;Resize=(1200,627)&hash=11d7123ed72f9e9f536d807afc9b54e65b25c698ab935b35740639b80e96da40 "Dangerous for the body: Popular diets can seriously endanger your health")
People who want to lose weight often go on a diet. The options are almost endless. But a popular diet could harm the body. FOCUS online explains.
If you want to lose weight, you usually look for a suitable diet. However, new studies show that this project can also be quite dangerous. Because some diets are harmful to health and also have a negative impact on the environment.
If you want to lose weight, it is better to avoid dieting
What is meant is the so-called keto diet (also known as a ketogenic diet). In recent years, it has gained popularity because it is effective in reducing weight and stabilizing blood sugar levels. However, the keto diet also has some disadvantages.
How does the keto diet work?
The keto diet is a low-carb, high-fat diet that aims to put the body in a state of ketosis. This means the body starts using fat as its primary source of energy instead of carbohydrates.
Normally, the body uses carbohydrates as its main source of energy, which are obtained by breaking down glucose. However, when carbohydrate intake is severely restricted, the body begins to use fat as its primary source of energy, converting it into ketones.
What foods are allowed on the keto diet?
A typical keto diet consists of a high intake of fat, a moderate intake of protein, and a very low intake of carbohydrates. Foods like meat, fish, eggs, dairy, vegetables, nuts and seeds are high on the diet, while high-carb foods like bread, pasta, rice, sugar and sweetened drinks should be avoided.
Why Can a Keto Diet Be Dangerous?
researchers from the USA took a closer look at the keto diet and found that the diet can be bad for your health.
The study compared data from 305 people on the keto diet to 1,200 people on a standard (mixed) diet. The observation lasted for at least ten years.
The results show that the keto diet can increase levels of “bad” LDL cholesterol. This increases the risk of cardiovascular disease and other cardiovascular diseases such as blocked arteries, heart attacks or strokes.
Is the Keto Diet Bad for the Environment?
The keto diet eats lots of animal products like meat, dairy, and eggs to meet high fat and protein needs. However, the cultivation of feed for livestock and animal husbandry have a significant impact on the environment, as they require large amounts of water, energy and land and contribute to deforestation and greenhouse gas emissions. The production of animal products also contributes to the release of greenhouse gases such as methane and carbon dioxide.
This is how much CO2 the ketogenic diet causes
The ketogenic diet creates according to estimates three kilograms of carbon dioxide for every 1,000 calories consumed. In comparison, a vegan diet is much more environmentally friendly with just 0.7 kilograms of carbon dioxide per 1,000 calories consumed.
While a greener keto diet is possible by focusing on plant sources of fat and protein, it’s not that easy as it’s hard to get fat and protein from just nuts, seeds, legumes, and the like.