What is Keto Diet? What are the Benefits of a Keto Diet?

Benefits of a Keto Diet

The ketogenic or keto gets credit for being a fast way to lose weight. However, according to some recent researches, it has been suggested that many other advantages are possible with this low-carb, high-fat approach to eating.

What Is It?

Keto or ketogenic is a term is used for a low-carb diet. The idea is to get more calories from protein and fat and less from carbohydrates. You have to cut back most on the carbs that are easy to digest, such as sugar, soda, pastries, and white bread.

How does Keto Diet work?

When you eat less than 50 grams of carbohydrates a day, the body eventually runs out of fuel it can use quickly. It takes three to four days. Then you will start to break down protein and fat for energy that makes you lose weight. This state is called ketosis. It’s essential to note that the ketogenic diet is a short-term diet focused on weight loss than the pursuit of health benefits.

Who Uses It?

People use a keto diet most often to lose weight; it can help manage certain medical conditions such as epilepsy. It also helps people with heart disease, brain diseases, and acne. However, there needs to be more research in those areas. You need to talk with your doctor first to determine if it’s safe for you to try a ketogenic diet if you have type 1 diabetes.

Weight Loss with Keto Diet 

It is fascinating to know that a keto diet helps you lose more weight in the first three to six months than some other diets. It may be because it takes more calories for changing the fat into energy than it does to change carbs into energy. Moreover, it is also possible that a high-fat, high-protein diet satisfies you more. Several studies are associated with keto weight loss

woman checking weight on home scale

Cancer

Insulin is a hormone that lets the body use or store sugar as fuel. It is essential to keep in mind that keto diets make you burn through the fuel quickly; there is no need to store it. It means the body needs and makes less insulin. However, the lower levels may also help protect you against some kinds of cancer and dead cancer cells’ growth.

Heart Disease

It seems strange that the diet that calls for more fat may raise good cholesterol and lower bad cholesterol.  However, ketogenic diets are linked to just that. It can be because the lower levels of insulin results from these diets stop the body from making more cholesterol. It means you are less likely to have high blood pressure, heart failure, hardened arteries, and other heart conditions.

Acne

Carbohydrates have also been linked to this skin condition, so cutting down on them may help. However, the drop-in insulin that a ketogenic diet triggers may also help stop acne breakouts. Still, more research is needed for determining exactly how much effect the diet has on acne.

Diabetes

It is essential to keep in mind that low-carb diets seem to help keep the blood sugar lower and more predictable than other diets. However, when the body burns fat for energy, it makes compounds called ketones. If you have diabetes, particularly type 1, many ketones in the blood can make you sick. So, it’s essential to work with the doctor on any changes in your diet. People suffering from Gerd can also follow this diet to minimize the symptoms. What is Gerd, and how the Gerd diet works? Check this out.

Side Effects of Ketogenic Diet

The more common ones are not usually serious. You may have constipation, mild low blood sugar, and indigestion. Much less often, low-carb diets may also lead to kidney stones and high acid levels in your body. Other side effects include the keto flu, including headaches, weakness, irritability, bad breath, and fatigue.