7 Things You’re Not Doing for Your Skin But Should

Story From Penelope Andersan 

The quest for clear, smooth, radiant skin can feel like an uphill battle at times, especially when dealing with hard-to-control variables like pollution and fluctuating hormones.

Ask any celebrity about the secrets to a smooth, dewy complexion and you’re likely to hear, “Drink water and get plenty of sleep!” While hydration and rest can work wonders for your skin, most of us require a little bit more TLC to achieve a flawless face.

An estimated 85 percent of young people between the ages of 12 and 24 are plagued by breakouts – whether it’s pimples, congested pores, blackheads, or all of the above. As we get older, the worries over blemishes don’t end. The number of adults that struggle with acne is increasing, affecting up to 15 percent of women. Add fine lines, wrinkles, and dark circles to the mix and it’s no wonder the average American woman spends up to $300,000 on face products in her lifetime.

The quest for clear, smooth, radiant skin can feel like an uphill battle at times, especially when dealing with hard-to-control variables like pollution and fluctuating hormones. This can make it all the more frustrating to see models like Kendall Jenner and Jaime King look amazing even without makeup. While genetics have a lot to do with their perfect complexions, these celebs also have access to a crew of beauty professionals brimming with knowledge about the best acne treatments, face masks, and eye creams for every skin type.

Of course, having a makeup artist and facialist on speed dial is unrealistic for most of us. So, we asked a few people with great skin about their biggest skincare secrets. Here are seven simple tips for getting an Instagrammable complexion – no filter required.

1. Cut back on sugar

You’ve heard it dozens of times – sugar isn’t great for you. In addition to weight gain, cavities, and diabetes, eating or drinking too much sugar can lead to skin issues. When you consume sugar, it causes your insulin levels to spike, which creates inflammation in the body. Inflammation produces enzymes that break down collagen and elastin, contributing to sagging skin and wrinkles. In addition to aging your skin, sugar can also make conditions like acne and rosacea worse.

“Our diet can really impact our skin health,” explains Dana Sivak, a registered dietitian in Chicago. She says cutting back on sugar helped improve the tone and texture of her complexion. “Watching my sugar intake throughout the day so it doesn’t exceed the recommended 25 grams can be challenging, but I notice my efforts paying off when my skin remains healthy.” Start small by swapping white bread, pasta, and rice for whole grains. Read food labels to look for sugar hiding in “health foods,” like pasta sauce, salad dressing, and granola.

2. Look to supplements for hormonal balance

Katie, a 30 year-old blogger in California, never struggled with acne as a teen. But as she approached her late twenties, she began to get cystic acne around her mouth and chin. “I stopped taking birth control and my hormones went haywire,” Katie explains. “I tried so many different cleansers, serums, moisturizers, and oils to get my acne under control, but nothing worked.”

After a year of battling painful acne with no success, Katie turned to supplements to treat her sensitive skin from the inside out. After filling out a survey by HUM Nutrition, Katie began taking Gut Instinct™, a potent probiotic, Daily Cleanse™, which contains organic algae and cleansing minerals, and Red Carpet™, a supplement with black currant seed oil – a source of ALA and GLA shown to maintain hormone balance.

“Within two weeks my cystic acne was completely gone,” says Katie. “At this point it’s been a month and my skin has improved so much. I’m floored by how taking supplements has transformed my complexion.”

Katie’s friend Rachael also relies on supplements to promote a healthy complexion.

“I take collagen gummies and prenatal vitamins every morning to help with my skin,” she explains. Rachael started paying closer attention to her skin two years ago after moving to the desert. “My oily skin started to dry out and break out, so I had to set up a routine to keep it moist.” In addition to supplements, Rachael credits her dewy complexion to a regular morning and evening skincare routine along with LUSH Don’t Look at Me face masks twice per week.

3. Use vitamin E to rejuvenate your skin

While hard to resist, it’s not a good idea to pop your pimples or pick at your skin during a breakout. Doing so actually tears your skin and can leave a scar that lasts way longer than a pimple ever would have. That’s exactly what happened to Andrew, a 33 year-old musician, who battled breakouts as a teen. “I had really bad acne on my nose and cheeks in high school,” says Andrew, “I picked at my face a lot and it left some pretty bad scars.”

