The keto diet has gained popularity, unlike any other diet in the recent past. Scores of health articles discuss it daily and so many people are willing to try it after hearing about it from a friend. There are many success stories – people have reported feeling rejuvenated and shedding many kilos. However, the fact remains that long term studies on its effects have not been carried out and the scientific community has not approved it as a weight loss therapy yet. Further research will tell us if the weight loss is sustainable (as many of those who lose weight find it difficult to keep it off) and shed light on its long term health effects.

There may be short term benefits 

A study at Yale involving mice has shown that the ketogenic diet does have good short term health effects. A week on the diet improved metabolism, lowered inflammation and diabetes risk. However, the mice that were on the diet longer than a week regained the weight and became obese and had a higher likelihood of developing diabetes. The researchers attributed this to the high amount of fat in the diet – the mice were consuming more fat than they could burn and burdening their bodies.

What the keto diet consists of 

A ketogenic diet is composed mostly of fat as 90% of the calories are meant to come from fat and proteins make up the remainder. The idea is to deprive the body of carbohydrates as much as possible. Ideally, less than 50g of carbohydrates should be consumed in a day. Vegetables and fruits contain carbohydrates, but leafy greens and certain berries can be consumed, albeit with restraint. Pulses, rotis, and foods containing added sugar will need to be avoided. All kinds of fats are permitted, and unsaturated fats especially so – they make up the majority of the diet.

The diet aims to use a different kind of fuel to run the body. Rather than glucose, a body that has been on the keto diet will run on ketone bodies instead. The liver produces ketone from stored fat, so the body effectively begins burning fat to fuel itself. It believes that it is in a state of starvation when in reality it is not. With the release of ketone bodies, gamma delta T-cells are also released which lower inflammation and risks associated with diabetes. For example, the mice had lower blood sugar at the end of the week. 

Longer-term issues

However, the researchers found that during this fat burning process, fat from the diet continues getting stored in the body anyway. What this meant for the mice was that they started gaining weight after being on the diet for a longer time. This led to obesity and an increased likelihood of getting diabetes. It appears that the high-fat content of the diet eventually works against it.

The researchers hope to use these findings to better understand the workings of the ketogenic diet and perhaps come up with recommendations on the duration of the diet. 

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According to a study in the journal “Molecular and Cellular Endocrinology,” intermittent fasting, an eating habit wherein participants partition their normal diet with regular intervals of fasting, provides “a valid — albeit apparently not superior — option” to continuous calorie restriction.

With the popularity of dieting as a way to lose weight and become healthier, intermittent fasting has become one of the more popular options. When paired with another dieting plan, it can be an especially effective way to reach a desired weight.

Junior communication major Max Grueshaber heard about it through browsing the internet for ways to lose more weight after he had hit a wall with the weight he lost on another plan. The features that appealed to him were the flexibility and challenge accompanied with intermittent fasting, which he has experimented with extensively.

There are various methods, such as blocking out a time each day for eating, eating normally for five days a week and fasting two days, or fasting every other day.

He opted to block out time each day, picking the 20:4 plan, in which he fasts for 20 hours and eats 12-4 p.m.

“I hardly ever ate breakfast as it is. The little time window gave me the opportunity to eat either right before I went to work or during the time I would usually have a break,” he said.

Being able to alter the plan around a schedule makes it simple to incorporate into a college student’s busy life. Junior public relations major Stefanie Delrosso who used to participate in intermittent fasting, enjoyed working out in the morning, but preferred not to eat beforehand. Thus, the 18:6 plan was the optimal fit for her, with an eating window of 1-7 p.m.

“It was just what worked best with my schedule. To keep track of it, I was hungry by one and then at seven I would make sure I had dinner and then I’d just be done,” she said.

Intermittent fasting isn’t as simple as sticking to a schedule though, because eating junk food during the allotted eating times can be counterproductive.

According to Christine Haar, director of the dietetic internship program at BGSU, overcompensation during eating windows can actually lead to weight gain. She used the term “adherence.” Adhering to the specific method and refraining from overcompensation and unhealthy foods are as important as the schedule itself.

Haar recommends above ground, non-starchy vegetables, like broccoli, cauliflower and tomatoes as a healthy food option, as well as physical activity, to see the desired results that one would expect.

As an addition to his intermittent fasting, Grueshaber started on the Keto diet, focusing on high fats and low carbs.

