[{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/betterbones.com\/bone-nutrition\/why-keto-diets-can-be-harmful-to-your-health\/#Article","mainEntityOfPage":"https:\/\/betterbones.com\/bone-nutrition\/why-keto-diets-can-be-harmful-to-your-health\/","headline":"Why keto diets can be harmful to your health","name":"Why keto diets can be harmful to your health","description":"Print PDF eBook Facebook Twitter Gmail LinkedIn Pinterest Table of Contents Toggle   5 Minutes ReadIs the keto diet safe long term?What happens in your body when you\u2019re on a ketogenic dietThe benefits of ketogenic dietsWhen keto diets become harmful to your healthKeto diets are NOT the best choice for long-term weight loss Is the keto […]","datePublished":"2018-06-14","dateModified":"2026-04-22","author":{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/betterbones.com\/author\/brownbetterbonesgmail-com\/#Person","name":"Dr. Susan E. Brown, PhD","url":"https:\/\/betterbones.com\/author\/brownbetterbonesgmail-com\/","identifier":72,"image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/8e08d87bd45250c6616e1752933a6576aba077f335d97ee337a0cde5e435cbd3?s=96&d=mm&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/8e08d87bd45250c6616e1752933a6576aba077f335d97ee337a0cde5e435cbd3?s=96&d=mm&r=g","height":96,"width":96}},"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Center for Better Bones","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/betterbones.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/12\/Better-Bones-AMP.png","url":"https:\/\/betterbones.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/12\/Better-Bones-AMP.png","width":150,"height":60}},"image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/betterbones.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/keto-diets-BB-Blog-6-18.jpg","url":"https:\/\/betterbones.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/keto-diets-BB-Blog-6-18.jpg","height":1256,"width":2400},"url":"https:\/\/betterbones.com\/bone-nutrition\/why-keto-diets-can-be-harmful-to-your-health\/","video":{"@context":"http:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"VideoObject","@id":"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=CRlGKO-MAnk#VideoObject","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=CRlGKO-MAnk","name":"Acid load increases insulin resistence","description":"Dr. Brown talks about how excess acid in the body from sources such as the diet can lead to many health issues. A higher acid load leads to higher insulin resistance which is related to long term health problems.\n\nDr. Brown talks about the reasons why one should alkalize their diet in her best-selling book, \"The Acid Alkaline Food Guide,\" which you can purchase at alkalineforlife.com\n\n\u2192 Want to learn everything you need to manage & reverse your osteoporosis\/osteopenia naturally in one inspiring weekend with Dr. Brown? Join our bone health retreat & workshop! Learn more here: https:\/\/shop.betterbones.com\/pages\/love-your-bones-love-your-life-virtual-retreat\n\n\u2192 If you are interested in working with Dr. Brown to develop a personalized natural bone health program, read more about consultations here: https:\/\/www.betterbones.com\/consultations\/help-osteoporosis-osteopenia-fracture-healing-bone-health-concerns\/\n\n\u2192 Would you like your questions answered by Dr. Brown?  Comment below and she may address them in a future video!\n\nCheck out our website! \u2192 http:\/\/ www.betterbones.com\n\nWant to connect with Better Bones on social media?\nLike on Facebook \u2192 http:\/\/www.facebook.com\/betterbonesbetterbody\n\u200bFollow on Twitter \u2192 http:\/\/www.twitter.com\/drsusanbrown\n\u200bFollow our Instagram \u2192 http:\/\/www.instagram.com\/betterbonesbetterbody\n\u200bCheck out our Pinterest \u2192 http:\/\/www.pinterest.com\/betterbonesbetterbody\n\n#osteoporosis #osteopenia #bonemass #bonehealth #weightandbonemass #womenshealth #drsusanbrown #betterbonesbetterbody #preventosteoporosis\nExercise for bone health: patreon.com\/betterbones\n\nTranscription:\nhi this is Susan brown at alkalyn for\nlife you know it was my pleasure to\nwrite this now best-selling book the\nacid alkaline food guide and in that\nbook we talk about all the many great\nreasons why one should alkalis and all\nthe problems that are associated with\nchronic low-grade metabolic acidosis for\nexample we mentioned that a tendency to\nlose bone a tendency to lose muscle a\ntendency to have proteins not produced\nso well in the body a tendency towards\nweek immunity and an overgrowth of yeast\ninfections that comes with acidity\nchronic low-grade acidity so many health\nissues are related to excess acid and\nexcess acid within the system damages so\nmany of our physiological functions just\nin this this particular instance I want\nto point up a new study that just came\nacross my desk this is a study from\nJapan and actually what it suggests is\nthat an acid load and excess acid load\nkind of acid load that would be incurred\nfrom everyday eating the higher the acid\nload the higher the