With ever-increasing applications emerging for therapeutic ketogenic diets, it’s important for healthcare professionals and the lay public alike to understand the facts about dietary carbohydrate restriction and to separate those facts from the myths that may stand in the way of people implementing a nutritional strategy that can have a profound beneficial impact on metabolic and mental health.
A paper published recently in the journal Nutrients does just this—separates the myths from the facts. The paper was authored by 19 individuals who are either clinicians specializing in low-carb diets, or researchers and public health educators who study carbohydrate restriction. It addresses several points that are often contentious regarding this way of eating, such as the potential risks to cardiovascular health, kidney function, and gut health, as well as the issues of affordability and accessibility, and environmental sustainability.
The authors make the case—as we have addressed in previous Research Forums or blog articles—that, contrary to commonly held beliefs, low-carb diets may actually be beneficial for renal function and cardiovascular health. As for digestive function, ketogenic diets have been shown to improve gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) and even put ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease into remission.
The Nutrients paper also presents evidence that low-carb diets are not elitist and available only to those who are financially well-off. (An e-book, Low-Carb for Any Budget, is available for free download and it includes a shopping list suitable for discount chains and dollar stores.) While low-carb diets tend to rely heavily on animal foods, they can be implemented within a vegetarian or pescatarian context, but for those who prefer to consume more red meat, pork or poultry, concerns about the environment and the greenhouse gas emissions associated with livestock are addressed.