Is ketosis dangerous?
Asked by anonymous on Sep 28, 2008
in Weight Loss
Many of my friends are attending a weight loss clinic in my area and are losing weight very quickly. The diet is low fat, very low carb and includes lipotropic injections. They stay in ketosis until they lose the weight and move to maintenance. I realize the weight will probably come back during maintenance but what it being done to their bodies by being in ketosis for extended periods of time? The calorie intake is about 600 and consists of lean meat and certain vegetables. Some fruit. They also take phentermine to suppress their appetite. They are convinced that this is a healthy diet.
Answer
When carbohydrate or adequate food is unavailable, the body breakdowns stored fat; ketones are a normal byproduct of fat breakdown. The body uses ketones to provide energy, and excess ketones are eliminated in the urine. The process of excreting ketones can lead to dehydration and stress to the kidneys. Ketosis, along with a lack of dietary calories and fiber, can produce weakness, dizziness, nausea, constipation, and bad breath. Ketogenic diets, and all extreme diets, usually don't lead to maintenance weight loss because they don’t teach the user about healthy eating or address lifestyle behaviors that led to initial weight gain.
So you can keep track of what you eat - which enables you to analyze your foods and receive the following:
- Health Score of your overall diet
- Warning when you approach your daily calorie limit
- Overview of the good and bad nutrients