According to recent study, the two most common reasons people start a ketogenic diet are weight loss and overall health advantages.
The keto diet was originally developed to treat epilepsy in children, but it has since grown into a popular weight-loss technique for adults, according to Nadeau.
According to Harvard Health, it's a low-carb diet that, rather than focusing on protein like many others, promotes ingesting more fat, particularly saturated fats like butter, lard, and palm or coconut oils.
"It puts you into a state called ketosis, which causes your body to burn fat instead of glucose," says Nadeau.
"Even if you initially lose weight, and many do, you're likely to gain it back when the diet becomes unsustainable," according to her.
"In fact, many people who initially lose weight on keto end up gaining back the weight they lost plus more."
Harvard Health recommends that if keto is used for weight loss purposes, it's only used as a short-term means to jumpstart the weight loss and not a long-term solution.
If you're looking to lose weight, Nadeau instead recommends focusing on small habit changes: adding more physical activity to your daily schedule, eating more fruits, vegetables and foods high in fiber and protein and drinking more water.