Andrew, who now has a clear complexion and barely-there acne scars, credits vitamin E and Korean sheet masks for his even skin tone and smooth texture. While there’s little evidence that vitamin E heals acne scars, it can help regulate the production of collagen and elastin. By blocking free radicals, vitamin E reduces wrinkles and keeps your skin looking youthful.

While vitamin E has many beauty benefits, this miracle serum should be used with caution. If you’re prone to breakouts, it could make your blemishes worse. Talk to your dermatologist before incorporating it into your skincare routine.

4. Drink enough water

There’s truth behind the blanket statement celebrities give about maintaining a clear complexion. “Hydration is a key factor,” says Sivak. “Women should aim to drink about nine cups per day.” Staying hydrated helps flush toxins from the body that can accumulate and cause acne. And, because the skin is made of 64 percent water, hydrating will help keep your complexion from becoming dry, tight, and flaky. Hydrated skin is more resilient than dry skin and is less prone to wrinkling.

5. Establish a nightly skincare routine

Gone are the days of falling asleep before washing your face. For a flawless complexion, it’s important to establish an evening skincare routine that cleanses, nourishes, and moisturizes your skin. Ideally, a nightly skincare routine will include using makeup remover, a gentle cleanser, toner, and moisturizer.

“I use Image Vital C Hydrating Facial Cleanser and splurge on Creme del La Mer Facial Moisturizer before bed," says Katie. "I tend to use sheet or clay masks more in the summer months when I'm sweating more and traveling.” Katie takes a preventative approach to her nightly skincare routine to thwart blemishes and the signs of aging. “I never used to wash my face before bed,” says Katie. “Now I see it as a form of self care, rather than a chore.” She uses Kate Somerville Anti Bac™ Acne Clearing Lotion and InstaNatural Retinol Serum on alternating nights to minimize blackheads and promote healthy collagen production.

6. Give skincare products a chance to work

If you’re anything like me, you’re always looking to try the latest best sellers and new arrivals in skincare. It can take some trial and error to find products that work for you, but constantly switching up your night cream, face oil, and acne treatment doesn’t give the products a chance to produce visible results.

You need to use most products for at least a month to see a difference, since average cell turnover is 28 days. Serums, like vitamin C and hyaluronic acid, can take up to six to eight weeks to brighten your complexion. Retinol in particular is known to cause redness and peeling at first, which many people mistake as an allergic reaction. They throw the product away before giving it a chance to work its magic to bust acne, reduce scarring, and minimize the signs of aging.

When you find a product that works, stick with it. At 65 years old, Carole has maintained a youthful complexion without the use of fillers, lasers, or serums. Her anti-aging secret? She has used the same skincare products for decades. “I wash my face with Mary Kay cleanser and follow up with Mary Kay moisturizer every morning,” says Carole. “I’ve used Mary Kay since I was 22.”

7. Use sun protection every morning

Sun care isn’t just for beach days. Even if you work indoors, you’re still exposing your skin to harmful UV rays during your commute that can cause dark spots, wrinkles, and worst of all, skin cancer. Unfortunately, the SPF built in to your makeup isn’t enough to provide anti-aging protection. Dermatologist Leslie Baumann told WebMD, “You need seven times the normal amount of foundation and 14 times the normal amount of powder to get the sun protection factor on the label.”

After cleansing and moisturizing your face, liberally apply broad-spectrum sunscreen with zinc oxide all the way up to your hairline and down your neck. Allow the sunscreen to soak in for a few minutes before putting on your makeup.

“After applying vitamin C serum I use Coola Moisturizing Face Sunscreen SPF 30 followed by Benefit Hello Flawless Oxygen WOW Brightening Makeup,” says Katie. “My foundation has SPF 25 so I feel like I’m really protecting my skin.”

