So you’re committed to Keto, you’ve read all the rules and you’ve gotten a jump-start on your diet whether it’s for the weight loss benefits or any other health reasons such as diabetes, liver disease, inflammation, epilepsy, or migraine treatment. You believe that giving up your food favorites is going to be the hardest hurdle along the way, but you’re feeling committed, have surrounded yourself with a great Keto community (if not, join our growing KetoHealing Facebook group!) and have pushed through the cravings those first few days.
You may have even stretched yourself out of your comfort zone, pushed aside your fear of the kitchen, and started experimenting with new recipes. Hopefully you are also already personally experiencing some of the many amazing Health Benefits of Keto.
But then suddenly your positive momentum hits the brakes as your friends/family/co-workers find out you’ve gone Keto, and start expressing unsolicited concerns about your new lifestyle. We’ve all been there!
Some will attempt to avoid these conflicts initially by keeping the diet to themselves (proclaiming “I’m avoiding carbohydrates” rather than flat out saying “I’ve following the Keto diet” and receiving the barrage of questions that ensue). But eventually, whether it’s the office pizza party, a friend’s birthday, or family holiday get-together, you may feel pressured by others who don’t understand why you won’t indulge in the typical carb-heavy food. That’s when you confess you’ve gone Keto, which is often followed by unsolicited questions or concerns from your newfound Keto critics.
Common concerns from Keto critics include:
- You’re losing weight too fast.
- It’s a fad diet. You’ll gain the weight back as soon as you stop.
- It’s not healthy to stay keto long term.
- Your body needs carbohydrates to function.
- Fat is unhealthy and causes heart attacks.
- Live a little. A cheat for a birthday or holiday isn’t going to kill youl.
It can be extremely tough to stay the course with these social pressures, and oftentimes you may not have all the data at your fingertips to justify your new low carb, high fat Keto lifestyle. That is, until now!
Because I’m so passionate about this topic, and I want others starting Keto to have similar success, I’ve done all the homework for you! Below are links to some of the many studies supporting the Ketogenic Diet, demonstrating that the Keto diet is not only safe long term, but also beneficial in treating a number of health conditions!
So the next time you’re challenged by a family member or friend about your Keto diet, you’ll feel confident that you’re armed with all the right facts and supporting resources to alleviate the concerns associated with your new Keto lifestyle.
Please bookmark this page. Share it on social media. Email it to family or friends. Spread the word to help debunk the myths associated with the Keto diet!
Is Keto Dangerous? Not according to these studies! Here’s a selection of research articles backing the benefits of Keto:
- Study: Long-term Effects of a Ketogenic Diet in Obese Patients – This study shows the beneficial effects of maintaining a Ketogenic Diet in the long term. Benefits included a reduction in both body weight and body mass index of the patients, along with lower levels of triglycerides, LDL cholesterol and blood glucose, and an increase in the level of HDL (the Good) cholesterol.
- Study: Long Term High-fat Ketogenic Diet is Healthy and Safe – A German study published November 11, 2017 in the journal Clinical Nutrition concludes there are no long-term negative effects for those following a high-fat, low-carb, moderate-protein Ketogenic Diet.
- Ketogenic Diet has Benefits for Women with Ovarian or Endometrial Cancer – Researchers at the University of Alabama conducted this study which demonstrates that the lower insulin and higher ketone levels from the Ketogenic diet may help to reduce the risks of cancer growth.
- Sugar Not Fat is More Responsible for Heart Attacks – Despite the fact that for years many experts advocated that a diet high in fat was the main dietary risk factor for a heart attack, Dr. W Gifford Jones is among the increasingly growing group of medical professionals who believe that this to be incorrect – and that the real culprit is SUGAR! Reducing sugar intake, eating healthy fats, reducing stress, and getting plenty of exercise will help maintain a healthy heart.
- Ketogenic Diet May Strengthen Immune System To Tame Flu Virus – A Yale study published in the journal Science Immunology demonstrates that Mice fed a Ketogenic Diet were able to combat the flu virus better compared to mice fed food high in carbohydrates.
- The Ketogenic Diet: Uses in Epilepsy and Other Neurologic Illnesses – This article reviews the benefits of the Ketogenic Diet in treating metabolic, oncologic, neurodegenerative, and psychiatric disorders. It also provides example data supporting the potential use of the Ketogenic Diet in each disorder.
- 50 Years Ago Sugar Industry Quietly Paid Scientists to Point Blame to Fat – This news article describes how the sugar industry has been attempting to influence the scientific debate over the risks of sugar and fat for the past five decades. It explains how by convincing Americans to eat a low-fat diet — for the alleged health benefits — they would need to replace that fat with something else. The results: increased sugar consumption, increased sugar sales (and a false view of fat’s contribution to coronary heart disease)!
- Study: High Fat Ketogenic Diet Enhances Gut Microbiota in Healing Epilepsy – While mainstream medicine continues to rely on new and expensive drugs to treat children with epilepsy, a 2017 study shows the positive effects of gut bacteria among those following a Ketogenic Diet for epilepsy.
- Less Carbs, More Fat: Ketogenic Diet Makes Migraine Patients’ Headaches Disappear – This research studied two groups of migraineurs and evaluated the effect of a ketogenic and a non-ketogenic diet on their migraines. It describes how ketone bodies produced during the ketogenic diet reduce the neural inflammation that is common in migraines.
- Study: Ketone Bodies as a Therapeutic for Alzheimer’s Disease – This study explains how research into the therapeutic potential of ketone bodies and ketosis represents a promising new area of Alzheimers Disease research. MSN.com published a similar article on this topic HERE.
- On the Keto diet? Ditch the cheat day, says UBC study – This study debunks the myth that a single cheat day won’t derail your progress on the Keto diet. It demonstrates that just one 75-gram dose of glucose while on a high fat, low carbohydrate diet—the equivalent of a large bottle of soda or a plate of fries— can lead to damaged blood vessels.
Have you come across another study or news article about the benefits or safety of Keto? Please share it with us ([email protected] OR PM us at facebook.com/ketohealing) so we can add it to our growing collection!
Can’t remember all the Keto rules? Our Keto Cheat Sheets have EVERYTHING you need to know to help Beginners get started, designed to fit right on your refrigerator. Now Available for sale on Amazon and at KetoHealing’s Etsy Shop.
Not sure if you’re actually in Ketosis? Learn more about How to Test Ketone Levels HERE.
Interested in FREE Keto recipes? Check out your Keto Recipes Archive here for our collection of delicious recipes. Follow us on social media at Facebook.com/KetoHealing so you don’t miss out on the latest Keto recipes, tips, and tricks!