For every raved about benefit of the ketogenic diet (from weight loss to boosting brain function) there’s an equally unsavoury side effect (looking at you, keto flu). And experts are now warning that the popular eating plan could be impacting your libido, too.
“The ketogenic diet is a very low carbohydrate diet with intakes of 20g to 50g of carbohydrates per day, relatively high fat and moderate protein,” nutritionist Lily Soutter explained to The Independent.
“Some research suggests that a very low carbohydrate diet may cause a drop in thyroid function, which not only leads to fatigue and low mood, but may also negatively affect libido.”
The lack of carbs also means that your energy levels could take a hit, which could in turn affect your sex drive.
“Long-term, if our carbohydrate consumption is too low, it may also suppress our production of a hormone called leptin, which may ultimately interfere with our body’s abilities to regulate sex hormones,” Soutter adds.
Combined with other side effects like headaches, flu-like symptoms, constipation and bad breath, it’s unsurprising that you don’t feel DTF.
“Though it may offer some metabolic benefits when followed in the short-term (a few months), and pose as a novel treatment for certain medical conditions, a ketogenic diet isn’t recommended for the general population, as the long-term efficacy and safety of the diet are unknown,” Accredited Practising Dietitian Nicole Dynan previously told Women’s Health.
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