The ketogenic (Keto) diet has become one of the most popular dietary trends as it is widely promoted to provide rapid and dramatic weight loss. Commonly known as the “keto diet,” it promises drastic results in a short period of time.
There is evidence to support the keto diet as an effective way to reduce obesity, aid athletes, or maintain a healthy weight.
What foods are on a ketogenic diet?
Here is a list of all the low carb foods found on a keto diet:
- Fish and shellfish
- Low carb vegetables
- Cheese
- Avocados
- poultry
- Eggs
- Healthy nuts, seeds and oils.
- Plain Greek yogurt and cottage cheese
- Berries
- Coffee and tea without sugar
- Dark chocolate and cocoa powder
Keto diet benefits
Rapid weight loss
There are several physiological reasons for the rapid weight loss in the first weeks and months of the keto diet:
- Reduced appetite
- Less fat storage
- Greater use of fat
- Greater efficiency to burn fat
- Greater thermal effect
- Greater use of calories required to break down protein for fuel and convert it to glucose (as well as fat).
Diet forces your body to use stored fat and dietary fat for fuel instead of glucose (sugar). This process, called ketosis — can cause an overall decrease in body fat.
Also, when carbohydrates are not consumed and stored, your body reduces their water content and, as a result, overall body weight temporarily decreases; this evens out after the first week or two.
Studies suggest that the keto diet is a better alternative to a very low calorie diet that doctors prescribe to help patients lose weight before weight loss surgery.
In a comparison study, the keto diet group had a greater reduction in BMI and significantly reduced postoperative hospital stay: only 2.8% exceeded 3 days compared to 10.8% in the very low calorie diet group.
While weight loss is likely to occur early on a keto diet, the big question is whether long-term weight loss and weight maintenance can be sustained.
Each person who returns to old habits will regain weight regardless of the methods used to lose it. However, a study on maintaining weight loss with the keto diet successfully combined two cycles of the keto diet with a Mediterranean maintenance eating plan.
While the ketogenic diet can be effective for rapid weight loss, it is unknown if the eating plan is the most effective way to help you maintain a healthy weight in the long term.
Increases satiety
Several studies confirm the keto diet as an effective method of weight loss because keto meals promote satiety, feelings of satisfaction, and fullness. There may be different reasons for this benefit.
First, although the filling of high-fiber foods is extremely limited on these diets, other foods recommended in the plan help you feel full longer.
Foods high in fat provide both a satisfying taste and a mouthfeel that can help you eat less.
Additionally, proteins not only take longer to consume, but also take longer to digest, which means they also help you feel full for a longer period of time after eating.
Additionally, a ketogenic diet can have a beneficial effect on hunger hormones. One study found that the presence of increased ketone bodies in the blood (a byproduct of ketosis) helps reduce ghrelin levels, which helps suppress appetite, perceived hunger, and the desire to eat.
Reduction of abdominal fat
Many people who follow a diet to lose weight do so in the hope that the weight loss will occur in the abdominal area. Unfortunately, we cannot choose where fat loss occurs. However, there is evidence that a keto diet can preferentially target belly fat.
A study published in Nutrition and Metabolism investigated how low-fat and very low-carbohydrate diets affect body composition in both men and women.
The researchers concluded that very low-carbohydrate diets produced better results than low-fat diets for short-term body weight and fat loss, especially in men. They concluded that there was greater fat loss in the trunk area.
The study authors noted, however, that more evidence is needed to confirm this benefit.
Improved athletic performance
A review of ketogenic diets examined whether athletic performance could be improved using the low-carb, high-fat eating program.
According to research, keto diets can help athletes control body weight, reduce body fat, and maintain muscle mass in weight-sensitive sports. In some situations, endurance athletes appear to adapt to keto diets and can burn fat more efficiently than their high-carb, low-fat counterparts.
Other studies indicated that elite male gymnasts using a keto diet maintain peak strength and significantly reduce body weight and fat. Other findings indicated that ketogenic diets in combination with resistance training may allow athletes to maintain muscle and burn fat.
Improved health markers
Some studies have shown that certain health markers can improve when following a keto diet.
One study investigated the long-term effects of a ketogenic diet in obese patients. The study authors found that after 24 weeks on the diet, the patient had reduced body weight, lower BMI, decreased triglyceride level, lower LDL cholesterol, lower blood glucose, and increased HDL cholesterol. .
Effective management of medical conditions
The ketogenic diet has been used for decades in conjunction with other medical therapies to treat epilepsy, especially in children. There is a large body of evidence to support the use of the eating program to help those who do not respond to medication.
Research is being done on the impact of diet on other medical conditions. The keto diet is sometimes used to treat other conditions, such as headache, neurotrauma, Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), cancer, stroke, mitochondrial disorders, brain trauma, psychiatric disorders, autism, and migraines.
References:
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