insulin resistance\nand insulin resistance of course is one\nof those disorders of human metabolism\nthat's very related to long-term health\nproblems and blood sugar control and\nweight issues so it's very important to\nhave good processing of insulin what the\nJapanese show is that the higher your\nacid load the more likely you're going\nto have insulin resistant insulin\nresistance we do not wet so this is\nanother good reason why you should\nalkalis","thumbnailUrl":["https:\/\/i.ytimg.com\/vi\/CRlGKO-MAnk\/default.jpg","https:\/\/i.ytimg.com\/vi\/CRlGKO-MAnk\/mqdefault.jpg","https:\/\/i.ytimg.com\/vi\/CRlGKO-MAnk\/hqdefault.jpg","https:\/\/i.ytimg.com\/vi\/CRlGKO-MAnk\/sddefault.jpg","https:\/\/i.ytimg.com\/vi\/CRlGKO-MAnk\/maxresdefault.jpg"],"uploadDate":"2015-11-27T18:25:00+00:00","duration":"PT1M55S","embedUrl":"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/CRlGKO-MAnk","publisher":{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/channel\/UCm6Zry9uGdrZpm05sQLIxMw#Organization","url":"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/channel\/UCm6Zry9uGdrZpm05sQLIxMw","name":"Dr. Susan E. Brown","description":"Dr. Susan E. Brown, PhD, is a medical anthropologist, a New York State Certified Nutritionist, and the author of Better Bones, Better Body -- the first comprehensive look at natural bone health. Dr. Brown specializes in osteoporosis, osteopenia, bone health regeneration, and auto-immune disease. She is also famous for her natural approach to bone health; check out her Better Bones programs and products.","logo":{"url":"https:\/\/yt3.ggpht.com\/ytc\/AIdro_m0l08uY9k8RO1FbN8-VsYIOa8fiq9BtocNNM_k3xw7a7s=s800-c-k-c0x00ffffff-no-rj","width":800,"height":800,"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=CRlGKO-MAnk#VideoObject_publisher_logo_ImageObject"}},"potentialAction":{"@type":"SeekToAction","@id":"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=CRlGKO-MAnk#VideoObject_potentialAction","target":"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=CRlGKO-MAnk&t={seek_to_second_number}","startOffset-input":"required name=seek_to_second_number"},"interactionStatistic":[[{"@type":"InteractionCounter","@id":"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=CRlGKO-MAnk#VideoObject_interactionStatistic_WatchAction","interactionType":{"@type":"WatchAction"},"userInteractionCount":956}],{"@type":"InteractionCounter","@id":"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=CRlGKO-MAnk#VideoObject_interactionStatistic_LikeAction","interactionType":{"@type":"LikeAction"},"userInteractionCount":26}]},"about":["Bone Nutrition"],"wordCount":1039,"keywords":["keto diet","ketosis"],"articleBody":" Print PDF eBook\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tFacebook\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tTwitter\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tGmail\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tLinkedIn\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tPinterest\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tTable of ContentsToggle     5 Minutes ReadIs the keto diet safe long term?What happens in your body when you\u2019re on a ketogenic dietThe benefits of ketogenic dietsWhen keto diets become harmful to your healthKeto diets are NOT the best choice for long-term weight lossIs the keto diet safe long term?So many people have asked me recently about the ketogenic \u201cketo\u201d diet and the benefits \u2014 and the drawbacks \u2014 of severe carbohydrate restriction.Is the keto diet the \u201cmagic pill\u201d for ending weight and health struggles, as a certain Netflix documentary would like us to believe? \u00a0As you\u2019ll see, absolutely not. What\u2019s more, keto diets can actually be quite harmful to your health.What happens in your body when you\u2019re on a ketogenic dietA ketogenic diet is one that limits carbohydrate intake to the point at which the \u201cstarvation response\u201d is triggered in the body. This starvation response mobilizes stored fat and breaks it down as a way to produce acetyl coenzyme A (CoA) \u2014 the body\u2019s backup energy source in place of the glucose it isn\u2019t getting when we don\u2019t or can\u2019t eat carbohydrates.Most standard keto diets pair the low carbs with high fat and moderate protein intake, but when weight loss is the goal, there\u2019s often a limit on fat intake as well to encourage reduced calorie intake (since fatty foods are typically higher in calories too).The benefits of ketogenic dietsKeto diets do have legitimate benefits when it comes to weight loss, but as you\u2019ll see below, the risks may outweigh the benefits.Short-term weight loss. Reducing carbohydrate intake and monitoring caloric intake will offer the body only one place to turn for energy: body fat stores.\u00a0A strict ketogenic regimen can produce steady and reliable weight loss in most otherwise healthy overweight adults in the course of a few months. (I\u2019ll get to the \u201cbut…\u201d in a moment.)Short-term improvement in blood sugar. Individuals who eat a standard diet who do not have diabetes, prediabetes, or insulin resistance tend to have blood glucose levels in the range of 80\u2013120 mg\/dL. Those on a ketogenic diet, however, typically have blood glucose levels between 65\u201380 mg\/dL. Before you say, \u201choly hypoglycemia!