A ketogenic diet or simply a keto diet is a low carb, high fat diet. It has been rapidly gaining popularity lately.
A ketogenic diet has been shown to have huge health benefits, including weight loss. So many people follow this diet to achieve their weight loss goals.
Although studies show that a ketogenic diet can help get rid of excess body fat, no long-term study has been done to support its effectiveness.
This article examines the effectiveness of the keto diet in losing weight.
Does it help you lose weight?
With a traditional ketogenic diet, carbohydrate intake is limited to 5-10% of your total daily caloric intake.
This helps the body achieve ketosis, a condition in which it uses fat as its main source of energy instead of carbohydrates. Ketones are produced in the liver.
Carbohydrate deficiency is usually compensated by an increased fat intake of up to about 80% of the calories, which is 155-200 grams for a 2000 calorie diet.
Protein intake is low - usually 20% of calories, which is 100 grams on a 2, 000-calorie diet.
Although long-term studies have never been performed, there are a number of known mechanisms for weight loss caused by a ketogenic diet.
Reduced hunger
One of the main weight-loss mechanisms associated with the ketogenic diet is probably the ability to reduce hunger.
The keto diet causes a decrease in the level of ghrelin, one of the main hormones in the human body that increases the feeling of hunger.
Reducing the production of ghrelin and dampening the feeling of hunger can result in a person consuming fewer calories during the day, and this will certainly lead to weight loss.
A study in 20 obese groups on a keto diet confirmed an association between this mode of eating and a reduction in cravings for food and alcohol.
A keto diet can be an effective tool to reduce hunger levels. However, its long-term safety must be taken into account.
Support for weight loss
Another possible mechanism for weight loss during a keto diet is water loss, which is caused by a measurable decrease in carbohydrate intake.
This is because carbohydrates accumulated in the human body retain water.
When carbohydrate intake is reduced, such as in the early stages of a keto diet, the stored carbohydrates are released along with the retained fluid, leading to weight loss.
Calorie balance
To understand whether a ketogenic diet can help you get rid of unwanted pounds, it’s important to think about how to achieve weight loss in general.
To lose weight, you need to consume fewer calories than your body burns. In other words, the calorie deficit is the main condition for losing excess weight.
A study of 17 obese or overweight men found that the keto diet resulted in a modest increase in calories burned. However, this did not lead to an increase in body fat loss compared to the results of the traditional basic diet.
These results show that a ketogenic diet is not always better than a traditional diet if we consume the same number of calories.
Thus, the weight-loss effect of the keto diet is probably the result of eating fewer calories in the daily diet due to the suppression of hunger associated with a high-fat, very low-carbohydrate diet.
Conclusion: The keto diet helps to shed excess pounds, although the exact mechanisms of this effect remain unclear. Studies show that weight loss caused by a keto diet is likely due to a lack of calories, a reduced sense of hunger, and a loss of water weight.
Keto accessories
Since the growing popularity of the keto diet, many dietary supplements designed for keto diets have appeared on the market, and some of these can help you lose weight.
List of the best keto supplements with a description of their features:
- MCT oil (MCT oil). This medium-chain triglyceride oil helps ketogen dieters add more fat to their diet and stay in ketosis. This oil is absorbed faster than traditional fats, but it can also have side effects on the digestive system.
- Exogenous ketones (Exogenous ketones). The supplement is an external source of ketones that supplements the endogenous ketones that are naturally produced in the body. They help increase the levels of ketones in the blood, thereby speeding up the state of ketosis.
- Keto protein powders (Keto protein powders). These protein powders are characterized by a reduced carbohydrate content.
- Keto electrolytes (Keto electrolytes). Electrolytes are common in the early stages of the keto diet. This is caused by a decrease in the body's fluid content. Keto-electrolytes can help avoid the lack of common electrolytes such as sodium, potassium and magnesium.
- Digestive Enzymes (Digestive Enzymes). Due to the high intake of fatty foods, some people may experience digestive problems during the keto diet. Digestive enzyme supplements, especially lipase, help break down fats.
It is worth noting that research on the effects of ketogenic dietary supplements on weight loss is limited.
In a study in mice, the viability of exogenous ketones was investigated as a weight loss supplement. As a result, certain exogenous ketones as well as MCT oil have been found to promote weight loss as they reduce hunger and continue to consume fewer calories.
However, human studies supporting these claims are lacking.
Although keto-supplements are not mandatory, they can help keto-dieters transition smoothly to this rather restrictive diet and increase their ability to adapt to the diet.
However, it is worth considering the use of these supplements due to limited research that does not allow conclusions to be drawn about their long-term safety.
Conclusion: MCT oil and exogenous ketones can help achieve ketosis more quickly and avoid many of the side effects associated with the transition to the ketone. However, although they also reduce hunger, it is not recommended to use them as a weight loss supplement.
Other factors that can affect weight loss
For best results, you should consider the following factors when following a keto diet for weight loss.
The exact amount of carbohydrates consumed
Monitoring the exact amount of carbohydrate you consume per day can make the transition to a ketogenic diet easier.
This helps to achieve ketosis relatively quickly and prevents many of the symptoms associated with the so-called "keto flu, " which is a set of symptoms associated with starting a keto diet, including headaches and confusion.
If you eat a lot of carbs, you will not reach ketosis and the potential benefits of your diet, including weight loss, will diminish.
Consuming less than 50 grams of carbohydrates per day is enough to cause ketosis in any individual.
You sleep enough
Sleep is often overlooked in any diet. Research shows that lack of sleep and constant stress can have a negative effect on weight loss results. This also applies to the keto diet.
Research shows that lack of sleep can negatively affect hunger hormones such as ghrelin and leptin. This, in turn, can lead to increased appetite, offsetting the hunger-reducing effect of the keto diet.
Making sure you rest and sleep for at least 7 hours a day can promote the positive results of a ketogenic diet.
She pursues an active lifestyle
While a keto diet alone can lead to weight loss, coupled with the right exercise program can enhance the effect.
When adapting to a diet, the body can use fat as its main source of energy for exercise. Studies show that most fats are burned during endurance exercises.
It is important to note that you need to adapt well to your keto diet before starting any moderate-intensity workout. This will prevent unwanted side effects.
Conclusion: When it comes to weight loss with a keto diet, a number of other factors need to be considered, such as accurate carbohydrate intake, sleep patterns, and exercise.
Strict adherence to the keto diet
One of the main disadvantages of the keto diet is that the established diet must be strictly adhered to for a long time.
Given that this strict diet is quite restrictive, some people find it difficult to adhere to.
This is especially a problem if you have dinner outside or gather with your family or friends during the holidays and are forced to switch to another diet, which can lead to reduced weight loss.
Let us also not forget the lack of research on the health effects of the long-term keto diet.
You should definitely consider these factors before starting a keto diet.
Conclusion: You may have difficulty following the keto diet in the long term due to its restrictive nature. Meals and other situations may require special endurance and preparation.
Result
The keto diet is a low carb, high fat diet. It has been found to have a variety of health benefits, including weight loss.
Although the exact mechanisms of weight loss that are directly related to this diet are still being studied, it has been found that weight loss is caused by lack of calories, starvation, and water loss.
Keto supplements can reduce hunger and help achieve ketosis in a short time. However, it is not recommended to use them for weight loss.
While the benefits of a keto diet may seem reassuring in terms of weight loss, it is important to consider its potential side effects, disadvantages, and lack of long-term research.