Can a ketogenic diet help you lose weight quickly and improve "low sexual desire"? Don't try these two types of people easily
The ketogenic diet is a “high-fat, low-carbohydrate” diet. Its main function is to incompletely burn fat in the body and produce “ketone bodies”. Scientists have discovered that ketone bodies can protect nerve cells and are therefore gradually being used to treat intractable epilepsy. Academics believe that it is possible to lose a lot of weight in a short period of time by adopting a ketogenic diet, but most of it only loses water in the body rather than fat. However, in the long term, the ketogenic diet does have benefits such as making you feel fuller longer, helping to maintain muscle mass, and reducing an individual’s calorie intake. There are even reports that the ketogenic diet can improve the sexual function of patients with chronic diseases, thereby improving the problem of low sexual desire.
Ketogenic diet improves sexual desire in patients with chronic diseases? Could it be harmful to male testosterone?
Research published last year in the journal Nutrients showed that in adults with obesity and type 2 diabetes, the ketogenic diet was associated with reduced food cravings and better sexual function. A small study in 2018 on women with chronic diseases and obesity also pointed out that after adopting a low-calorie ketogenic diet for 4 months, the subjects believed that their sexual function had improved, and it also brought many benefits such as weight loss and appetite reduction.
However, there are still many variables in the above-mentioned studies. For example, the subjects took exercise measures during the experiment, and the research team urged the subjects to stop drinking and get enough sleep. These measures may also improve sexual function. Therefore, whether the level of sexual desire is completely affected by the ketogenic diet? The impact is still unknown. Overall, research suggests that a ketogenic diet may improve low libido in people with chronic illness.
Another study also published in “Nutrients” revealed completely different results from the above. 19 male bodybuilders adopted a ketogenic diet within 2 months. Although elements harmful to the human body such as blood fat, glucose, and inflammatory markers were significantly reduced, testosterone also showed a decreasing trend at the same time, falling by about 11%. Research shows that the ketogenic diet does work to reduce body fat, but reduced testosterone levels may harm male libido.
Does the ketogenic diet help you lose weight quickly but also have many side effects? Avoid trying if you have kidney or liver problems
Based on the above, the ketogenic diet may improve sexual function and increase sexual desire in patients with chronic diseases, and may be beneficial to patients with obesity and type 2 diabetes; however, research does not show a direct link between ketones and sexual health. Many people on the ketogenic diet experience improved overall quality of life due to changes in eating habits, and an increase in libido may simply be an added effect.
People who want to adopt a ketogenic diet are reminded to pay more attention to the many side effects it brings. The National Institutes of Health points out that side effects caused by the ketogenic diet, such as headaches, nausea and vomiting, dizziness, constipation, fatigue, and insomnia, usually disappear within a few weeks. However, long-term effects of the ketogenic diet may include damage to internal organs, such as hypoalbuminemia, fatty liver disease, or kidney stones. Therefore, if you have liver or kidney problems, it is not suitable as a long-term dietary strategy.
In addition, some studies have shown that a ketogenic diet can easily cause bad breath and stones, increase cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein (LDL, bad cholesterol). There is still a lack of relevant research evidence on the long-term effects of the ketogenic diet. Therefore, if you want to improve the problem of low sexual desire, it is recommended to seek treatment from a urologist; and those who want to lose weight through the ketogenic diet should also consult a physician or nutritionist in advance. Avoid giving up halfway in your weight loss process or causing unnecessary harm to your body.
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