The keto diet has become increasingly popular in recent years.
It entails adopting a high-fat, low-carbohydrate diet that puts the body in a state of ketosis; a state where the body is forced to burn fats as energy instead of carbohydrates. On the surface, a diet that promotes burning body fat instead of dietary carbohydrates seems beneficial. However, is the keto diet actually sustainable?
For starters, the key concept of sustainability involves sustainability in terms of health, the environment, and economically.
While the keto diet can be beneficial for those with certain health conditions, such as Type 2 Diabetes and cardiovascular diseases, it can be difficult to follow and highly restrictive; this can lead to difficulties in properly meeting nutritional needs. The diet can also be very expensive as it typically involves a higher consumption of fatty products which can be pricey and inaccessible for some. Arguably, the diet may also require more animal products than necessary, further contributing to its sustainability issues and lack of consideration for the environment.
To add to this, the keto diet’s main goal is to burn away body fat, however, it does not consider the importance of having a balance between fat and muscle.
Despite the diet helping to burn away body fat, a long-term consequence of the keto diet could be muscle loss. Since the diet is significantly lower in carbohydrates than a healthy balanced diet, increased protein could be eaten to counteract this issue, yet, this significantly raises the price of the meal plan.
Overall, while the keto diet can be beneficial in terms of weight loss and controlling some diseases, its sustainability is a large concern.
For those on restrictive budgets, it may prove more economical and beneficial to switch to a plant-based form of eating. There is also some concern over the sustainability of the diet in terms of the environment. While its restrictions can help to contribute to weight management, it would be silly to ignore the potential risks that come with it, such as muscle loss and inability to meet nutritional needs.
Therefore, the keto diet can be seen as a sustainable diet, but it depends on the user’s management and understanding of the importance of good nutrition.
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Alexandra ReedNutrition Coach
