Are ketosis diets safe for active pilots?

In the past 5 years there has been explosive use of low carbohydrate, high protein and high fat nutritional approaches. Although the long term benefits of these nutritional approaches will be debated for quite some time their immediate impacts to the human body are quite clear. Diets such as Atkins use an initiation period of up to two weeks to induce a state of ketosis where by the body is starved of glucose, the preferred source of fuel for the brain. This induction period may cause a variety of physiological effects. During and even after this period a pilot’s cognitive and physical abilities and therefore flight safety may be impaired to varying degrees.

See Also

• Aviation Safety Ramifications of Ketosis Diets
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