To touch up your SPF throughout the day without messing up your foundation, try a face mist. A thorough coating of Supergoop Defense Refresh Setting Mist SPF 50 will lock in your morning makeup while providing added sun protection.

Penelope Andersan is from the Content Partnerships Team of The AEDITION, an online publication created by new, aesthetic enhancement platform AEDIT. AEDIT is a next-generation, go-to source for anyone looking to continue or begin their medial aesthetic journey.

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Bitter Kola: Nature's Powerful Defence Against A Host Of Ailments

Bitter kola is one of the few fruit whose nutritional values come when eaten raw. Eating a piece of bitter kola daily can help in the treatment of low libido, low sperm count, erectile dysfunction, arthritis, reduction of eye pressure, treating hangover, improving lung function and knee osteoarthritis among others. Medical experts at  Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching Hospital, OAUTH, Nigeria in a study published in the Journal of Orthopaedic Surgery and Research, said that bitter kola has a significant analgesic/anti-inflammatory effects in knee osteoarthritis patients.

Bitter kola is a potential osteoarthritis disease activity modifier with good mid-term outcome. Another study on bitter kola published recently in Science Journal of Microbiology showed that seed and leaf of bitter kola have antibacterial activity on clinical isolates of Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Salmonella typhi and Streptococcus pyogenes. Bitter kola has been shown to be a popular treatment for diarrhea and fever. The seed extract is antiseptic and is active mostly against gram-positive bacteria, while the leaf, is active mostly against gram-negative bacteria. It is also very efficacious for hepatitis.

 In West Africa, bitter kola is now being harnessed as a cure for the Ebola virus infections and also against flu. The stem, bark and the seeds are used for acute fever, inflammation of the respiratory tract and throat infections. The seeds are also chewed to relieve hoarseness of voice, sore throat and cough. In folk medicine, the seed is used for the treatment of liver disorder and it’s also used in the treatment of dysentery and diarrhea. The leaves are used for stomachache and pains and they also serve as good remedy for typhoid fever.

Generally used as a social snack and offered to guests in some cultural settings, bitter kola has been indicated in the treatment of laryngitis, general inflammation, bronchitis, viral infections and diabetes. Some Igbos (in Nigeria) medicine-men prescribe the fruit for arthritic conditions and is eaten raw and not prepared as food because it has medicinal attributes. It is also taken dry as a remedy for dysentery and is said to provide an antidote against Strophanthus poisoning.

Some medical experts have said that regular intake of bitter kola has little or no side effect on human health. They said that bitter kola is a potent antibiotic, which could be effective in the treatment of many ailments and infections. Bartholomew Brai, nutritional biochemist at the Nigerian Institute of Medical Research, Yaba, Lagos, said bitter kola is used in the preparation of herbal drugs either as a nourishment, a supplement or a herbal remedy.

Brai said: “If a patient on medication chews bitter kola, it will make the drugs ineffective but aside this, I do not think bitter kola has any other side effect. Bitter kola has lots of health benefits, like the treatment of cough, sneezing, cold, diarrhea, tuberculosis, bacterial infections and fever. It improves lungs’ function by expanding the alveolar ducts and sac in the lungs thereby improving and strengthening the fibres in the lung tissue.”

Emeka Amaechi, a general physician, also says that bitter kola has chemical compounds that could help the breakdown of glycogen in the liver. Bitter kola has antioxidant properties used as tonic for the liver and the gall bladder, which helps detoxifies the body system and it clears the voice by stimulating the production of mucus along the lining of the vocal tube which softens the dry throat. Bitter kola is an anti-poison. When food is suspected to be contaminated by bacteria, chewing of bitter kola will prevent the development of any infection or poison.

Bitter kola helps to reduce eye pressure and relieves arthritis by reducing swelling, pain and increase joint movement. The likely side effect of eating bitter kola could be incurred by any patient on drugs or medication. Botanically known as Garcinia kola, bitter kola belongs to the plant family Guttifereae. In Nigeria it is called oje in Bokyi, edun or efiari in Efik, efrie in Ejagham-Ekin, cida goro in Hausa, efiat in Ibibio, emiale in Icheve, igoligo in Idoma, aku-ilu or ugolo in Ibo, akaan in Ijo-Izon, okain in Isekiri, and orogbo in Yoruba.

