In other cases, symptoms can actually be serious, as was the case for Michelle Alley, a blogger in Utah who writes about health and nutrition for iFit. But Gorin notes that bloating and constipation, which can result from not getting enough of the fiber that many carb-rich foods contain, may persist as long as you’re on the keto diet. It often takes up to two weeks for symptoms to pass.

Difficulty concentrating or “brain fog”.

Symptoms that Grieger and Gorin have seen in ketogenic dieters include: What the Keto Flu Is and What Causes These Unpleasant Symptomsĭuring the initial few days of the keto diet, the body is essentially adjusting its metabolic machinery, says Stephen Phinney, MD, chief medical officer and co-owner of Virta Health, in San Francisco, a company experimenting with nutritional ketosis in its treatment of type 2 diabetes. She says her clients report low energy levels, which can disrupt their usual exercise routines, along with focus issues and irritability. Like Gorin, Lynn Grieger, RDN, a health coach in private practice in Prescott, Arizona, and a medical reviewer for Everyday Health, has observed an adjustment period of one to two weeks in people who are on the ketogenic diet.

RELATED: Does the Ketogenic Diet Work for Type 2 Diabetes?

Yet people with diabetes who require insulin, those with kidney disease or a history of kidney stones, as well as individuals with a history of eating disorders are among those who should avoid the diet, says Gorin. For most people, the adjustment period may be mildly unpleasant but not dangerous to their health. The body turns to stored fat for energy instead, triggering a state of ketosis, when the liver starts breaking down fat into acids called ketones. Rather, they’re a byproduct of the body adjusting to a very- low-carb diet as it depletes stored glucose. But they aren’t the result of an infection of any sort like influenza.

Such symptoms are commonly referred to as the keto flu, says Amy Gorin RDN, in Jersey City, New Jersey, owner of Amy Gorin Nutrition. Some get diarrhea (or alternatively, constipation). But you’ve heard the stories: Several days into the keto diet, people start to feel sluggish with headaches, difficulty concentrating, and muscle cramps. You’ve undoubtedly heard about the ketogenic diet - a high-fat, low-carb approach that forces the body to burn fat for fuel - and decided to consider it for weight loss, more energy, or any of the other touted benefits of the plan.

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