Eat fat to lose weight. This is what the keto diet offers, upsetting our traditional eating habits. It is praised by some and decried by others. As you will have understood, the keto diet or ketogenic diet is a controversial diet that is much talked about.
ORIGIN
The ketogenic diet originated in the 1920s. At the time, doctors were actively looking for a solution to relieve children with severe seizure disorders. After having mixed results on a fasting-based treatment, they decided to conduct several studies to analyze the consequences of a ketogenic diet. Thus, year after year, scientists carry out many conclusive studies. In 1998, for example, a study was conducted among 51 children with an average of 230 monthly seizures. It has shown very positive and encouraging results. Almost half of the children could control more than 90% of their seizures and nearly 40% had control over 50 to 90% of their seizures. In the same year, a study was conducted on children aged between 1 and 16 years who were prone to more than 400 seizures per month. After one year on the keto diet, 7% of them had no seizures and nearly 30% of the subjects had been able to reduce the frequency by almost 90%.Even today, this diet is used to help reduce the frequency and control of epileptic seizures in children. But its reputation has been created in recent years and it is used for many other reasons that we will describe below.
WHAT IS THE KETO DIET?
The keto diet is a so-called strict and even restrictive diet. The latter offers a totally different nutritional model compared to the usual recommendations we know. It consists in drastically reducing the proportion of carbohydrates ingested daily. To enter a state of ketosis, it is necessary to adhere to a specific ratio of macronutrients. It is composed of 70-80% fat, 20-25% protein, and 5-10% carbohydrates. For comparison, a more conventional diet is composed of 55% carbohydrates, 30% fat, and 15% protein.This very significant reduction in carbohydrates is intended to allow the body to enter a state of ketosis. Being in a state of ketosis is a metabolic state that requires a special diet. During this time, the body will no longer draw its energy from sugar as it used to. On the other hand, he will draw it from fats, thanks to ketone bodies.
To summarize, the state of ketosis consists of forcing one's body to draw on fat reserves to find its energy, depriving it of its usual source, carbohydrates.
In other words, the foods to focus on are oily fish, nuts, and low-carbohydrate vegetables such as a large majority of green vegetables, tomatoes, or peppers. On the other hand, it is necessary to eliminate wheat, cereals, white pasta, white rice, a large part of fruits, and sugary drinks.
To summarize, the state of ketosis consists of forcing one's body to draw on fat reserves to find its energy, depriving it of its usual source, carbohydrates.
In other words, the foods to focus on are oily fish, nuts, and low-carbohydrate vegetables such as a large majority of green vegetables, tomatoes, or peppers. On the other hand, it is necessary to eliminate wheat, cereals, white pasta, white rice, a large part of fruits, and sugary drinks.
If you want to know more about the state of ketosis and how to reach it as quickly as possible, check out this article!
THE BENEFITS AND BENEFITS OF THE KETO DIET: WHY ADOPT IT?
At the heart of much scientific research, the ketogenic diet is now attributed to many benefits and benefits. Some even confirm their interest in this diet regarding the prevention and treatment of many diseases.However, scientific research on the subject is incessant. Even if there are many that prove a certain interest in this diet, it should be borne in mind that many studies are still ongoing and therefore the results are not yet 100% reliable. So we've put together a little summary of this research, so you can learn a little more about these benefits!
Benefit n°1: The keto diet for weight loss
The effect of the keto diet on weight is proven thanks to many studies on the subject. At least 13 studies have found that the ketogenic diet is more effective at losing weight than a low-fat diet. Indeed, people who followed this diet would have lost almost an extra pound for a similar calorie intake to people who followed a low-fat diet.Weight loss through the keto diet is explained by several factors:
According to several scientific studies, a higher protein intake promotes weight loss because protein allows, among other things, to feel the feeling of satiety faster. This is one of the reasons why the keto diet is known to be an appetite suppressant.
The appetite suppressant effect is also due to hormonal changes, caused by this change in diet.
Decreased fat storage. This is because excess carbohydrates are stored in the body as fat. However, with a ketogenic diet, carbohydrate intake is minimal and fats are used to provide energy.
