One of the popular diets for treating obesity is the ketogenic diet, which limits nearly all carbohydrates, avoids excess protein, and endorses the consumption of fat, leading to the body’s production of ketones.

These ketones are produced when the body is low in glucose and starts burning its own fat.

But recent research indicates that the ketogenic diet is associated with less than a kilogram of additional weight loss beyond high-carbohydrate, low-fat strategies, and may not translate to much added value above and beyond other weight-loss regimens.

The issue is whether or not people can stay on the ketogenic diet to keep the weight off and whether its risks outweigh its benefits.

Documented side effects of the ketogenic diet include kidney stones, constipation, bad breath, muscle cramps, headaches, diarrhea, bone fractures, pancreatitis, and multiple vitamin and mineral deficiencies.

Moreover, the diet minimizes consumption of health-promoting whole grains, fruits, and legumes.