Research

Mixed

Ketogenic diets provide short-term improvements in seizure frequency, weight loss, and glycemic control, but these benefits are often temporary and outweighed by long-term risks including nutrient deficiencies, adverse lipid profiles, and increased chronic disease risk.

If you try a ketogenic diet, expect short-term improvements in weight and blood sugar, but do not expect it to be superior to other healthy diets in the long run. Be aware that you may experience nutrient deficiencies, increased LDL cholesterol, and other health risks. For most people, the long-term risks outweigh the short-term benefits.

GoodQualifiesHIGH confidence
Given often-temporary improvements, unfavorable effects on dietary intake, and inadequate data demonstrating long-term safety, for most individuals, the risks of ketogenic diets may outweigh the benefits.
Lee Crosby et al. · Frontiers in Nutrition · 2021

Why this rating

Based on a comprehensive review of multiple meta-analyses and clinical trials.

Source

Ketogenic Diets and Chronic Disease: Weighing the Benefits Against the Risks

Lee Crosby et al. · Frontiers in Nutrition · 2021

DOI 10.3389/fnut.2021.702802

narrative_reviewCited 215×
Read the paper
DOI resolved against Crossref · corpus check 2026-06-10

This is one finding among thousands. Every one is graded and traced to its source, so you can see what the evidence actually supports. Browse the research →