Considerable experimental studies found the chemical constituents in bitter kola have anti-malaria properties. That aside, traditional healers have for many years prescribed bitter kola for the treatment of malaria infections. Researchers who reported that bitter kola had anti-malaria effect in the of Journal of Medicinal Plants Research, from a survey of plants used by traditional healers in the Democratic Republic of Congo, attributed this to its quinones content.

Bitter kola is a potent antibiotic which could be efficacious in the management of HIV and AIDS. A researcher with the Nigeria Natural Medicine Development Agency (NNMDA), Mrs. Chinyere Nwokeke told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) that bitter kola could be used in treating opportunistic infections associated with HIV. According to her: “Bitter kola is highly recommended in the treatment of HIV and AIDS because of its antibacterial, detoxification, and cleansing properties.”

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The Connection Between Exercise And Menopause

There was a time when the word menopause was never spoken, not even between mother and daughter. Regardless of the development in the approach to the condition, menopause is still referred to as the “change”, but is no longer a taboo subject.

Nowadays, most women can expect to live one-third to half of their lives past menopause; this can be among the most satisfying years of life, as you no longer have to worry about your periods.

The emergence of menopause as a hot health topic is likely the result of newer research that has shown that exercise plays a key role in easing the transition into menopause, enhancing a woman’s health, happiness, and productivity.

What is menopause?

The medical definition of menopause is a cessation of menses for 12 months. Menopause occurs when the ovaries stop making the hormones oestrogen and progesterone. While the average menopause onset is at about 51 years old, some women may enter menopause as early as their 30s or as late as their 60s.

Symptoms of menopause include hot flashes, night sweats, vaginal dryness, insomnia, headache, lethargy, chronic fatigue, irritability, anxiety, depression, a racing heart and joint pain.

How does exercise help?

Heart disease and osteoporosis risk increase after menopause. The good news is that this risk can be decreased substantially with regular physical activity program emphasising cardiovascular conditioning, weight-bearing exercise, and high impact activities when tolerated.

The mood elevating, tension-relieving effects of aerobic exercise reduce depression and anxiety, which often accompany menopause. Aerobic exercise promotes the loss of abdominal fat, a common place for postmenopausal weight gain. Strength training stimulates bones to retain the minerals that keep them dense and strong, thereby preventing the onset and progression of osteoporosis.

These effects of exercise, along with improved cholesterol levels and physical fitness, work together to prevent heart disease.

Keep in mind that good nutrition and a physically active lifestyle go together. A diet low in saturated and trans-fat and high in fibre and calcium is key in reaping the full benefits of exercise.

To reap the benefits of exercise, a balanced program of cardiovascular conditioning to reduce the risk of heart disease, strength training to decrease the risk of osteoporosis and flexibility to maintain range of motion is essential.

Consistency is important. Strive to be moderately active for at least 30 minutes each day, or at least most days of the week, every week.

Tips to get started

Given that the average age of menopause is 51, and women can expect to live 30 to 50 years beyond menopause, it’s important to think positively about this new phase of your life. Starting a new exercise program at mid-life is no different than starting one in your youth.

• Set some realistic and attainable goals. What can you accomplish in three months? Six months? One year?
• Create a sustainable exercise schedule.
• Experiment with different forms of exercise to find something you enjoy.
• Seek out professional advice if you are unsure of what types of exercise you should be doing or how to do them.
• Change things up every four to six weeks, your body needs change to keep moving towards your goals.
• Reward yourself periodically for sticking with it. Non-food rewards, please, so as not to undermine your hard work in the gym.

Often, the choices and information available on menopause can be simply overwhelming. The health and wellness industry is confusing even to fitness professionals. There are always new studies being published contradicting the findings of the older ones.

Rather than blindly following the results of the latest study, find out what works for you. This requires a commitment to paying attention to your own body and accepting or rejecting things that don’t benefit you. And of course, your best strategy will continue to change as you age.

