A recent review study suggests that ketogenic (keto) diets may put certain groups, including pregnant women and people with kidney disease, at risk of serious health issues. Researchers also warn that for most people, the long-term risks of keto—such as heart disease, cancer, diabetes, and Alzheimer’s disease—outweigh its potential benefits.
The study is the most comprehensive analysis of keto diets to date. The researchers describe the typical keto diet as harmful, particularly due to its emphasis on red meat, processed meat, and saturated fat while severely limiting carbohydrate-rich vegetables, fruits, legumes, and whole grains. They argue that this dietary pattern promotes disease rather than health.
One of the key concerns highlighted in the study is the risk keto poses to pregnant women and those who may become pregnant. Low-carb diets have been linked to a higher chance of neural tube defects in babies, even when mothers take folic acid supplements. The study also found that high-protein keto diets could accelerate kidney failure in individuals with kidney disease.
Beyond these groups, the keto diet may be unsafe for others as well. Many people experience an increase in LDL cholesterol (“bad” cholesterol) while following a keto diet, raising their risk of heart disease.
The researchers point out that while keto is often promoted as a treatment for various conditions—including obesity, diabetes, fatty liver disease, and Alzheimer’s—there is little evidence that it provides long-term health benefits.
The keto diet is a very low-carbohydrate, high-fat diet that aims to trigger a state called ketosis, in which the body produces ketone bodies as an alternative fuel source. While it has been widely promoted for weight loss, the study found that keto is not more effective for weight loss than other diets over the long term.
According to the researchers, the only well-supported medical use of keto is for managing seizures in some individuals with drug-resistant epilepsy. They caution against using the diet for other health conditions without considering the potential risks.
The study was conducted by Lee Crosby and colleagues and published in Frontiers in Nutrition.
If you care about weight loss, please read studies that hop extract could reduce belly fat in overweight people, and early time-restricted eating could help lose weight.
For more information about weight loss, please see recent studies that Mediterranean diet can reduce belly fat much better, and Keto diet could help control body weight and blood sugar in diabetes.
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