let’s discuss the health risks of the keto diet and why you might want to consider whole-foods, plant-based foods instead.

1 It increases ‘bad’ cholesterol

The keto diet often encourages foods like processed meats, fatty meats and butter. “Keto is a risk to heart health if it is extremely high in animal protein and animal fats,” says Hunnes, adding that the diet can increase inflammation in the body. Although its exact role in heart health is unknown, inflammation is common in patients with heart disease and stroke. “However, this inflammation is often hidden by the fact that it is a low-calorie diet, and a diet with sufficient calories can reduce the risk of elevated and high cholesterol levels,” adds Hunnes.

Many keto foods are also high in saturated fat, which is known to increase LDL (low-density lipoprotein) cholesterol levels in the blood. A meta-analysis of more than 100 studies on the keto diet published in the journal Limits in nutrition found that it increases both the risk of heart disease and LDL cholesterol buildup when used as a long-term eating plan.

However, studies have linked diets rich in whole, plant-based foods, such as whole grains, legumes, fruits, non-starchy vegetables, nuts and healthy oils rich in unsaturated fats, to lower cholesterol, lower blood pressure and less inflammation.

2 It can cause constipation

Fruits, vegetables, whole grains and legumes are all rich in dietary fiber, a nutrient that helps increase feelings of fullness and aids digestion. But a keto diet contains very little fiber from fruits, vegetables and grains. It is especially low in beta-glucan, a type of fiber found in grains such as barley and oats. Studies suggest that beta-glucan also helps maintain healthy cholesterol and blood glucose levels.

In addition, beta-glucan and other grain fibers help you maintain a healthy gut microbiome, Julie Miller Jones, PhD, LN, CNS, and scientific advisor for the Joint Institute of Food Safety and Nutrition at the University of Maryland and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration Drug Administration, tells VegNews.

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“So followers of the [keto] diet can not only suffer from constipation and slow transit times, but can also lack the protection provided by the fermentation of fiber in the colon,” explains Jones. “This fermentation of these carbohydrates nourishes a healthy microbiome, which in turn produces short-chain fatty acids that lower the pH of the colon and are associated with lower growth of polyps and colon cancer.”

However, a whole-nutrition plant-based diet emphasizes a range of fiber-rich foods that aid in a healthy gut microbiome and proper digestion, reports a study published in Limits in nutrition in 2019.

3 It can lead to nutritional deficiencies

You may miss out on important vitamins and minerals on a long-term keto diet because it restricts so many fruits, vegetables, grains, and legumes. You can get vegetables from the cabbage family, but most other vegetables, including potatoes, are sold out. Avocados and lemons are the only exceptions for permitted fruits. So over time, a keto follower may become deficient in certain nutrients.

A study published in the Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition found that those who adhere to fad diets — in this case, two of Keto’s low-carb siblings, the Atkins diet, the South Beach diet and the high-carb DASH diet — have a high chance of becoming deficient in get micronutrients.

A plant-based diet, on the other hand, encourages getting as many nutrients from food as possible, so it encourages eating a wide variety of ingredients. But that doesn’t mean it’s perfect. Anyone following a vegan diet should supplement with vitamin B12, an essential nutrient that cannot be obtained from plant foods.

4 The weight loss is unsustainable

It is common for keto diet followers to experience rapid weight loss. But that’s no reason to celebrate. Like many fad diets, keto isn’t intended to permanently change the way you eat. It is temporary and followers often regain the weight they have lost after returning to their normal eating habits.

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“Along with the health risks, the inability to stick to the diet is one of the main reasons why keto is at the bottom of US News and World Report’s diet rankings,” says Jones. “That’s also why prestigious organizations like the Mayo Clinic recommend it for intractable epilepsy, but for almost nothing else. So while keto promotes rapid weight loss, it does not create dietary patterns that are sustainable and therefore does not lead to long-term weight loss for the vast majority of people.”

But in addition to the other benefits, a study published in the American Journal of Lifestyle Medicine suggests that a whole-nutrition plant-based diet can aid in safe, sustainable weight loss.

5 And more …

The keto diet comes with a host of other health risks, and the one most people experience first is the “keto flu.” Symptoms include a cloudy mind, dizziness, nausea, cramps, headaches, irritability and constipation. This condition, which is not medically recognized, is known to occur two to seven days after starting a keto diet. The cause is not known nor is it unique to the keto diet, and many people who have drastically changed their diets have reported similar symptoms. Additional negative side effects of a long-term keto diet suggested by studies include a higher risk of kidney stones, osteoporosis, and a higher heart rate for athletes.

While there is no evidence that the keto diet is directly linked to eating disorders, many dietitians warn that restrictive fad diets in general can fuel yo-yo dieting and disordered eating.

Plus, because the keto diet contains so many animal products, it’s not good for the planet either. Industrial livestock farming is the culprit behind 14.5 percent of man-made global greenhouse gas emissions, while a plant-based diet puts significantly less strain on the planet. So if you want to eat healthier and more sustainably, a plant-based diet may be worth it. As always, any major changes to your diet should be discussed with your doctor first.