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Lassa Fever Kills 15 In Ondo State, Nigeria

Information reaching Nigeria Natural Health Online has it that no fewer than 15 persons have been confirmed killed by the deadly Lassa fever in Ondo State, Nigeria between January and February 2019. It was also revealed that the disease had infected 102 persons in the state within the period under review.

The Ondo State Chairman of the Nigerian Medical Association disclosed this to journalists in Akure, the state capital.

According to him,  Owo, Ose, Akoko North, Akure South and Akure North local government areas are the areas in the state where the cases were recorded.

He said, “As of Thursday February 21, 2019, 102 people have been positive to Lassa fever,  82 people in January and 20 people so far in February. About 15 people have died in January as a result of the fever but no death has been recorded so far in February.

“Most people that died either reported late or were already subjected to alternative treatment and doing self-medication before they eventually came to hospital. Their kidneys and livers had been affected as a result of the delay.”

Oke, who works at the Federal Medical Centre, Owo, urged residents of the state to report early to the medical centre if they experienced upsurge of temperature in their bodies.

He, however, noted that the FMC had the highest success rate out of the three centres for Lassa fever treatment in Nigeria.

“We have contact tracing mechanism whereby we can place on surveillance for 21 days those that may have contact with an infected person.

“We continue to monitor their temperature if it is above 37.8 and ask them quick for treatment,” he stated.

The medical doctor added that the state government had put in place measures to curtail the fever and that the government had declared a state of emergency  in the health sector.

Oke explained that Ondo NMA, alongside the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and other stakeholders, had engaged in series of sensitisation programmes for the people of the state in a bid to prevent spread of the disease in the state.

He said, “Since the outbreak of Lassa fever, we have been moving round all the health facilities to sensitise our people on the need to maintain universal caution and also to be vigilant.”

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Why We Need To Invest In Our Own Herbal Brands

By Jennifer Abraham
African traditional health systems existed before the advent of the colonialists. Even though some of it was muddled with mystery and other unprofessional and unhygienic practices, it managed to keep the people alive until the introduction of modern medicine. 

There were balms for aches and pains, brews for fever, treatment for ulcers and other ailments. Incidentally, it appears that our local medicines that we now treat with suspicion are being sold to us in exotic packages as modern alternative cures.

Our Traditional Medicine Practitioners, TMPs, are criticised for selling one-drug-for-all-ailments packages but then, the imported ones on the shelves these days also claim the same attributes. Instead of running down our own, we need to engage science to repackage them and give them contemporary appeal. The Chinese, the Indians and the South Africans are examples of nations that have made good effort to develop and promote their herbal medicines and it is rewarding them economically. 

Recently, I came across some herbal brands that have just been introduced into the Nigerian market from the Americas. I found them very expensive and could not help wondering whether our own moringa, neem and other medicinal plants had not been compounded into that cure-all package that many middle-aged persons with chronic ailments are tripping over. I listened to a video advert of the product and it was clearly described as a supplement and not a drug. Perhaps, what our local entrepreneurs need to do next is to dub our own brands as supplements and not drugs.

The moringa tree, for example, is one of our tree resources that are brimming with potential. Proceeds from a 2010 forum on moringa development, convened by the Raw Materials Research and Development Council, unearthed that every part of the tree is an economic resource with diverse applications. We simply need to package them well and sell to the world just as they are selling theirs to us.

The acceptance and use of plants and roots for cure and control of ailments has suffered a chequered fate. From the ancient times when they were the only remedies known to man, to the time when they were treated with suspicion and considered as fetish, to contemporary times when man is revisiting herbal remedies because some germs have developed strains that are resistant to modern antibiotics.

Besides, the dangerous side effects of some orthodox drugs now cause doctors to question the benefits of prescribing them at all. This has created a window of opportunity for herbal medicinal packages to gain re-acceptance.