\u201d keep in mind that the body adjusts to these levels in part by producing more CoA.\u00a0 So for someone who might be on the borderline of diabetes and wants to better manage blood sugar levels, a keto diet can be a good place to start \u2014 although there\u2019s a \u201cbut…\u201d associated with this as well!When keto diets become harmful to your healthWhile we evolved to use glucose as our primary energy source, our ancestors couldn\u2019t always rely on carbohydrate-rich plant foods being available all the time. So the ability to use fats as a source of glucose (whether from animal foods they ate or by burning their own adipose tissue during times of famine) was an effective short-term backup plan. The operative phrase is \u201cshort-term.\u201dBecause there are definitely harmful long-term effects of ketones in the body:Keto diets acidify the body. Ketosis, which is the name for production of ketones in general, and its more dangerous, dysfunctional variant ketoacidosis (a life-threatening buildup of ketones that happens most often in diabetic individuals) results in lower blood pH \u2014 in other words, acidosis.I\u2019ve talked before about how acid-forming foods can be harmful to bones, but chronic low-grade acidosis has health impacts well beyond bone health. It can potentially increase risk of cancer development and progression; increases production of the stress hormone cortisol; and potentially causes the development of kidney disorders such as kidney stones (Robey, 2012; Pizzorno, 2015).Keto diets can promote fatty liver disease and insulin resistance. This is where those two \u201cbut…\u201d caveats from earlier come in\u2026 There is evidence in mice \u2014 and to a lesser extent in humans \u2014 that long-term use of keto diets promotes development of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease and (paradoxically) insulin resistance (Schugar & Crawford, 2012; Ellenbroek et al., 2014).\u00a0The increase in insulin resistance is likely related to longer-term increases in cortisol.So, while the short-term benefit for blood sugar and other cardiovascular makers exists with keto diets, in the long term, regulating blood sugar and other aspects of cardio health is better achieved through a balanced diet paired with regular exercise.Keto diets are NOT the best choice for long-term weight lossAlthough a keto diet may be a good starting point for shaving off pounds, it probably isn\u2019t something you want to stick with over time \u2014 more than, say, a few months \u2014 especially if you have a family history or personal tendency toward diabetes, insulin resistance, kidney dysfunction or fatty liver disease.This includes finding ways to gradually include a healthier set of carbs into your food choices. My favorites are nutrient-rich, alkalizing starchy vegetables like root vegetables and squash, which are full of complex carbohydrates, rather than the standards of bread and sweets.ReferencesEllenbroek JH, van Dijck L, Tons HA, Rabelink TJ, Carlotti F, Ballieux BE, de Koning EJ. Long-term ketogenic diet causes glucose intolerance and reduced \u03b2- and \u03b1-cell mass but no weight loss in mice. Am J Physiol Endocrinol Metab. 2014 Mar 1;306(5):E552-8. doi: 10.1152\/ajpendo.00453.2013. Epub 2014 Jan 7.Kosinski C, Jornayvaz FR. Effects of ketogenic diets on cardiovascular risk factors: Evidence from animal and human studies. Nutrients. 2017 May 19;9(5). pii: E517. doi: 10.3390\/nu9050517.Kosinski C, Jornayvaz FR. [Ketogenic diets: the miraculous solution?] Rev Med Suisse. 2017 May 31;13(565):1145-1147.Nei M, Ngo L, Sirven JI, Sperling MR. Ketogenic diet in adolescents and adults with epilepsy.Seizure. 2014 Jun;23(6):439-42. doi: 10.1016\/j.seizure.2014.02.015. Epub 2014 Mar 12.Paoli A, Rubini A, Volek JS, Grimaldi KA. Beyond weight loss: a review of the therapeutic uses of very-low-carbohydrate (ketogenic) diets. Eur J Clin Nutr. 2013 Aug;67(8):789-96. doi: 10.1038\/ejcn.2013.116. Epub 2013 Jun 26.Pizzorno J. Acidosis: An old idea validated by new research. Integr Med (Encinitas). 2015 Feb; 14(1): 8\u201312.Robey, IF. Examining the relationship between diet-induced acidosis and cancer. Nutr Metab (Lond). 2012; 9: 72. Published online 2012 Aug 1. doi: \u00a010.1186\/1743-7075-9-72Schugar RC, Crawford PA. Low-carbohydrate ketogenic diets, glucose homeostasis, and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease. Curr Opin Clin Nutr Metab Care. 2012 Jul;15(4):374-80. doi: 10.1097\/MCO.0b013e3283547157."},{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Bone Nutrition","item":"https:\/\/betterbones.com\/bone-nutrition\/#breadcrumbitem"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Why keto diets can be harmful to your health","item":"https:\/\/betterbones.com\/bone-nutrition\/why-keto-diets-can-be-harmful-to-your-health\/#breadcrumbitem"}]}]