Muscat: Oman’s Ministry of Health (MOH) has urged people to consult a physician before going on a Keto diet.

The keto diet over the past few years, has emerged as one of the most popular and polarizing ways to lose weight.

The eating plan has many people slashing their carb intake and loading up on healthy fats in an effort to reach the holy grail of the keto diet: ketosis, or the metabolic state in which the body starts burning its own fat for fuel. However, in an advisory issued online, MOH said people should visit a doctor before committing to such diet plans.

A keto diet could lead to side effects including dehydration, lack of salts, headache, dizziness or temporary lethargy, among others.

“Keto diet has many benefits such as regulation of sugar and loss of weight besides a controlled appetite. It helps regulate triglycerides as well. But you should consult a specialist doctor before starting a Keto diet and go for follow-up treatments and periodic checks and exercise caution against commercial diets,” Ministry added.