Although more and more people are talking about the ketogenic diet, this way of eating has been around for quite some time. In point of fact, it has been utilized as a treatment for epilepsy ever since the 1920s; nonetheless, it was not until the 1990s that it was brought back into the public eye after a story on Dateline highlighted it as a therapeutic choice. But how did it go from treatment for epilepsy to a program for losing weight? To begin, in recent times, a growing number of celebrities, such as Vanessa Hudgens and Halle Berry, have been heard publicly praising its effectiveness in assisting with weight loss.
The pros of the Keto Diet
Multiple research has produced encouraging findings: After following the diet for one month, obese men lost an average of 14 pounds, according to research that was published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. In addition, a longer-term study that was published in Clinical Cardiology found that obese adults who adhered to a ketogenic diet for approximately six months experienced significant weight loss (an average of 32 pounds) in addition to reductions in total cholesterol and increases in healthy HDL cholesterol. The review study published in the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition also discovered that the weight reduction shown within the first three to six months of following the keto diet was greater than the loss seen while following a typical balanced eating pattern.
Because your body is tapping into its fat reserves for energy while you are on the keto diet, weight loss is a common side effect of the diet. Jalali argues that the actual reason why ketones have an appetite-suppressing effect is unknown. "But my argument is that ketosis is the state that we are in when we are starving and when we are fasting for an extended period of time, so it might be an evolutionary response to help us deal." In addition, your body processes carbohydrates much more quickly than it does fat. She explains that the intestinal transit time for fat is significantly longer than that for carbohydrates. "As a result, you'll have that satisfying sensation for longer, particularly in between meals."
The cons of the Keto Diet
According to Dave, "There are always going to be advantages and cons associated with every diet." If you decide to follow the ketogenic diet, you can experience some unpleasant side effects like foul breath, headaches, nausea, and exhaustion. The term "keto flu" refers to the unpleasant physical symptoms that some people report having when they first begin the ketogenic diet. This feeling of exhaustion is linked to a dip in blood sugar, which can create lethargy. According to Jalali, this feeling of lethargy often disappears within 24 to 48 hours. As a result of ketosis's role as a diuretic, you may also have symptoms such as bloating or constipation. Additionally, you may feel the urge to urinate more frequently than usual.
Because the ketogenic diet restricts you to a small number of food groups, you run the danger of not getting enough of certain nutrients. "The diet demands a strong supplement regimen since you can develop certain deficiencies on a ketogenic diet that can limit your capacity to stay in ketosis," explains Jalali. "The deficiencies can inhibit your ability to stay in ketosis and put your body in a metabolic state known as ketosis." "You can also develop vitamin deficiencies, which can cause hair loss, and a lot of people feel constipated on a ketogenic diet," she said. "The ketogenic diet is very high in fat and moderately low in carbohydrates," Jalali suggests having a conversation about the diet with a medical professional as well as a ketogenic dietician in order to minimize the risk of experiencing these adverse effects.