Thousands across the U.S. are trying the Keto diet to shed weight, and while some claim success eating that way, experts say to be cautious.
Earlier this summer, ABC15 compared the Keto diet to the Paleo diet. The response was huge, so we are taking action and diving deeper into the popular diets.
ABC15 spoke with Registered Dietitian Nutritionist Cathy Deimeke with the Mayo Clinic. She's playing referee in this Paleo versus Keto showdown -- round two.
The Keto diet is everywhere right now. There are entire Instagram pages and Facebook pages dedicated to helping people live that low-carb life.
People swear by it, saying they've lost weight quickly by eating low carbohydrates and moderate proteins and fats.
Paleo is a lot more meat, seafood, fruits and vegetables and almost nothing processed. The idea is to eat like we did during the Paleolithic era, which was mostly fresh fruits and vegetables.
But Deimeke says if we are going based on research, neither diet walks away with the winning title.
"Personally I don't recommend either of them because there's not a lot of evidence either way to prove that they are that beneficial. The thing that we found for the most part is that people maintain good health by having a balanced diet," Deimeke said.
RELATED: Celebrity diet tricks -- the hype and the reality
We asked her if she had to pick one diet to recommend, which would she choose? Her answer was the Mediterranean diet.
That diet is made up of a lot of vegetables and olive oil with moderate protein. According to Deimeke, any diet that encourages you to practically give up entire food groups isn't good.
For her, it's all about moderation and a well-balanced meal, combined with exercise.
What she found alarming was the amount of people pushing Keto and Paleo who claim to be experts. She wants to warn everyone that just because someone may have picked up a lot of knowledge along the way, doesn't mean they have the background or years of research that makes them an expert.
Deimeke says, "There could be nothing on that website as to who this person is and what credentials they have. And it could be that they went to a weekend course on nutrition so you really want to be very careful."
RELATED: 10 most Googled health questions in 2017
She warns there hasn't been enough research done to figure out the long-term effects of doing Keto. So as always, consult your doctor before you make big eating changes.
