Ketogenic diets, usually shortened to keto, are promoted as a way of losing weight and improving your general health, but the long-term impacts of following such a diet are still being unraveled. A new study throws some concerning findings into the mix, suggesting that while the diet may be effective for weight loss, it could lead to complications like fatty liver disease. 

Keto diets are designed to get the body into a state of ketosis, where fat stores are used as an energy source rather than carbohydrates. To achieve this, these diet plans recommend strict limits on carbohydrate-rich foods, things like starchy vegetables, grains, and sugars. Instead, there’s a focus on protein- and fat-rich foods like meat, fish, unsweetened dairy, nuts, and seeds. 

For some people, a keto diet is an essential part of medical treatment for a chronic illness. For example, ketogenic diet therapy can help children with drug-resistant epilepsy experience fewer seizures. But as the British Dietetic Association points out, following such a strict diet plan comes with its own risks and should be closely monitored. So, what about people without a medical indication who simply choose to follow this diet for themselves?

Lots of people claim the diet has helped them lose weight and feel better, but the internet also abounds with anecdotes from people who claim it ruined their health. The “long-term effects [of ketogenic diets] on metabolic health remain understudied,” write the authors of a new study.