What are the causes of kidney disease in children? The keto diet is also referred to as the ketogenic diet because it works by limiting carbohydrates, which in conventional medicine is usually used primarily to treat epilepsy in children. It is also a strict low-carb diet, which in medical terms is usually used to control insulin resistance. The diet causes the body to burn fat rather than glucose and hence leads to ketosis, or ketosis symptoms.
Ketosis symptoms include breathlessness, diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, fatigue, and increased hunger sensations. However, ketosis is a temporary condition. In the meantime, keto diets help the body lose weight by slowing down the metabolism and burning more calories. Hence, the diet does not cause an excess amount of body weight.
Kidney Disease in Children
Many physicians prescribe a keto diet for children to curb seizures in cases where these seizures are caused by neurodevelopmental disorders such as dyslexia. While there are many children who have epilepsy and cannot be treated by conventional methods, most parents prefer to treat their child’s epilepsy by way of this diet. A child who has a seizure can eat a keto diet in the hope that this will stop the seizure or at least reduce its severity. In some cases, the seizures may even be reduced.
However, since the keto diet limits the number of carbohydrates, it is important that the child can get the proper amount of proteins, which are needed for normal body function. Therefore, the child has to eat enough meat, dairy products, fruits, and vegetables if he or she wants to maintain normal body functions and health. Furthermore, since a keto diet restricts the intake of carbohydrates, most kids with diabetes cannot take this diet. This is because, in order to absorb carbohydrates, the blood must pass through the cells in the intestines, which are composed of sugar. These cells then produce insulin, which helps regulate glucose in the bloodstream. Diabetics can take drugs or use medication to increase the amount of insulin produced in the bloodstream.
However, when the amount of insulin produced is reduced, blood sugar will rise, which can cause hypoglycemia. Hypoglycemia is a condition wherein there is too much glucose in the bloodstream. Thus, a diabetic cannot take this diet if his or her blood sugar levels are already out of control. In addition to this, since the keto diet involves taking place of carbohydrates, it is difficult for diabetics to do exercises and to follow the exercise regimen required for weight loss. Also, since the keto diet does not require the use of carbohydrates, it does not encourage the usage of carbohydrates like the popular Atkins diet.
Another disadvantage of the diet is that the keto diet may raise blood sugar levels. If the blood sugar levels are high, it may cause the child to have problems sleeping, irritability, fatigue, depression and anxiety, and mood swings. But if the blood sugar levels are low, the child may suffer from dehydration and kidney failure.
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