In this article, we are going to discuss and answer the question “How long should I stay on the keto diet?”. I will discuss the possible effects keto has on health in terms of kidney health, social health, and deficiencies.
How long should I stay on the keto diet?
The maximum recommended amount to stay on the keto diet is six months. The keto diet is famous among the diets for it contains so much food that other diets limit. While some diets limit fat or protein.
The keto diet provides a variety of food that no other food would. It lets you enjoy different types of meat and add fat to your food from butter to oils when cooking it. It limits the carbs on the other hand. Such a diet should not be for a long time.
Kidney stones
Keto diets should not be consumed by people with health conditions. Keto diets increase the risk of kidney stone formation. Keto diets do not limit the consumption of sodium.
Excess sodium in the body forces your kidneys to work harder and harder to excrete the extra sodium out of the body. With kidneys focusing on the excess secretion of sodium, calcium accumulates in the kidneys. They form crystals, as they turn into calcium oxalate stones.
It is crucial to reduce the sodium content in food. Not more than 2300 milligrams of sodium in your diet. Reduce food that is high in salt like cheese, and processed food.
Processed food contains a high amount of sodium to preserve the food, such as deli meat, cured meat, hotdogs, canned soup, and canned food.
It is important to increase your water intake as well. It also is important to flush out the toxins in the body. Water reduces the risk of developing kidney stones. It might flush out small stones.
Social factor
Staying on a keto diet for a long time is hard to achieve. It means giving up so many of your favorite meals while going out. You might feel left out and deprived of ordering a pizza at your favorite restaurant with your friend.
When all of them order pizza, pasta, rice, or any carbs-rich food. The feeling of deprivation is hard and carbs craving is a very hard thing to fight. This will lead to another effect, isolation.
When you feel like you do not have the freedom to order whatever you want in a restaurant, you will not go out anymore. You might get some snarky comments and temptations of breaking your diet as you are offered “ just a bite” or “ just a sip” it will not hurt.
Thus you will skip social gatherings and isolate yourself to prevent breaking your diet. Social isolation leads to many issues like depression.
Deficiencies
The keto diet will lead to some deficiencies as well. It removes all the fruit food groups, and starchy vegetables as well. A major vitamin rich in fruits is vitamin C. Vitamin C is essential for immune system function.
It promotes a healthy immune system and reduces the risk of infections. The diet lacks this vitamin thus it impacts the immune system.
The diet is low in vitamin D which works hand in hand with calcium. Calcium is also low in the diet. Lack of calcium will lead to a decrease in bone density. This will increase the risk for fractures and the development of weak bones.
The diet is also low in magnesium and phosphorus. Magnesium is essential for muscle relaxation.
Gut changes and constipation
The keto diet is not recommended for a long period of time. The high protein content accompanied by the low fiber content would lead to constipation. Constipation is a serious condition that should be treated early for the prevention of hemorrhoids, bleeding, and other symptoms.
You can include food such as flaxseed, chia seeds, coconut, broccoli, and cauliflower. These foods are both keto-friendly, low in carbs, and rich in fiber.
Also, it is essential to increase your water intake to relieve constipation and maintain hydration.
Conclusion
In this article, we discussed and answered the question “How long should I stay on the keto diet?”.I discussed the possible effects keto has on health in terms of kidney health, social health, and deficiencies.
References
7 Potential Dangers of the Keto Diet (healthline.com)
Ketosis & Kidney Failure | livestrong
How long should i stay on keto diet (healthysolutionstx.com)
How Long Should You Be On The Ketogenic Diet? – Keto Diet Steps
