Keto diet most searched throughout the year 2021 amid COVID-19; know all its benefits

On Google’s annual 'Year In Search' report 2021 that mostly listed queries related to the COVID-19 disease, many diet options, and healthy meals also made it, as they were frantically searched amid the global pandemic. People focused on adhering to healthy and nutritious eating habits and wholesome diet plans. Most of the searches were related to managing obesity and weight, reducing stress, and boosting the body’s immunity against the novel SARS-CoV-2. And so, therefore, it comes as a little surprise that the Ketogenic or keto diet, which is a low carb and high-fat diet offering many health benefits, was widely searched online.

According to the scientists, keto diet not only assists in maintaining appropriate weight but also improves one’s overall health. The diet was the ‘most searched’ in 2021, defeating Dalgona coffee and Banana bread trends from the last year, 2020. The keto diet meals are known to cut down on the body’s carbohydrate intake and replace it with fat for healthier living. 

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There are several types of keto diets namely Standard ketogenic diet (SKD) which is basically the low carb, moderate protein and high-fat diet, cyclical ketogenic diet (CKD) which involves periods of higher-carb intakes, and then completely stopping the carb diet, followed by the high carb days. Another type involves taking the carbs only if one is undertaking an intense workout session known as the Targeted ketogenic diet (TKD). Lastly, High protein ketogenic diet focuses on high protein in proportions: 60% fat, 35% protein, and 5% carbs. 

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But why was the keto diet, specifically, was so popular among the netizens throughout the year 2021? 

As the COVID-19 pandemic resulted in a paradigm shift towards healthier living, the discussions about the keto diet or ketogenic diet surged online by a whopping 30% in 2021 as per Google’s global data. Across several social media platforms including Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and even Reddit, individuals started discussions mostly about how the Ketogenic diet would help with weight management and maintaining good health for patients of diabetes, epilepsy, autoimmune disorder, acid reflux, and hormonal imbalances. 

Smitarani Tripathy, Social Media Analyst at GlobalData revealed that the ‘low carbs’, ‘sugar substitute’, and ‘vitamins’ were the main discussions that were trending around Keto Diet in 2021. Online, people shared various recipes on keto with low carbs and different sugar substitutes that would eliminate the known risk factors for contracting COVID-19 such as obesity, diabetes, and hypertension. Some of the keto recipes people were actively discussing are baked oats, Potato soup, a one-pot meal called the Nasi Goreng, feta pasta with tomatoes, olive oil and feta cheese, and many others.