You have probably heard of the ketogenic diet, also known as the “Keto Diet,” and may even know a few people who are currently sticking to it. Maybe you’re even thinking about starting it yourself, whether it’s because you want to get healthier or because your doctor suggested it. But before you dive headfirst into the keto lifestyle, it’s important to know what to expect and why it can be beneficial.
What Is Ketogenic Diet and How Does It Work?
The ketogenic diet is high in fat, low in protein, and virtually devoid of carbs. This forces your body into a metabolic state called ketosis, in which fat stores are broken down into molecules called ketone bodies and used as energy.
Glucose serves as fuel for your cells. However, when you eat a very high-fat, low-carbohydrate diet, your body must transition from using glucose for energy to using other fats and ketones. Ketosis describes this state.
Achieving success on a ketogenic diet, at least at first, might be difficult. However, its supporters say that it helps with weight loss and much more. Read on to learn about the many benefits of this diet.
Restraining Appetite
Eating fewer carbohydrates has been linked in research to experiencing diminished hunger. Those who followed the ketogenic diet, which is low in carbohydrates, experienced fewer hunger pangs than those who followed the low-fat diet.
Enhanced Nighttime Quality
The quality of sleep is said to improve on the ketogenic diet as well. You may have trouble falling asleep at first, especially in the first three to five days of the ketogenic diet. But once your body gets used to ketosis, it will be much easier for you to fall asleep, have a more restful sleep, and wake up feeling better.
Lose Weight Quickly and Easily
Reduced appetite means less eating, which aids weight loss. Another study found that people who followed a low-carb diet lost three times as much weight as those who followed a low-fat diet, and they didn’t even feel hungry while doing it! Studies have also shown that most of the fat people lose on a low-carb diet comes from their stomachs. This means that a low-carb diet could be a good way to get rid of belly fat.
Better Stability in Emotions
Recent studies in mice showed that participants on the ketogenic diet experienced less anxiety. Mice raised by moms who had followed the keto diet showed the same pattern. This has been linked to the fact that the keto diet puts more emphasis on healthy fats and less on sugar.
Cardiovascular Health
Having more high-density lipoprotein (HDL) in the blood is linked to a lower chance of developing cardiovascular disease. Increasing your fat intake is a great strategy to boost your HDL levels. This may explain why HDL levels tend to increase on low-carb diets like the Keto diet while they tend to decline on low-fat diets.
Benefits for Liver Health
People who are at risk for fatty liver disease can also greatly benefit from following the ketogenic diet. Pre-diabetes and Type 2 diabetes, both of which are characterized by persistently elevated blood sugar levels, are frequently co-occurring conditions. If you consume fewer carbs, your blood sugar levels may decrease. This could make you less likely to get fatty liver disease.
Reduced Insulin and Blood Sugar
As a result of their bodies’ inability to respond to insulin, people with insulin resistance develop type 2 diabetes. However, if you drastically cut down on your carb intake, your body won’t have to create as much insulin to deal with your dangerously low blood sugar levels.
Improved Cognitive Abilities
Based on current studies, a team of researchers looked at how the ketogenic diet influences brain function in people with epilepsy. However, some studies have shown that the keto diet may also have beneficial effects on people with neurological illnesses such as Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, autism, and others.
Final Word
The ketogenic diet has been shown to significantly improve metabolic health, cardiovascular health, neurological function, and more. As research continues and more is learned about how the keto diet affects the body and how it can be used for a variety of health programs, more benefits of the high-fat, medium-protein, low-carb healthy diet plan will be found.
In our Diet Clinic in the UAE, we always try to provide our customers with guaranteed scientific and medicine-based approaches toward weight loss with fast results. You can lose 1-2 kg of fat per week as a woman and 2-4 kg of fat per week as a man with our plan.