Today, traditional medicine is universally accepted as an alternative source of medicare. The World Health Organisation recognises traditional medicine as ‘including diverse health practices, approaches, knowledge and beliefs incorporating plants, animals and or mineral-based medicines, spiritual therapies, manual techniques and exercises applied singularly or in combination to maintain well-being, as well as to treat, diagnose or prevent illness’.

A good case for indigenous medicines is that, considering the prevalence of mosquitoes, if Africans did not have their own remedies for malaria before the advent of the Europeans, the first white people who came to Africa would not have met any living soul.

The Nigerian Natural Medicine Development Agency data has it that over 85 per cent of people in sub-Saharan Africa and about 80 per cent of Nigerians patronise traditional medicine. 

For most of these people, it is the only known source of healthcare delivery; IT IS AVAILABLE, ACCESSIBLE AND AFFORDABLE. In many parts of Africa, the number of traditional health practitioners far outnumbers that of allopathic doctors. To buttress the reach of TMPs, statistics show that we may have a ratio of one medical doctor per 20,000 persons as opposed to 1: 200 for TMPs. 

The National Demographic and Health Survey Report (NDS, 1999) indicates that 63 per cent of births in the country are handled by traditional practitioners.

A local birth attendant once told me she had herbal remedies for women with delayed labour problems. According to her, the plant can save some women from having to undergo caesarian sections. 

A good percentage of modern drugs is plant derived and the World Health Organisation estimates that there are about 21,000 plant species with medicinal value and a good percentage of these are believed to be available in Nigeria with our vast biodiversity and bio-resources.

This is therefore an area of cache waiting to be unearthed by discerning entrepreneurs, especially because many Nigerians now spend huge sums on imported herbal brands from America, Europe and Asia. Interestingly, some of those formulations are prepared with herbs sourced from Nigeria!

Cultivation of medicinal crops as a deliberate and focused business venture is a viable foray. A specialised area of agriculture and forestry would yield good returns not only for supply to local herbal medicine manufacturers, but also for export. This is one more area where entrepreneurs can tap into to create new wealth and generate employment.

All the present-day herbal medicine manufacturer need do is to shed the old garb of mysticism, seek information, embrace contemporary best practice rules and adopt attractive packaging. These done and we too can sell our herbal preparations to the rest of the world.

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The Fundamentals Of Keto Diets (2)

(Being the concluding part of the article featured last week) 

Micronutrients on a Keto Diet

Conversely to macronutrients, micronutrients must be obtained in the diet in small quantities, but are essential to health. Vitamins and minerals are examples of micronutrients.

When following a ketogenic diet, it is important to be mindful of micronutrient intake because:

• Reducing carbohydrate intake can lower consumption of micronutrient-rich foods (i.e. fruits and vegetables)
• In the initial 28 days of following a ketogenic diet, the balance of some micronutrients (such as sodium, potassium, magnesium, and calcium) can become disturbed due to an increase in their excretion.
• The body resolves this issue naturally after adapting to the diet

Sodium is the principal cation in extracellular fluid. Its functions are related to blood volume maintenance, water balance, and cell membrane potential. Sodium is also essential for acid-base balance and nerve conduction. 

The level of sodium can fall at the start of a ketogenic diet.
Adding extra sodium to meals (like adding salt or consuming bouillon/ bone broth) can reduce the chances of feeling the common side effects associated with low sodium (like cramps).

Potassium is the principal cation in the intracellular fluid. Its primary functions are related to maintaining cell membrane potential and electrical activity in cells such as neurons and cardiomyocytes. As with sodium, levels of potassium fall at the initiation of a ketogenic diet due to increased excretion. When starting a ketogenic diet, include sources of potassium like nuts, dark green vegetables, and avocados.

Magnesium is an essential element in biological systems, especially for nerve, muscle, and immune function. Levels of magnesium also fall at the initiation of a ketogenic diet due to increased excretion. When starting a ketogenic diet, include sources of magnesium like oily fish, dark green vegetables, and seeds.

Calcium has a role in muscle contraction and is important for cardiovascular and bone health. Calcium deficiency is less common during a ketogenic diet, as staples of the diet such as fish, cheese, and leafy greens are rich sources of the mineral.