“When paired together and with regular exercise, you can see some serious results,” he said, reflecting on the weight he lost and increase in energy he gained. “I wasn’t as fatigued after a long day at work, a workout or school.”

However, Delrosso, while she saw physical results she liked, disliked the unhealthy mindset it gave her. She cited the desire to challenge herself by pushing back her eating window, the trouble she had while going out to eat with her friends during fasting windows and the general stress accompanying the clock-watching eating habit as reasons for discontinuing her intermittent fasting in September of her sophomore year.

“It got too obsessive,” she said.

Whether or not intermittent fasting can work for someone ultimately depends on personal preference, Haar said.

Is it something I can fit into my day easily? Will I become too obsessive and focus on the time constantly? Will I be able to power through the fasting without breaking rules? These are some of the questions to take into consideration while participating in intermittent fasting. With his 20-hour fasting window, Grueshaber has found that “the hunger can be unbearable.” However, he was able to find ways to keep himself goal-oriented and not stray from his schedule.

“To ground myself I just look at old pictures or pump myself up to remind myself to keep grinding,” he said. “Hunger is mostly a mental game and two days is the hardest.”

Eventually, the challenge became enjoyable for him.

“The challenge for me is half the fun,” he said.

Now, Grueshaber has begun to see admirable results, dropping about 40 pounds over four to five months.

“I would always recommend this to anyone who would like to lose weight, and it’s pretty effective if done right,” he said.

Dieting habits can be an effective way to lose body fat healthily, and intermittent fasting, while not for everyone, is one of many options to achieve this. However, its emphasis on an eating schedule over restricting particular foods may be a key to its accessibility and appeal.

“You’re not being told what to eat, per se,” Haar said. “When to eat might be a lot easier for people to adapt to than what to eat.”

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One in five women of childbearing age has high blood pressure, according to a new study that found few of these women are on a diet that could help them—and their babies—reduce their risk for health problems.

High blood pressure, also known as hypertension, in pregnancy is a leading cause of maternal death. Nearly 40% of maternal deaths from any cause are associated with hypertension.

“We need to have more of a focus on how we teach lifestyle factors to women even before they are considering pregnancy,” said Dr. Lara Kovell, an assistant professor of cardiology at the University of Massachusetts Medical School in Worcester who led the study. “This is the time to talk to women about evaluating their diet, looking at their risk factors and trying to get high blood pressure under control.”

Kovell presented the preliminary findings at the American Heart Association’s Scientific Sessions, which wraps up Monday in Philadelphia. She and her colleagues analyzed data collected on 8,740 women ages 20 to 50 taking part in a national health and nutrition study from 2001 to 2016. They found that 22.4% of the women had high blood pressure.

Researchers scored how healthy the women ate and how much salt they consumed compared to guidelines set out in the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension, or DASH, diet. It is recommended for all adults with high blood pressure

They found that 7% of the women who had high blood pressure were adhering to a DASH-like diet, while 10% of women with normal blood pressure were.

People who follow DASH eat foods low in salt and that contain high levels of nutrients to help lower blood pressure, such potassium, magnesium and calcium. These foods include fresh fruit and vegetables, beans and lentils, and whole grains.

“We have a lot of opportunities to improve the nutrition of American women,” said Dr. Lisa Hollier, chief medical officer in obstetrics and gynecology for Texas Children’s Health Plan. “This study really highlights the need to take advantage of those opportunities to ensure that women who have a diagnosis of hypertension know that they can lower their blood pressure with the right diet.”

High blood pressure occurs when the force of blood flowing through the blood vessels is consistently too high. Managing the extra force causes the heart muscle to become stiff and thick, keeping it from working properly. This, in turn, increases the risk of stroke, heart attack, kidney failure and heart failure.

Women who go into a pregnancy with high blood pressure are at risk of having a baby who has a low birth weight or is born premature.

“I think our findings are a wake-up call for all doctors to be mindful about addressing cardiovascular risks with women,” said Kovell. “We don’t want women to start taking medications when they are pregnant or thinking about getting pregnant, which makes diet and exercise the best approach to lower blood pressure.”

In the U.S., cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death during and after pregnancy. In May, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists released new guidelines on managing heart disease in women before, during and after pregnancy.

Hollier, ACOG’s past president, said the new study “highlights the critical importance of OB-GYNs and other health care providers working together to help women understand—before and after a pregnancy—options they have to reduce their risk for cardiovascular disease.”

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