Physicians are used to talking to patients about diet for weight loss or even disease prevention, but they may be thrown for a loop when asked about more prescriptive eating plans.
For example, the ketogenic, or keto, diet has been positioned as a treatment for serious and life-threatening conditions. Its proponents say they are doing more than practicing healthy eating; they’re applying a nonpharmacologic approach that may directly affect medical outcomes.
Research suggests that variations on the keto diet — high in fat and protein with minimal amounts of carbohydrates — may indeed be useful for controlling epilepsy. But for other chronic diseases, such as diabetes, obesity, and cancer, the evidence is less clear. If not done correctly, following a keto plan carries important risks, including nutritional deficiencies, hypovolemia, hypokalemia, kidney stones, and gout.
The gluten-free diet has also gained popularity as a way to minimize various health problems, including weight gain, gastrointestinal distress, and high cholesterol. For people with celiac disease, avoiding the gluten protein found in certain grains is a medical necessity. However, there is far less science to support the idea that a gluten-free diet is beneficial for anyone else. There may even be risks, including an elevated chance of developing coronary heart disease, nutritional deficiencies, obesity, and cancer.
Tidak ada komentar:
Posting Komentar