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The ketogenic diet—often shortened to keto—has become one of the most talked-about eating patterns of the last decade. Promoted for weight loss, better blood sugar control, and improved metabolic health, the keto diet is often framed as a universal solution.
But is keto healthy for everyone?
The short answer: it depends. Research suggests that while a ketogenic diet can offer health benefits for some people in specific situations, it may also increase health risks for others—especially when followed long term or without careful planning.
Let’s break down what the keto diet is, how it affects the body, and why it may not be the best choice for everyone’s overall health.
The ketogenic diet is a low carbohydrate, high fat diet designed to push the body into a metabolic state called nutritional ketosis. In this state, the body breaks down fat into ketone bodies for energy instead of relying primarily on glucose.
A typical keto diet includes:
Very low carbohydrate intake (often under 50 grams per day)
Moderate protein intake
High fat consumption, often including saturated fat
By drastically reducing carbs, the body lowers insulin levels, encouraging fat burning and ketone production. In other words, the body burns fat instead of carbohydrates.
Many people do lose weight on keto—at least initially.
Research suggests that the keto diet reduces appetite, lowers insulin, and can lead to rapid early weight loss. Some people see improvements in body mass index (BMI) and blood glucose levels, especially those with insulin resistance or metabolic syndrome.
However, people lose weight on keto for several reasons, including:
Reduced daily calories due to appetite suppression
Loss of water weight from depleted glycogen stores
Increased fat oxidation (burning fat)
That said, meta analyses and literature reviews show that over the long term, weight loss on keto is often similar to other diets—including low calorie diets and Mediterranean-style diets—when calories and physical activity are matched.
Weight regain is also common once carbohydrate intake increases again.
A low carbohydrate diet can improve glycemic control and stabilize blood sugar in the short term, particularly for people with type 2 diabetes or carbohydrate intolerance.
By limiting carbohydrates, keto may reduce blood glucose spikes and lower insulin demand. This is one reason the keto diet is sometimes recommended in clinical settings.
However, chronically restricting carbs may also:
Reduce tolerance to carbohydrates over time
Impair insulin sensitivity in some individuals
Make blood sugar harder to regulate once carbs are reintroduced
For many people, moderate carb intake from whole grains, starchy vegetables, fruits, and legumes supports more flexible and sustainable blood sugar regulation.
While keto can offer benefits, it also comes with potential health risks, especially when followed long term.
The high fat nature of the keto diet often leads to increased intake of saturated fat, which research links to higher LDL cholesterol and a greater risk of cardiovascular disease in some individuals.
Although fats like olive oil and other unsaturated fats can support heart health, many keto diets rely heavily on butter, cream, and processed meats—foods associated with heart disease risk when consumed in excess.
Together, REM and NREM sleep repeat in four or five cycles per night, forming your overall sleep architecture.
Eliminating or severely limiting carbohydrates can mean cutting out many nutrient-rich foods, including:
Whole grains
Fruits
Starchy vegetables
Certain legumes
Over time, this can increase the risk of nutrient deficiency, particularly fiber, magnesium, potassium, B-vitamins, and phytonutrients that support gut and cardiovascular health.
Fiber plays a key role in supporting a healthy gut microbiota. Very low carb diets often lack enough fiber, especially from vegetables and fruits, which can negatively impact digestion, immune function, and metabolic health.
Some people also experience an upset stomach, constipation, or bloating on keto.
Rapid weight loss on keto doesn’t always mean pure fat loss. Without adequate protein intake and physical activity, people may lose lean body mass along with fat—something that can negatively affect metabolic rate and long-term weight management.
As the body transitions into ketosis, many people experience the so-called keto flu, which may include:
Fatigue
Headaches
Brain fog
Dizziness
Irritability
These symptoms occur as the body breaks its reliance on glucose and adapts to ketone production—a process that can be stressful, particularly for active individuals.
This is where the science becomes less convincing.
Most research showing benefits of keto is short term. Long-term studies suggest that strict carbohydrate restriction may increase health risks for some people, including:
Elevated cholesterol
Reduced metabolic flexibility
Higher cardiovascular disease risk
Difficulty maintaining a healthy weight over time
In contrast, diets with proven long-term benefits—like the Mediterranean diet—emphasize whole foods, healthy fats, enough carbs, and dietary variety.
The keto diet may help certain individuals under medical supervision, including:
People with specific neurological conditions (research has explored keto in epilepsy and Alzheimer’s disease)
Individuals with severe insulin resistance
Short-term metabolic interventions
But for most people seeking better overall health, cognitive performance, and sustainable fat loss, keto is not a one-size-fits-all solution.
Rather than eliminating carbs entirely, research suggests that many people benefit from:
Balanced low carb or moderate carb diets
Emphasizing non-starchy vegetables, leafy greens, and whole grains
Pairing carbohydrates with protein, fiber, and healthy fats
Supporting blood sugar with consistent meals and physical activity
This approach supports metabolic health without sacrificing nutrient diversity or long-term sustainability.
The keto diet works for some people—but it’s not universally healthy.
While keto can improve blood glucose and promote fat loss in the short term, it may also increase health risks, contribute to nutrient deficiencies, and be difficult to maintain long term. For many individuals, a more balanced, whole-food-based diet supports better heart health, cognitive function, and metabolic resilience over time.
When it comes to nutrition, the healthiest diet is one you can sustain—one that supports your biology, lifestyle, and long-term goals.
Keto isn’t the only way to support metabolic health. Your body’s ability to produce energy, regulate blood sugar, and burn fat depends on more than cutting carbs—it relies on mitochondrial function, nutrient availability, and metabolic flexibility.
Amplify by Tally Health is a science-backed metabolic and energy supplement designed to support cellular energy production, healthy glucose metabolism, and sustained vitality—without extreme restriction. It complements balanced nutrition and daily movement to help your metabolism work with your body, not against it.
No. Research suggests that while the ketogenic diet can offer health benefits for some people in specific situations, it may increase health risks for others—especially when followed long term or without careful planning.
Many people lose weight on keto initially due to reduced appetite, lower insulin levels, water weight loss, and increased fat burning. However, long-term weight loss is often similar to other diets when calories and activity are matched, and weight regain is common once carbs are reintroduced.
Potential risks include increased LDL cholesterol and cardiovascular risk from high saturated fat intake, nutrient deficiencies, poor gut health due to low fiber intake, lean muscle loss, and short-term symptoms like fatigue and brain fog during adaptation.
Daley et al. The Ketogenic Diet: Clinical Applications, Evidence-based Indications, and Implementation. StatPearls Publishing 2025; https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK499830/
Chen et al. Ketogenic Diet and Multiple Health Outcomes: An Umbrella Review of Meta-Analysis. Nutrients 2023; Ketogenic Diet and Multiple Health Outcomes: An Umbrella Review of Meta-Analysis
Batch et al.Advantages and Disadvantages of the Ketogenic Diet: A Review Article. Cureus 2020; https://doi.org/10.7759/cureus.9639
Malinowska and Żendzian-Piotrowska. Ketogenic Diet: A Review of Composition Diversity, Mechanism of Action and Clinical Application. J Nutr Metab 2024; https://doi.org/10.1155/2024/6666171
Dyńka et al. Ketogenic Diets for Body Weight Loss: A Comparison with Other Diets. Nutrients 2025;
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