Some doctors are warning about a controversial diet that could cause health issues

Doctors are warning about a popular diet that could cause serious health issues. “There’s not that much data on this diet,” cardiologist Dr. Ahsan Achtchi said.

A ketogenic diet is high in fat and moderate protein and very low in carbohydrates, which forces the body to burn fat instead of glucose for energy.

“Large quantities, just like large quantities of sugar in your bloodstream of ketones in your body can be a bad thing,” Dr. Achtchi said.

Dr. Achtchi said the diet does work for some people, but for others it could cause health issues. “For people who are prone to kidney stones, for instance, it will be more likely to develop kidney stones,” Dr. Achtchi said.

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And if it’s taken to an extreme he said it could send people to a hospital. “A high fat diet will raise your cholesterol and we know for a fact raising your bad cholesterol increases your risk of heart attack substantially,” Dr. Achtchi said.

Nationally known fitness trainer, Bob Harper suffered a major heart attack last year while he said he was on a high fat and protein, low carb diet.

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Harper said his heart attack was caused by a hereditary medical condition and he learned his body cannot handle eating that much fat.

However, Kristen Achord said she has been following keto for more than a year and it has only benefited her health. “Within three to six months of being keto, my cholesterol dropped to normal ranges, I was able to go off nearly all the medication,” Achord said.

She is down nearly 100 pounds since her weight loss journey began. But she said her doctor urged her to be cautious of the diet.

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“I think because everyone has the fear of fat,” Achord said.

For those thinking of this diet, Dr. Achtchi said it’s intended to be short term and people should consult with their doctor beforehand.

“You would want to make sure you don’t have any underlying medical conditions or if you do, you want to consult a physician before to make sure they don’t adversely affect those conditions,” Dr. Achtchi said.

Cox Media Group