The ketogenic diet is a popular way to lose weight. Recently, experts from Peking University People’s Hospital conducted a clinical analysis and research on "Prurigo pigmentosa cases related to ketogenic diet and bariatric surgery" and pointed out that an informal ketogenic diet may not only cause damage to the heart, liver, kidneys and other organs, but also It may also cause skin diseases-pigmented prurigo. "Chinese Dermatology" magazine recently published the results of this research.
According to Cai Jingjing, a nutritionist in the Department of Clinical Nutrition at Peking University People's Hospital, the ketogenic diet is a diet with a high fat content (70% to 75%) and strict carbohydrate restriction (20 to 50 grams per day). To put it simply, it means to eat less or even no carbohydrates at all, with a moderate amount of protein and a lot of fat. The ketogenic diet was originally a special diet for the treatment of refractory epilepsy in children. It was later found to have a certain anti-tumor effect, and then found to have the effect of reducing fat and weight, regulating metabolism, and speeding up burning by restricting carbohydrate intake. Own fat, to achieve the effect of fat reduction. At the same time, by increasing the intake of protein, to maximize the protection of their own muscle tissue.
Why can the ketogenic diet cause skin diseases? According to Zhong Zhaohui, chief physician of the Department of Endoscopy Surgery, Peking University People's Hospital, during the ketogenic diet, the patient's carbohydrate intake decreases, and the basic energy metabolism in the body changes from glucose to fat, generating ketone bodies as an alternative energy source for the body. Ketone bodies can be distributed around the blood vessels of the skin, causing the aggregation of many inflammatory cells, leading to inflammatory reactions, itching and damage to the skin, resulting in pigmented prurigo. Zhong Zhaohui said that the clinical ketogenic diet therapy is a therapeutic diet, which is not suitable for everyone. It needs to be evaluated and formulated under the supervision of clinicians and nutritionists. "Blindly following other people's dietary formulas or operating on their own, failure to lose weight may also cause damage to the heart, liver, kidneys and other organs."
Wen Guangdong, a dermatologist at Peking University People's Hospital, said that many patients with prurigo pigmentosa are caused by a ketogenic diet in the clinic. "Some patients adhere to this diet for a long time, and the rash will drop pigmentation and affect the appearance." He reminded people who are losing weight by reducing carbohydrate intake, if there are dense network of small red bumps in the sweaty area. , May appear pigmented prurigo, should moderately restore the staple food, and promptly go to the dermatology department for medical treatment. It is reported that among the 6 patients collected in the study, 5 females developed prurigo pigmented after adopting a ketogenic diet; 1 male developed prurigo pigmented after bariatric surgery. The main parts of prurigo include the chest, back, waist, and abdomen. The symptoms of these patients improved significantly after listening to the doctor's advice to increase staple food or medication, which proves that dietary adjustments can successfully treat prurigo associated with a ketogenic diet.