Considerations When Starting a Keto Diet

As with any new diet or way of life, it's important to look at the lifestyle change from all angles.

Who Should Avoid a Keto Diet?

Based on certain risk factors, following a ketogenic diet may not be suggested for people with the following medical considerations:

• Pregnancy
• Kidney failure
• Impaired liver function
• Impaired fat digestion (gallbladder disease, gastric bypass, pancreatitis)
• Genetic defects in metabolism (CPTI/II deficiency, beta-oxidation defects, fatty acyl dehydrogenase deficiency).

Potential Side Effects

When starting a ketogenic diet there can be a period of 2 - 3 days where blood glucose levels are low, but ketone production has not reached a sufficient rate to provide enough fuel for the brain.
This can result in a series of symptoms, known as the keto flu, which include:

• Headache
• Muscle cramps
• Fatigue 
• Nausea
• Dizziness

Exogenous ketone supplements, such as HVMN Ketone^, and medium-chain triglycerides can be used to reduce symptoms of keto flu. They provide the brain with a source of energy without carbohydrate consumption. These supplements increase the levels of ketones in the blood artificially. Exogenous ketones do not increase the body’s ketone production (of endogenous ketones) and can actually inhibit the release of fatty acids from adipocytes.
It can be initially tricky to adjust food intake to ensure adequate nutrition when following a ketogenic diet. Also, some people find the diet isn’t sustainable due to individual differences in metabolic state or lifestyle. If the diet does not provide the correct balance of macro and micronutrients, some individuals develop other symptoms beyond the keto flu after the adaptation period. These include:

• Constipation
• Bad breath
• Difficulty in maintaining physical performance
• Hair loss
• Gallstones
• Elevated blood triglycerides or cholesterol

To treat these symptoms, ensure the diet provides enough calories and micronutrients. Many people reduce fruit and vegetable consumption on a ketogenic diet (due to carbohydrate content). This means it is easy to become deficient in vitamins and to under-consume fiber.

The ketogenic diet can alter the way that the kidneys excrete electrolytes (such as sodium), so electrolyte supplementation can reduce the side effects of an electrolyte imbalance. A silver lining here is the loss of excess water weight (and thus weight loss) with the decrease in stored water.

Possible Clinical Applications for Ketosis

Some of the earliest reports of the ketogenic diet describe its use in a clinical setting.
In the early 20th century, ketogenic diets helped treat drug-resistant epilepsy. Doctors also prescribed ketogenic diets to treat type 1 diabetes (different than type 2 diabetes, in which people have insulin resistance or don’t respond to insulin) before the invention of insulin.
As analytical techniques progressed, scientists learned that ketones themselves might be a crucial part of the success of the ketogenic diet to treat disease. From this finding stemmed a field of research to examine the potential benefits of ketosis in a range of disease states:

• Weight loss
• Diabetes and metabolic syndrome
• Neurological disease: epilepsy, Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, migraine, concussive disease, and traumatic brain injury
• Cancer
• Inflammatory diseases

While the ketogenic diet is not yet a first-line treatment recommended by doctors for any of these diseases, it’s a relatively easy and tolerable step that patients with these conditions can take to improve their health. Emerging research suggests there may be beneficial effects of ketosis for some people, and further studies are required to confirm how best to use the diet in these clinical settings.

Should You Start a Keto Diet?

We've provided an in-depth look at the keto diet, hopefully giving you all the tools you need to make the best decision for your health. Think about your goals, your lifestyle and how feasible keto is for you (and consult a healthcare professional). While many people have found success on keto for weight loss or performance—everyone is different.

Not seeing results from the keto diet?

You’re not alone. Many think they’re in ketosis but aren’t–the newness of the diet leads to misinformation online. HVMN provides the latest science around meal-timing, supplements and macronutrient composition. Subscribe and be first to know the newest techniques for keto diet results. 

This article is from HVMN, an organization that researches and presents articles discussing health, nutrition and diet, among other topics related to human optimization.

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