Why Keto? (What Is The Keto Diet and Why Go Keto)

 Nowadays, everyone, even remotely interested in dieting, seems to have heard of the Keto diet. It is, currently and for the last few years, one of the most popular diets (Source: http://www.eatingwell.com/article/7825103/2020-most-popular-diets-ific/). 

 But why Keto? Why should you consider trying the Keto diet yourself, when there are so many other options out there (the paleo diet, the vegan diet, intermittent fasting, the 3 week diet, the flexitarian diet, the volumetrics diet, the WW (Weight Watchers) diet, the red smoothie diet, the Mediterranean diet, the list is endless). 

 Let’s start with the basics.

What is the Keto Diet? 

 You may have heard of the high-protein, low-carbohydrate Atkins diet. The keto diet keeps carbohydrate levels low, but instead of ramping up the amount of protein in your diet, the keto diet increases the amount of fat; the Ketogenic diet, thus, refers to a form of dieting where high fats, adequate protein, and low carbs are consumed.

 A typical keto diet aims for meals with 75% fat, 20% protein, and 5% carbohydrate. It aims to deplete the body’s glycogen reserves so that it relies on fat and protein for energy. The body then undergoes ketosis, which is a metabolic state in which your liver produces a high number of ketones as an alternative fuel source for the brain.

 Eating a high-fat diet can still mean eating healthy, as we’ll see in more detail later in this article. 

 Keto diet menu items often include seafood, meat, dairy products, eggs, vegetables, and nuts, so there’s a wide variety of food choices to satisfy the dietary preferences of most people; and with the increased popularity of the keto diet, keto recipes are widely available. You can now even formulate your own personal, customized keto diet plan online.

 The original ketogenic diet was formulated by Dr. Russell Wilder in the early 20th century to treat epilepsy. The success rate was phenomenal and it is still used today to treat epilepsy and other brain disorders.     

 Research also indicates that ketones are more efficient brain fuel than glucose (Source: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5102124/).

How Does the Keto Diet Work? 

 It might seem counterintuitive that adding more fat to your diet can lead to weight loss. Normally, your diet is high in carbohydrates, which are broken down into glucose, or blood sugar, for use as energy. As glucose enters your bloodstream, your body releases insulin to store excess glucose as fat. The more carbohydrates, the more glucose. The more glucose, the more insulin, and the more insulin, the more fat.

 The keto diet takes advantage of the fact that when your meals are high-fat and low-carbohydrate, there is no insulin spike, and you don’t add to your fat reserves. Instead, fat from the diet and stored fat are broken down to ketones (“keto” is short for “ketogenic”, i.e. producing ketones). Like glucose, ketones can be used for energy, keeping your body running without increasing blood sugar or putting on excess fat. As such, and as we’ll see in this article in what follows, the benefits of the keto diet can be huge. 

 Let’s start with the one benefit in which people are, likely, most interested in, weight loss.

Weight Loss 

 Several studies have shown that people on a high fat, low carb diet burn fat at a faster rate than those with a high carb, low fat diet. 

 When your blood sugar is running low, your body turns to its glycogen stores for energy. Typically, glycogen stores house about 2000 calories of “backup” energy for when you run out of glucose. Like the intelligent machine it is, your body depletes the glycogen stores and then turns to your body fat for fuel. Burning fat for energy, due to ketosis, can lead to rapid weight loss, not to mention fat loss.

 It has been noted that low carb diets are also effective in reducing visceral fat, primarily stored in the abdominal cavity and associated with increased risk for developing several serious long-term, life-threatening medical conditions, e.g. heart disease, type 2 diabetes and breast cancer (Source: https://www.healthline.com/health/visceral-fat#complications).

 Furthermore, the keto diet takes the edge off your appetite. Eating fewer carbohydrates suppresses appetite, and studies have shown that keto diet participants eat fewer calories overall because of this. 

 The high-fat content and lack of sugar mean diminished cravings, lack of blood sugar swings and binges, and increased satiation. Increased satiation equals eating less.

 And, to be clear, no diet will give you any weight-loss benefits if it doesn’t allow you to stay in a caloric deficit, i.e. burning more calories than those you intake. The keto diet is no different.

IMPORTANT: The ketogenic diet is not a free-for-all, eat however much cheese or super low-carb fat bomb treats you want diet. As already noted, if you are eating way more calories than you need, you will not lose weight. So focus on keeping your diet balanced and healthy, and be modest with the keto desserts, dairy, and sweets.

Reduced Blood Sugar and Insulin / Helps Fight Diabetes

 Since carbohydrate intake is limited, blood sugar and insulin levels are lowered. This is particularly important for people with type 2 diabetes, which causes a build-up of glucose in the bloodstream and high levels of insulin in your body. 

 The keto diet can be used to reduce or eliminate the need for diabetic insulin injections. Since the keto diet takes excess sugar from your diet, it helps stabilize HbA1c counts and reverse Type II diabetes (Read more about HbA1c and its relation to diabetes: https://www.diabetes.co.uk/what-is-hba1c.html).

Reduced Risk Of Chronic Disease 

 A ketogenic diet can boost the body’s defense against a variety of conditions. By reducing inflammation, and improving mitochondrial function, it can help to mitigate the risk of developing several chronic diseases. Cancer cells, for example, typically possess abnormal mitochondria, which need an increased supply of glycogen. 

