Keto Diet: is it for you?

The ketogenic diet has captured the global imagination. It promises weight loss, mental clarity, and metabolic transformation.

By pushing the body into ketosis, we switch from burning sugar to burning fat.

But before you jump on, consider the effect on your gall bladder.

Your gallbladder stores bile, necessary to digest fat. Each time you eat a meal containing fat, your gallbladder contracts and releases bile into your small intestine.

It’s a finely tuned process.

Yet when you dramatically change your diet, as most people do when they start keto, this balance can be disrupted.

One of the most common yet overlooked complications is the formation of gallstones. These small, hardened deposits form when bile becomes concentrated or over-saturated with cholesterol.

On a ketogenic diet, this can happen for several reasons. Rapid weight loss is a primary cause. When you shed weight quickly, the liver releases more cholesterol into bile. This excess cholesterol can crystallize, forming stones.

Low fiber intake common in many keto plans that exclude fruits, grains, and legumes adds to the risk. Fiber helps regulate cholesterol metabolism and keeps bile balanced.

The consequences of gallstones can be serious.

Some people never know they have them, but for others, they can cause sharp pain in the upper abdomen, especially after meals. In more severe cases, stones can inflame the gallbladder.

Your bile ducts can be blocked, resulting in pancreatitis. Pancreatitis is a life-threatening inflammation of the pancreas. Gallstones can impair digestion, leaving you feeling bloated or nauseous after fatty meals.

The irony is that most people jump onto a keto diet to lose weight and improve their health. Yet, if approached carelessly, the same diet that burns fat can stress the organs that help process it.

So should you never do a keto diet?

The answer is nuanced. A keto diet is useful for those who have neurological conditions. Epilepsy, for example.

But tread with caution. Weight loss should be gradual. The fats you consume matter. Olive oil, avocados, nuts, and seeds are gentler on your system than heavily processed or fried foods.

Ensure adequate hydration. Add fiber from vegetables low in carbohydrates. Add bitter foods such as arugula and lemon to your diet.

Ask an expert before you decide to go down this path.We would recommend a keto diet in extremely rare cases, for example.

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