Low-carb diets have been controversial for decades. Some people assert that these diets raise cholesterol and cause heart disease due to their high fat content. However, in most scientific studies, low-carb diets prove their worth as healthy and beneficial. The diet works by depleting the body of its sugar reserves. As a result, it will start to break down fat for energy. This results in the production of molecules called ketones that the body uses for fuel. When the body burns fats, it can also lead to weight loss. There are several types of keto diet, including the Standard Ketogenic Diet and the Cyclical Ketogenic Diet. In this article, I’ll explain the benefits of the keto diet, as well as its risks. Below I’m going to list 10 amazing benefits of a keto diet.
The keto diet could cause low blood pressure, kidney stones, constipation, nutrient deficiencies and an increased risk of heart disease. Strict diets like keto could also cause social isolation or disordered eating. Keto is not safe for those with any conditions involving their pancreas, liver, thyroid or gallbladder.
While the keto diet is great on it’s own, it’s often paired with intermittent fasting. Both work great on their own, but the combination works even better. Mixing these two lifestyle choices is a great way to get the best results the quickest. Not only will you lose weight, you’ll strengthen your immune system, and you’ll just get healthier in general. You may even regain some atrophied muscle. I’m not a doctor, so please, take my recommendations with a grain of salt. Be sure to talk with your doctor before participating in any kind of diet plan pertaining to your particular health; keto can be dangerous for some. Here are 10 proven health benefits of low-carb and ketogenic diets.
Appetite Suppression
Hunger tends to be the worst side effect of dieting. It is one of the main reasons why many people feel miserable and eventually give up. However, low-carb eating leads to an automatic reduction in appetite. Studies consistently show that when people cut carbs and eat more protein and fat, they’re better off. They end up eating far fewer calories.
The keto diet has become popular as many people claim it can help with weight loss. The diet, however, might not be best for long-term health as the eating habits it promotes might lead to heart rhythm problems. Eating a diet high in fat and low in carbs might also make exercising more difficult.
Acute Weight Loss
Cutting carbs is one of the simplest and most effective ways to lose weight. Studies illustrate that people on low-carb diets lose more weight, faster, than those on low-fat diets — even when the latter are actively restricting calories. This is because low-carb diets act to rid excess water from your body, lowering insulin levels and leading to rapid weight loss in the first week or two.
The ketogenic diet may help promote weight loss in several ways, including boosting metabolism and reducing appetite. Ketogenic diets consist of foods that fill a person up and may reduce hunger-stimulating hormones. For these reasons, following a keto diet may reduce appetite and promote weight loss. In a 2013 meta-analysis of 13 different randomized controlled trials, researchers found that people following ketogenic diets lost 2 pounds (lbs) more than those following low fat diets over 1 year. Similarly, another review of 11 studies demonstrated that people following a ketogenic diet lost 5 lbs more than those following low-fat diets after 6 months.
In studies comparing low-carb and low-fat diets, people restricting their carbs sometimes lose 2-3 times as much weight — without being hungry. One study in obese adults found a low-carb diet particularly effective for up to six months, compared to a conventional weight loss diet. After that, the difference in weight loss between diets was insignificant. In a year-long study in 609 overweight adults on low-fat or low-carb diets, both groups lost similar amounts of weight
Midsection Fat Loss (Benefits of a Keto Diet)
Not all fat in your body is the same. Where fat is stored determines how it affects your health and risk of disease. The two main types are subcutaneous fat, which is under your skin, and visceral fat, which accumulates in your abdominal cavity and is typical for most overweight men. Visceral fat tends to lodge around your organs.
Acne has several different causes and may have links to diet and blood sugar in some people. Eating a diet high in processed and refined carbohydrates may alter the balance of gut bacteria and cause blood sugar to rise and fall significantly, both of which can adversely affect skin health. According to a 2012 study, by decreasing carb intake, a ketogenic diet could reduce acne symptoms in some people.
Excess visceral fat is associated with inflammation and insulin resistance — and may drive the metabolic dysfunction so common in the West today. Low-carb diets are very effective at reducing this harmful abdominal fat. In fact, a greater proportion of the fat people lose on low-carb diets seems to come from the abdominal cavity. Over time, this should lead to a drastically reduced risk of heart disease and type 2 diabetes.