 Ketosis allows for normal cells to be fed while starving the cancer cells, as they are unable to utilize the ketones for energy because of their dysfunctional mitochondria.  

 One study showed that implementing the ketogenic diet can potentially lead to a dramatically increased survival time and slower tumor growth for cancer patients (Source: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5450454/).

Reduced Triglycerides 

 Fat subunit molecules called triglycerides normally circulate in your bloodstream. High levels of triglycerides are a significant risk factor in the development of heart disease.

 In the keto diet, because fat is being burned for energy, the number of triglyceride molecules in the bloodstream decreases, reducing the risk of heart disease.

Improved Cholesterol 

 “Bad” (LDL) cholesterol is another risk factor for heart disease. Too much bad cholesterol in your bloodstream builds up in your arteries, narrowing them and causing atherosclerosis, a type of heart disease.

 The keto diet, due to its dietary focus and its ability to burn the fat in your body, reduces bad cholesterol levels while increasing the level of “good” (HDL) cholesterol in your body. HDL cholesterol, in turn, protects against heart disease by taking the “bad” cholesterol out of your blood and keeping it from building up in your arteries.

 When you’re on keto, thus, your body’s triglyceride levels fall and your HDL cholesterol levels rise, protecting you against heart disease (Learn more about cholesterol: https://www.webmd.com/cholesterol-management/guide/understanding-numbers).

Improved Blood Pressure 

 High blood pressure significantly increases the risk of several diseases and is a leading cause of death worldwide. 

 A low-carb diet has been proven to be more effective than a low-fat diet in reducing blood pressure [1]. Some claim that it is just as effective as taking pills. This fact, combined with the weight-loss derived from a ketogenic diet, is sure to vastly improve cardiovascular health and function.  

Mental Health and Performance 

 The ketones produced from a low carb diet are a much more efficient source of energy than glucose. Studies have indicated that they can improve cognitive impairment and even help with diseases such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s. 

 The high-fat diet helps to support the balance of essential omega 3, omega 6, and omega 9 fatty acids, which are all important dietary fats with each one contributing several health benefits for your body. An imbalance, of these fatty acids in your diet, may contribute to a number of chronic diseases. Omega 3s, specifically, are vital for optimal brain function. They support mental health (taking omega-3s can reduce symptoms of depression, schizophrenia, and bipolar disorder; it can also reduce the risk of psychotic disorders for those who are at risk) and infant brain development while helping improve memory and prevent dementia (Source: https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/omega-3-6-9-overview).

 Additionally, ketosis can boost mitochondria production and adenosine triphosphate within the brain’s memory cells, thereby improving mental performance and clarity (Adenosine triphosphate (ATP) is considered by biologists to be the energy currency of life. Hydrolysis of ATP energy generates energy for all cellular processes [2], [3]).

Improved Ability To Focus

 When you choose a regular diet that puts carbs into the body, your brain has to deal with the rise and fall in sugar levels that happen as a result. Inconsistent energy levels can make it hard for the brain to focus. 

 With the keto diet, however, the energy source is constant and consistent. Consequently, the brain is better able to stay focused.  

Feeling More Energetic

 When you are on a regular diet, your body is always on the verge of running out of energy. You need to constantly eat and refuel. 

 Meanwhile, with a keto diet, the body taps its fat reserves, a nearly unending energy source. Hence, the body can maintain constant energy levels throughout the day. The result is, you end up feeling a lot more energetic.

Summary

 The keto diet provides many health benefits. It has been proven by numerous studies in the area of nutrition science [4], [5], [6], [7], that this diet can not only help you quickly lose weight but can also improve your overall health and mental performance, and help prevent disease. 

 It would not be an exaggeration to say that the keto diet can change a person’s life. As long as you can find a way to maintain the discipline, the rewards are abundant.

 This is why Keto, this is why we believe the Keto diet is justifiably so popular and a great option for most people, especially for those that have not been able to get their desired benefits and results by trying different methods and/or diets.

 Please be aware that no matter what diet you are on, it is important to keep it balanced and make healthy choices. The keto diet is quite demanding and significantly restricts the intake of certain foods (perhaps most notably fruit). If you feel, or know, this food is important to you then you should not go on a keto diet, or you should follow it for only a limited time period. It is also advisable that you consult with your primary care doctor before starting any new diet.

 That said, the keto diet isn’t that difficult diet to get on these days, either. There are plenty of great recipes for the keto diet. Especially with the flexibility and simplicity of a program like the Custom Keto Diet [8], there is no reason why someone would not try the keto diet. All it takes is the willingness to give it a shot. 

*Additional References:

1. https://www.hindustantimes.com/more-lifestyle/hypercholesterolemia-low-carb-diet-beneficial-for-people-with-high-cholesterol/story-zaScI2NTswpKAjrVB7DLeP.html
2. http://hyperphysics.phy-astr.gsu.edu/hbase/Biology/atp.html
3. https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/medicine-and-dentistry/adenosine-triphosphate
4. medium.com/@gschmaus/the-ketogenic-diet-and-chronic-disease-3695b2275edd 
5. healthline.com/nutrition/10-benefits-of-low-carb-ketogenic-diets#section7 
6. drjockers.com/benefits-ketogenic-diet/
7. medicalnewstoday.com/articles/319196.php
8. https://flowdevmark.com/featured-products/custom-keto-diet/