4 Diet Plans And Their Negative Side Effects

Diet plans are often touted as being able to help us lose weight and get healthy. Some focus on calorie restriction, some carbs, and some portion control.

Before you consider the possibility of going on a diet plan, take a look at the side effects of the most popular diets.

Woman with a diet meal | Image: Luna Vandoorne/Shutterstock. Design: Ashley Britton/SheKnows.

Keto

Known as the ketogenic diet, or keto diet, it is a popular low carb, high fat diet. The way it works is to eat small number of carbs so that the body will burn fat for energy in a state known as ketosis. What this means is that you are limiting your intake of fruits, grains, vegetables, pasta, and rice and replacing them with high-fat foods and protein. Experts warn to be careful of this diet plan the latest U.S. News and World Report’s (USNWR) annual rankings of “Best Diets Overall,” keto landed at 38 out of 41. Additionally, there have been those who have complained of flu-like symptoms from low-carb diets. They report a lack of energy, nausea, stomach upset, and decreased mental function. These symptoms are often referred to as “keto flu.”

Paleo

The paleo diet focuses on eating foods based on what was presumed to be consumed during the Paleolithic era, an estimated 2.5 million to 10,000 years ago. Those on paleo diet concentrate on not eating The anything that a cave dweller might not have eaten such as refined sugar, dairy, legumes, and grains. Research has shown that the paleo diet can improve the effectiveness of insulin, which can lead to lowered insulin resistance, an essential factor in controlling diabetes. It can also lead to low blood sugar (hypoglycemia), if you use certain glucose-lowering medications. Other side effects are bad breath, low energy, and diarrhea.

Whole30The Whole30 diet ties with Keto on the USNWR’s rankings at 38. The diet operates on the idea that our physical and mental health is tied to what we eat so those on Whole30 diet are asked to eliminate all traces of sugar, dairy, alcohol, and legumes for 30 days. Instead, you can eat meat, seafood, eggs, veggies, and fruits. At day 31, you should feel healthier and ready to reintroduce foods that were eliminated. Your body’s response to the re-introduced food should tell you which ones you need to avoid or limit. The diet’s promotion of meat consumption is its downfall. The American Institute for Cancer Research has recommended that you limit how much red meat you eat because of its link to colorectal cancer, which affects 1 in 24 women.

Dukan diet

The Dukan diet, which focuses on eating a lot of protein for weight loss over counting calories, ranks last on the USNWR list. It is broken into four phases that are a mixture of eating high protein with oat bran at the start with a gradual introduction of veggies and some carbs. The same concerns exist with this diet as with the other low carb, high protein plans.

The medical information provided in this article is provided as an information resource only. This information does not create any patient-physician relationship and should not be used as a substitute for professional diagnosis and treatment.

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