Triglyceride Reduction
Triglycerides are fat molecules that circulate in your bloodstream. It is well known that high fasting triglycerides — levels in the blood after an overnight fast — are a strong heart disease risk factor. One of the main drivers of elevated triglycerides in sedentary people is carb consumption — especially the simple sugar fructose. When people cut carbs, they tend to experience a very dramatic reduction in blood triglycerides. On the other hand, low-fat diets often cause triglycerides to increase.
The ratio of fat, protein, and carbs in a keto diet alters the way the body uses energy, resulting in ketosis. Ketosis is a metabolic process during which the body uses ketone bodies for fuel. The Epilepsy Foundation suggest that ketosis can reduce seizures in people with epilepsy — especially those who have not responded to other treatment methods. More research is necessary on how effective this is, though it seems to have the most effect on children who have focal seizures. A 2019 review supports the hypothesis that a keto diet can support people with epilepsy. The ketogenic diet may reduce epilepsy symptoms by several different mechanisms.
Increases HDL Cholesterol (Amazing Benefits of the Ketogenic Diet)
High-density lipoprotein (HDL) is often called the “good” cholesterol. The higher your levels of HDL relative to “bad” LDL, the lower your risk of heart disease. One of the best ways to increase “good” HDL levels is to eat fat — and low-carb diets include a lot of fat. Therefore, it is unsurprising that HDL levels increase dramatically on healthy, low-carb diets, while they tend to increase only moderately or even decline on low-fat diets.
When a person follows the ketogenic diet, it is important that they choose healthful foods. Some evidence shows that eating healthful fats, such as avocados instead of less healthful fats, such as pork rinds, can help improve heart health by reducing cholesterol. A 2017 review of studies of animals and humans on a keto diet showed that some people experienced a significant drop in levels of total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein (LDL), or bad cholesterol, and triglycerides, and an increase in high-density lipoprotein (HDL), or “good” cholesterol.
Reduce Blood Sugar/Insulin Levels
Low-carb and ketogenic diets can also be particularly helpful for people with diabetes and insulin resistance, which affect millions of people worldwide. Studies prove that cutting carbs lowers both and insulin levels drastically. Some people with diabetes who begin a low-carb diet may need to reduce their insulin dosage by 50% almost immediately. In one study in people with type 2 diabetes, 95% had reduced or eliminated their glucose-lowering medication within six months. If you take blood sugar medication, talk to your doctor before making changes to your carb intake, as your dosage may need to be adjusted to prevent hypoglycemia.
A more recent study from 2018 suggests that because the ketogenic diet reduces blood sugar, it could also lower the risk of insulin complications. Insulin is a hormone that controls blood sugar that may have links to some cancers. Although some research indicates that the ketogenic diet may have some benefit in cancer treatment, studies in this area are limited. Researchers need to carry out more studies to fully understand the potential benefits of the ketogenic diet in cancer prevention and treatment.
Lower Blood Pressure (Benefits of a Keto Diet)
Elevated blood pressure, or hypertension, is a significant risk factor for many diseases, including heart disease, stroke and kidney failure. Low-carb diets are an effective way to lower blood pressure, which should reduce your risk of these diseases and help you live longer
Researchers have examined the effects of the ketogenic diet in helping prevent or even treat certain cancers. One study found that the ketogenic diet may be a safe and suitable complementary treatment to use alongside chemotherapy and radiation therapy in people with certain cancers. This is because it would cause more oxidative stress in cancer cells than in normal cells, causing them to die.
Fight Against Metabolic Syndrome
Metabolic syndrome is a condition highly associated with your risk of diabetes and heart disease.
In fact, metabolic syndrome is a collection of symptoms, which include:
- Abdominal obesity
- Elevated blood pressure
- Elevated fasting blood sugar levels
- High triglycerides
- Low “good” HDL cholesterol levels
However, a low-carb diet is incredibly effective in treating all five of these symptoms. Under such a diet, these conditions are nearly eliminated.
Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a hormonal disorder that can lead to excess male hormones, ovulatory dysfunction, and polycystic ovaries. A high-carbohydrate diet can cause adverse effects in people with PCOS, such as skin problems and weight gain. There are not many clinical studies on the ketogenic diet and PCOS. One pilot study from 2005 examined five women over 24 weeks. The researchers found that a ketogenic diet improved several markers of PCOS, including:
- weight loss
- hormone balance
- ratios of luteinizing hormone (LH) and follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH)
- levels of fasting insulin
A different review of studies from 2019 found that a keto diet had beneficial effects for people with hormonal disorders, including PCOS and type 2 diabetes. However, they did also caution that the studies were too diverse to recommend a keto diet as a general treatment for PCOS.