Be careful, however, not to overconsume protein because an excess would turn into carbohydrates and would then bring you out of your state of ketosis. Also, be careful to meet your caloric needs because studies have shown that too much reduction in calories ingested can slow down your metabolism, making weight loss more difficult in the long run.
Benefit n°2: The keto diet as a treatment for diseases
Many studies are conducted to analyze the positive effects of the ketogenic diet on a multitude of diseases. Some, still in progress, are therefore to be taken with hindsight. Here are the different diseases for which the ketogenic diet has been studied or is still being studied as a treatment:The Keto Diet for Type 2 Diabetes or Prediabetes
The ketogenic diet is not suitable in the context of type 1 diabetes because the type 1 diabetic must continue to eat carbohydrates. Indeed, as he injects continuous doses of insulin, low consumption of carbohydrates would cause the risk of falling into acute ketoacidosis.Nevertheless, the ketogenic diet would be beneficial for type 2 diabetics, thanks to its effect on blood sugar and weight.
Several studies have shown results that the ketogenic diet would reduce insulin levels. Indeed, a study conducted on people with type 2 diabetes for four months even proved a significant 16% reduction in blood sugar. It also states that one-third of participants were able to completely stop all their diabetes medications! Another study found that after two weeks on the keto diet, insulin sensitivity improved by 75%.
The keto diet would therefore improve insulin sensitivity and fat loss, improving the health of people with type 2 diabetes or stabilizing the health of people with prediabetes.
The Keto Diet for Epilepsy
We had already explained the origin of the ketogenic diet. It is an officially effective treatment recommended by doctors for seizures in children with epilepsy. Currently, this diet is still used and advised to try to reduce seizures.The Keto Diet Against Cancer
Originally, specialists were interested in this diet after several observations. Among other things, it was in 1922 that scientist Braunstein noted that glucose disappeared from the urine of diabetic patients after being diagnosed with cancer. This disappearance suggested that glucose was recruited from the cancerous areas and consumed there at higher than normal levels. Several studies led him to think that depriving cancer cells of glucose could harm them and therefore promote healing.The keto diet is therefore currently being studied as a treatment for several cancers. Several studies have already been conducted and suggest that a ketogenic diet can help slow tumor growth, or even stop the growth and even suppress the tumor in the best cases. Scientists are also studying the effect of diet on tumor susceptibility to chemotherapy.
Many studies, always conclusive, have been able to report a significant effect on brain tumors, and prostate, colon, pancreatic, and lung cancers.
However, each cancer is different and each has several genetic subtypes. The effectiveness of the ketogenic diet depends not only on the individual but also on the tumor entity and its genotype. It is therefore still unfortunately impossible, at this time, to promise that adopting a ketogenic diet will be beneficial for the treatment of cancer. However, many studies are ongoing. So far, however, the keto diet looks promising in the fight against several cancers.
The Keto Diet Against Alzheimer's Disease
Many studies are underway and the few results we already have are therefore to be taken with hindsight. However, according to several studies already done, it seems that the ketogenic diet reduces the symptoms of Alzheimer's disease and slows its progression.Indeed, according to several studies, the presence of ketone bodies has a neuroprotective impact on the aging of brain cells. Adoption of the diet is also linked to improved cognitive performance in older adults with the disease. Improved cognitive outcomes, however, depend on the level and duration of ketosis.
It should also be noted, however, that the application of the ketogenic diet to the elderly raises some concerns. Indeed, these profiles are at risk of malnutrition and are generally very sensitive to such a drastic change in diet.
The keto diet in the prevention of Parkinson's disease
A neurodegenerative disease in the same way as Alzheimer's disease, several studies are currently still underway to determine the real effects of this diet on individuals affected by this disease.Currently, studies show that the diet would help improve the symptoms of Parkinson's disease. Indeed, daily motor and non-motor life would have improved.
In the same way as to fight against Alzheimer's disease, it must be taken into account that the adoption of a ketogenic diet in the elderly is subject to additional precautions.
THE RISKS OF THE KETO DIET
According to the Harvard Medical Review, the keto diet is not the type of diet to try experimenting with. Do not hesitate to talk to qualified people and ask if this diet can be right for you. Indeed, the keto diet consists of abruptly changing your diet. The goal is to imitate fasting. By doing this, the body draws its energy from a source other than the one it naturally thinks of.