The ketogenic diet, or keto diet, has been around for many years. Originally a dietary therapy for treating epilepsy in children, the high-fat, moderate-protein, low-carb diet can also promote weight loss. This is the primary reason for a recent surge of interest in the diet. But there’s still a lot of confusion about keto. With so much information, including misinformation, it’s important to set the record straight. Below are five common misconceptions about the keto diet that can help you decide whether it’s right for you.

Eating a high-fat diet makes you fat.

It seems logical to think that eating a high-fat diet will make you gain weight. But there is solid evidence showing this is not true. In fact, healthy fats like those from avocados, coconut oil, olive oil, nuts and seeds can help you slim down. In one study, researchers found that adults with obesity who ate more fat compared to an identical amount of carbohydrates burned over 100 more calories a day. Moreover, limiting carbs lowered the production of the fat-regulating hormone insulin and increased fat burning. In another study, researchers found that a scheduled, high-fat diet can lead to a faster metabolism. The key take-home is that a diet rich in quality fat can improve your health and trim your waistline.

Keto is a meat-based diet.

Another misconception of the keto diet is that you have to consume a lot of meat. This is simply not true. In addition to meat, you should base the majority of your meals on fatty fish, eggs, butter and cream, cheese, nuts and seeds, healthy oils, avocados, and plenty of low-carb vegetables. Simply put, you should limit any food that is high in carbs, especially sugary foods and grains or starches. 

The keto diet is unsafe.

Some skeptics believe the keto diet is unsafe from a nutritional point of view. The keto diet can be very nutritious if you do it in a healthy way. The main requirements for keto are restricting carbohydrate intake, limiting protein intake, and increasing fat intake. Choose a diverse range of healthy fats and quality proteins to ensure you’re getting all the vitamins and minerals your body needs. Other skeptics say keto can cause a dangerous condition called ketoacidosis in which the body’s blood is highly acidic. This condition is often seen in people with diabetes. If you're otherwise healthy, doing keto correctly by limiting protein to about 6 to 8 percent of your daily calories will eliminate the risk of ketoacidosis. Ketone test strips can also help you accurately measure ketones in the body.

You need to exercise with keto to see any benefits.

Contrary to the conventional notion that exercise is a necessary component of every weight-loss plan, exercise isn’t a great tool to lose weight. In fact, researchers have shown that exercise doesn’t have a significant impact on waistlines at all. Diet is far more important than exercise when it comes to losing weight. But before you ditch the gym, consider the fact that exercise is supremely important to overall health and longevity.

A keto diet increases risk of heart disease.

This misconception may stem from the original keto diet, which was linked to initiating heart conditions in epileptic children. The original keto diet required a lower intake of carbohydrates than weight-loss versions of the keto diet. It was also intended for very short-term use. A ketogenic weight-loss diet can actually decrease the risks for heart disease in obese individuals by reducing triglyceride numbers. Triglycerides seem to be the biggest culprit in increasing risk of heart disease.

How ketone test strips can help you achieve your health goals.

Best Ketone offers a wide range of products to test blood levels, including ketone test strips, to help you understand ketosis and achieve your desired health goals.

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