Introduction
The keto diet is trendy and very popular; it is a low-carb, high-fat diet that offers many health benefits. Many studies have shown hard evidence that the ketogenic diet can help you improve your health and lose weight. Ketogenic diets have also been shown to fight diabetes, cancer, epilepsy, and Alzheimer’s disease. This blog post will guide you through all you need to know about the keto diet.
What is Keto Diet?
A keto diet, to a layman, is a low-carb, high-fat, and moderate in protein diet with myriads of health benefits. Numerous studies show that this diet can help a person lose weight and improve general health. Ketogenic diets have been proposed to be significantly effective against epilepsy, diabetes, cancer, and Alzheimer’s disease. The ketogenic diet, which is a very low-carb and high-fat diet, shares many similarities with Atkins and other low-carb diets. It involves completely reducing carbohydrate intake and replacing it with high fat intake, which puts the body into ketosis. If you’re not sure what ketosis means, this post will explain it in detail to you. During ketosis, the body becomes incredibly effective at burning fat for energy by turning fat into ketones in the liver, which can be a source of energy. This diet can significantly reduce blood sugar and insulin levels, among several other health benefits.
History And Origin of the Keto Diet
The keto diet became popular and was adopted as a therapy for epilepsy in the 1920s and 1930s. It was developed to offer an alternative to non-mainstream fasting, which had illustrated success as an epilepsy therapy. However, the diet was eventually abandoned because of the introduction of new anticonvulsant therapies. Though it was noticed that not all cases of epilepsy could be effectively controlled using these medications, as they failed to achieve epileptic control in almost 20%-30% of epileptics. For these individuals, and particularly children with epilepsy, the keto diet was re-introduced as a technique for managing and controlling the condition.
Understanding ketosis
If you’ve been wondering what the term ketosis means, it is a metabolic state in which your body converts fat into molecules called ketones, which it uses as its main energy source when glucose, the normal body sugar is limited. The best way to achieve ketosis is to reduce your carbohydrate intake drastically; for carbohydrates to travel through the digestive tract, they have to be broken down into sugar molecules such as glucose. If your body has an excess of glucose, it can be stored in the liver and muscles in its reserve form, glycogen.
It takes 2 to 4 days to reach ketosis if you consume 20 to 50 grams of carbohydrates per day. However, some people may take a week or more to reach this state. Factors that effect entering ketosis include daily fat and protein intake, exercise, age, and metabolism.
What Is The Main Use of the Keto Diet?
People mostly use the ketogenic diet to lose weight, but it can help in managing several other medical conditions, including epilepsy, heart disease, certain brain diseases, and even acne. The ketogenic diet has been used to produce helpful metabolic changes in the short term. In line with weight loss, health practitioners have stated that it helps in improving health conditions that are related to being overweight, such as high blood pressure, insulin resistance, and elevated triglycerides and cholesterol level. There is equally a growing interest in the use of the ketogenic diet for the treatment of type 2 diabetes.
Why Is Keto Diet Popular?
The keto diet has been heavily promoted by celebrities, constantly mentioned in numerous best-selling books, and popularized on social media as a potent solution to various health conditions, including chronic ailments. Proponents of the diet claim that it contributes to substantial weight loss and can be effective for people with Type 2 diabetes, drastically improves blood sugar levels, etc.
The ketogenic diet is continuing to gain a lot of popularity for several health reasons and has been speculated to be helpful to millions of people in losing weight, maintaining a healthy weight, and improving general health. Weight loss is not the only reason for the popularity of this fast-growing dietary lifestyle; its popularity also stems from being able to reverse the symptoms of various chronic weight-related issues, such as kidney problems, Diabetes, PCOS, and certain types of cancer.
The ketogenic diet is a regimen that increases life span and also enhances skin and hair conditions. Since the body has evolved to process fats much better than it can process carbs, the keto diet is quite suitable for maintaining health. Therefore, the ketogenic diet is increasingly becoming more accepted with each passing day.
The Rules of the Keto Diet
A healthy ketogenic diet must consist of about 75% fat, 5% or not more than 20-50 grams of carbs, and 10-30% protein a day. The Keto diet focuses on foods such as eggs, meats, dairy products, low-carb vegetables, and even sugar-free beverages. This diet restricts highly processed items and unhealthy or saturated fats. The keto diet limits a daily carb intake and eliminates processed foods. The restriction of certain foods helps in weight loss and the improvement of general health. The Keto diet encourages the consumption of non-starchy veggies, such as broccoli, asparagus, and spinach, which help in supplying the fiber that the digestive system craves. And because most vegetables are satisfying and have fewer calories, people who regularly eat them often have lower BMIs (body mass index).
How safe is Keto Diet?
Though this diet could contribute to low blood pressure, kidney stones, constipation, nutrient deficiencies, and even an increase in the risk of several diseases in some people, it is medically considered safe. However, since keto is a strict diet, it could also result in disordered eating or social isolation. Keto is safe, but not safe for people with health conditions involving the liver, pancreas, thyroid, or gallbladder. As with any diet, everyone must consider their own health situation and consult with their doctor.
Conclusion
The ketogenic diet can be powerful and healing and it is currently being studied for use in treating a variety of health ailments. But not following the general guide lines or consulting with your doctor could have serious health consequences and may not be the best option for achieving and maintaining overall well-being. The keto diet requires a strong commitment and regular review of ones own health.
