Argumentative Essay: Ketogenic Diet

Ketogenic (keto) diets are nutrition plans which promote consumption of a 4:1 or similar ratio of dietary fat to combined proteins and carbohydrates. The primary motivation for following a ketogenic diet in the therapeutic sense is to treat pediatric epilepsy which has been unresponsive to drug therapy. The diet has gained popularity among disease-free individuals looking to lose weight, but there exists some disagreement as to the benefits and drawbacks of healthy individuals committing to a ketogenic diet. The focus of this paper is to argue against the adherence to ketogenic diets in healthy populations: Those without chronic or refractory illnesses should not commit to a ketogenic diet due to the numerous health risks associated with such a drastic alteration of nutrition and metabolism. To support this argument, this paper will look at the physiological effects of the basic ketogenic diet featuring studies conducted on patients with a selection of chronic diseases and will then examine the adverse effects of the same diet and its implications.

Primary Implements

It has been well established in current scientific journals that following a ketogenic diet as a nutritional intervention has proven to be effective in the treatment of a number of illnesses and diseases, including diabetes, obesity, Alzheimer’s disease, and even certain cases of traumatic brain injury. Perhaps the most notable of conditions susceptible to this diet is refractory epilepsy, specifically in pediatric patients. Contemporary findings show that following a ketogenic diet has similar implications among adult patients, as well. This is in comparison to more invasive procedures, such as surgical or pharmacological interventions which increase the risk of adverse effects to a patient. The mechanisms of a ketogenic diet’s action to counter epileptic episodes alter the molecules used in traditional metabolism, increasing the amount of necessary cellular function and specific molecular production. In greater detail, the diet stimulates the action of mitochondria and production of gamma aminobutyric acid (GABA) in the central nervous system which lead to decreased excitability of neurons and facilitate systemic anticonvulsant activity. These metabolic changes are beneficial in the management of other pathologies, as well: regarding symptoms associated with Alzheimer’s disease, one study showed a significant decrease in cognitive symptoms within its sample using the Alzheimer’s Disease Assessment Scale. These results were exhibited most clearly in participants during the disease’s earliest stages. In studies conducted to analyze the effect of the diet on obese patients, especially those with Type 2 diabetes, results consistently exhibited a reduction in body mass index (BMI), blood glucose level, and total cholesterol levels. Current studies and clinical trials exhibit favorable results in the use of a ketogenic diet for treatment of a number of pathologies, but further research using greater sample sizes are necessary to reach more veritable conclusions for each specific condition.

Adverse Effects

While apparently effective in controlling these and other conditions, the favorable changes do not come without adverse effects. As dictated by the standards of the ketogenic type diet, carbohydrate consumption is drastically limited during the course of treatment. Thus, deficiency of the micronutrients normally absorbed from restricted foods can lead to higher risk of infectious disease and illness. Among the more common effects of the diet include dehydration, hypoglycemia, and gastrointestinal upset. Metabolic acidosis, the increase of acidity in the body’s tissues, has been named a risk factor for those participating in a ketogenic diet. Symptoms of this condition include lethargy, nausea/vomiting, and hyperpnea. Extreme acidosis can lead to a dangerous fluctuation in vital signs and cardiac arrhythmia. Deprivation of vitamin D has been noted as a caveat in several samples, prompting concern for older populations initiating the diet for purposes of managing neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s. In addition, the consumption of dietary fat as the primary nutrient in this diet is also associated with an increased risk in cardiovascular disease. Furthermore, pediatrics, the population with the greatest amount of data, was seen to exhibit the greatest risk of developing these adverse effects.

Counterclaim

In a study by Paoli et al. (2015), the claim was made that, based on the researchers’ perusal of previous studies on the topic, athletes experience a benefit from participating in ketogenic diets due to their propensity to encourage weight loss, but that these diets also come without great expense. The diet was said to be effective at providing the energy necessary to succeed in endurance-related sports but stated that it lacked the biochemical requirements to benefit athletes seeking long-term muscular hypertrophy. On the topic of psychological effect, the authors of this study state that short-term benefits were found in athletes by way of lessening symptoms of depression and fatigue. In the long term, however, the researchers found it necessary to continue research on subjects more consistently adherent to a ketogenic diet. The study concludes by assuring the reader that the weight loss experienced by a user takes the form of fat loss with little to no loss of muscle mass, and that the diet is completely safe due to its natural metabolic processes.

In Response to the Counterclaim

The recognition of the ketogenic diet has reached many populations and has encouraged much research and scientific study. The majority of research finds that this family of diet can have profound effect on an individual’s physiology and metabolism, especially in the realm of weight loss and the treatment of certain diseases. In the study featured in the previous section, researchers focused on the effects of the diet on athletes, who operate at a high level of physical performance. The findings of this study indicate that the diet is functionally safe for these individuals and that the adverse effects were insignificant to performance. On the contrary, a great number of studies refuted this claim and presented the argument that performance was indeed limited by participation in this diet (https://jissn.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12970-017-0180-0). Furthermore, the evidence established by the scientific community on the primary application of this diet relates to those of subnormal health, thus indicating that the counterclaim applies only to a very specific population of individuals who are free of chronic disease. Whether or not the evidence provided by the counterclaim is valid, it is nonetheless unable to be generalized to a greater population. Another of the drawbacks of the ketogenic diet is said to be the difficulty experienced by participants in maintaining consistency in practice. While professional athletes have conditioned their minds as well as their bodies to accept rigorous changes in lifestyle, the majority of humans still find difficulty adhering to such a drastic change in diet, exemplified by the ketogenic diet. When used as a medical intervention, ill participants are under close observation to ensure their adherence. For those participants undertaking the diet for nonmedical reasons, the only restraint available may be from personal determination to see results. Even if this is achieved, the generally healthy participant will most likely experience the known adverse effects and risks deviating from the ketogenic diet plan back to a more familiar nutritional routine, thus negating the potential benefits.

In Conclusion

While the ketogenic diet boasts a number of benefits to those experiencing chronic illness, it is highly inadvisable to commit to the diet for reasons other than treatment of these conditions due to the avoidable side effects associated with the metabolic changes caused by the diet. Based on numerous studies centered on this diet’s effects, a general consensus has been formed stating that, unless a participant is experiencing persistent signs and symptoms of specific diseases, then the nature of its benefits are better replicated in more traditional diets, which provide a full range of essential nutrients by way of unrestricted intake.