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This Popular Diet Could Be Having A Major Impact On Your Sex Drive, Experts Say

Uh oh

For every raved about benefit of the ketogenic diet (from weight loss to boosting brain function) thereโ€™s an equally unsavoury side effect (looking at you, keto flu). And experts are now warning that the popular eating plan could be impacting your libido, too.

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โ€œThe ketogenic diet is a very low carbohydrate diet with intakes of 20g to 50g of carbohydrates per day, relatively high fat and moderate protein,โ€ nutritionist Lily Soutter explained to The Independent.

For every raved about benefit of the ketogenic diet (from weight loss to boosting brain function) thereโ€™s an equally unsavoury side effect (looking at you, keto flu). And experts are now warning that the popular eating plan could be impacting your libido, too.

โ€œThe ketogenic diet is a very low carbohydrate diet with intakes of 20g to 50g of carbohydrates per day, relatively high fat and moderate protein,โ€ nutritionist Lily Soutter explained to The Independent.

โ€œSome research suggests that a very low carbohydrate diet may cause a drop in thyroid function, which not only leads to fatigue and low mood, but may also negatively affect libido.โ€

The lack of carbs also means that your energy levels could take a hit, which could in turn affect your sex drive.

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โ€œLong-term, if our carbohydrate consumption is too low, it may also suppress our production of a hormone called leptin, which may ultimately interfere with our bodyโ€™s abilities to regulate sex hormones,โ€ Soutter adds.

Combined with other side effects like headaches, flu-like symptoms, constipation and bad breath, itโ€™s unsurprising that you donโ€™t feel DTF.

โ€œThough it may offer some metabolic benefits when followed in the short-term (a few months), and pose as a novel treatment for certain medical conditions, a ketogenic diet isnโ€™t recommended for the general population, as the long-term efficacy and safety of the diet are unknown,โ€ Accredited Practising Dietitian Nicole Dynan previously told Womenโ€™s Health. 

This article originally appeared on Womenโ€™s Health

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