Improve LDL Cholesterol (Benefits of a Keto Diet)
People who have high “bad” LDL are much more likely to have heart attacks. However, the size of the particles is important. Smaller particles are linked to a higher risk of heart disease, while larger particles are linked to a lower risk. It turns out that low-carb diets increase the size of “bad” LDL particles while reducing the number of total LDL particles in your bloodstream. As such, lowering your carb intake can boost your heart health.
High levels of cholesterol can increase the risk of cardiovascular disease. A keto diet’s reducing effect on cholesterol may, therefore, reduce a person’s risk of heart complications. However, the review concluded that the positive effects of the diet on heart health depend on diet quality. Therefore, it’s important to eat healthful, nutritionally balanced food while following the keto diet.
Effective Against Brain Disorders
Your brain needs glucose, as some parts of it can only burn this type of sugar. That’s why your liver produces glucose from protein if you don’t eat any carbs. Yet, a large part of your brain can also burn ketones, which are formed during starvation or when carb intake is very low. This is the mechanism behind the ketogenic diet, which has been used for decades to treat epilepsy in children who don’t respond to drug treatment. In many cases, this diet can cure children of epilepsy. In one study, over half of the children on a ketogenic diet experienced a greater than 50% reduction in their number of seizures, while 16% became seizure-free. Very low-carb and ketogenic diets are now being studied for other brain conditions as well, including Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease
Some studies, such as this 2019 review, suggest the ketones that generate during the keto diet provide neuroprotective benefits, which means they can strengthen and protect the brain and nerve cells. For this reason, a keto diet may help a person prevent or manage conditions such as Alzheimer’s disease. However, more research is necessary into a keto diet’s effects on the brain.
Benefits of a Keto Diet…
These are some of the amazing benefits of the ketogenic diet. Few things are as well established in nutrition science as the immense health benefits of low-carb and ketogenic diets. Not only can these diets improve your cholesterol, blood pressure and blood sugar, but they also reduce your appetite, boost weight loss and lower your triglycerides. If you’re curious to boost your health, one of these diets could be worth considering.
Amazing benefits of the ketogenic diet…
It is important to discuss any intended diet plan with a doctor, dietitian, or trusted healthcare provider, especially for people who are trying to manage a health problem or disease. People looking to start the keto diet should seek consultation with a doctor and check if they have diabetes, hypoglycemia, heart disease, or any other health conditions to ensure the keto diet is a safe eating pattern. Keep in mind that studies on the long-term benefits of the ketogenic diet are lacking. It is unclear whether maintaining this diet over more extended periods is more beneficial than less restrictive healthful eating patterns.
A ketogenic diet restricts or severely limits carbohydrates. However, some carbohydrates provide health benefits. For a less restrictive dietary approach, people should consume a diet that includes a variety of nutrient-dense, fibrous carbs. Carbs such as fruits and vegetables, alongside nutritious protein sources, and healthful fats are great.
Risks
The ketogenic diet may have a range of health benefits. However, staying on the ketogenic diet long-term can have an adverse effect on health. This is including an increased risk of the following health problems:
- kidney stones
- excess protein in the blood
- mineral and vitamin deficiencies
- a build up of fat in the liver
The keto diet can cause adverse side effects that many people know as keto flu. These adverse effects may include:
- constipation
- fatigue
- low blood sugar
- nausea
- vomiting
- headaches
- a low tolerance for exercise
These symptoms are especially common at the beginning of the diet as the body adjusts to its new energy source. Some populations should avoid the keto diet, including:
- people with diabetes who are insulin-dependent
- people who have eating disorders
- those with kidney disease or pancreatitis
- women during pregnancy and breastfeeding
People who take a type of medication called sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 (SGLT2) inhibitors for type 2 diabetes should be wary. They should also not follow a keto diet. This medication increases the risk of diabetic ketoacidosis, a dangerous condition that increases acidity in the blood.
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- Appetite Suppression
- Acute Weight Loss
- Midsection Fat Loss
- Triglyceride Reduction
- Increases HDL Cholesterol
- Reduces Blood Sugar/Insulin Levels
- Lower Blood Pressure
- Fight Against Metabolic Syndrome
- Improve LDL Cholesterol
- Effective Against Brain Disorders
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