Along with the Mediterranean and Dutch diets, keto (or keto) diets are among the most popular in the world . High in fat and protein and low in carbohydrates, this type of diet has sufficient evidence to prove its efficiency for rapid weight loss, although the most respected specialists maintain that it is difficult to maintain it over time (which is why they group it within the so-called yo-yo diets ) and warn about its risks.
“It is a search for magic. No extreme or heterodox eating pattern can be adopted as a lifestyle. Therefore, sooner or later, it will be abandoned. In other words, the diet will be broken along with the spell. And so, with its pompous and ravishing entry, the reganance of the lost weight will appear, ” Dr. Monica Katz tells Clarín , who adds:“ Although it is true that they facilitate weight loss, they have multiple negative effects on health. Since humans only have three available fuel options – carbohydrates, proteins and fats – to compensate for the decrease in carbohydrates, the contribution of protein and especially that of fats increases. ”
However, even so, according to different studies, the ketogenic diet may have other health effects, which do not necessarily have to do with weight loss . These claim that it has healing properties for brain conditions such as neurodegenerative diseases and epilepsy. And it also has a powerful impact on endorphin levels and mood.
What is a ketogenic diet?
“Essentially, it is a diet that causes the body to release ketones into the bloodstream. Most cells prefer to use blood sugar, which comes from carbohydrates, as the body’s main source of energy. In the absence of circulating blood sugar from food, we begin to break down stored fat into molecules called ketone bodies (the process is called ketosis). Once you reach ketosis, most cells use ketone bodies to generate energy until we start eating carbohydrates again. The shift, from the use of circulating glucose to the breakdown of stored fat as an energy source, generally occurs over two to four days of eating less than 20 to 50 grams of carbohydrate per day.
Additional benefits
According to Clarín, Dra. María Vaccarezza, a specialist in pediatric neurology at Hospital Italiano, has been on the keto diet for years in the treatment of epilepsy. “Epilepsy affects 1 in 100 children and 30% do not respond favorably to drugs, so they can resort to the ketogenic diet that improves their seizures and cognitive functions,” says Vaccarezza.
“The ketogenic diet is a treatment used to help control seizures in children with intractable epilepsy. This diet has been around since the early 1920s, but its use decreased with the development of many appropriate drugs to treat seizures. Since the nineties, its use has been increasing thanks to an emblematic case in the United States of a boy named Charlie, who was cured of her epilepsy thanks to the ketogenic diet, ”added the specialist.
1- It can have curative effects on the brain
“High-fat ketogenic diets have healing properties for brain conditions such as neurodegenerative diseases and epilepsy,” cardiologist Dr. Luiza Petre told Insider. And she added that a constant intake of fats from a keto diet will also have a powerful impact on endorphin levels and mood.
2- Can be used as a treatment protocol for diabetes
“More and more evidence supports the use of the ketogenic diet as a treatment protocol for diabetes,” said Monica Auslander Moreno, a nutrition consultant at RSP Nutrition. “A ketogenic diet dramatically reduces carbohydrate intake and, therefore, the need for so much insulin. As a result, it can calm the body’s insulin response. ”
3- It can help regulate hunger and control desire
According to the New York Times , eating foods with a high glycemic index, including most processed carbohydrates, can cause dramatic increase and decrease in the levels of blood sugar, which can stimulate hunger.
Since the keto diet is low in carbohydrates, “following it can stabilize blood sugar levels and therefore suppress appetite.”
4- You can burn more fat during a workout
In an interview with Shape , famed personal trainer Ramsey Bergeron explained that doing cardio while following the keto diet can “help increase fat oxidation, save glycogen, produce less lactate, and use less oxygen.”
5- It can help improve polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) and fertility problems
“By avoiding insulin spikes while following a keto lifestyle, women with PCOS report a reversal of increased androgen hormones, specifically testosterone, which reduces PCOS symptoms and increases fertility,” explained dietitian Molly. Devine.
On the other hand, according to the newspaper The Huffington Post, there is very limited academic research from the last 3 years on the subject of conception (or fertility) and the ketogenic diet. A rat study showed that diet-induced obese rats had reduced reproductive capacities, and a high-fat diet reduced it further.
However, a recent meta-analysis had promising results, with five of the six studies reviewed showing significant positive improvements in reproductive hormones after low-carbohydrate interventions. This review is far from conclusive, but suggests that more research needs to be done to determine the effects of low carbohydrate diets on fertility.
While there is little specific research on the ketogenic diet and fertility, there have been many recent developments regarding keto and other fertility-related conditions.
6- It can improve the health of the skin
Acne and other skin problems are commonly due to underlying inflammation and insulin resistance, according to Massom. Because ketones, a chemical produced by the liver that serves as fuel in a low carbohydrate diet, are anti-inflammatory, “a diet that makes our bodies generate ketones will help reduce inflammation and unwanted acne,” he said.
7- It can improve your cholesterol
“The ketogenic diet has been associated with improved biomarkers such as HDL cholesterol and triglycerides compared to a low-fat diet. However, LDL cholesterol may increase and that may be of concern,” said dietitian Katey Davidson.
For its part, Healthline points out that there are cases in which a low carbohydrate diet can increase your cholesterol due to the amount of fat consumption. It is important when you give up a macronutrient, like carbohydrates, and balance others.
Meanwhile, Dr. Campos argued: “The ketogenic diet improves blood sugar control in patients with type 2 diabetes, at least in the short term. There is even more controversy when we consider the effect on cholesterol levels. Some studies show that some patients have an increase in cholesterol levels at first, only to see cholesterol drop a few months later. However, there is no long-term research looking at its effects over time on diabetes and high cholesterol. ”