If you think that diet for weight loss necessarily deal with calorie counting, rigid restriction of portion sizes and the need to tolerate hunger, I hasten to please you: in recent years, gaining popularity of the ketogenic diet, which works on a completely different principle. Its efficiency in getting rid of excess body fat scientifically proven and confirmed by innumerable examples.
First of all, you should know that keto-diet is low-carb. In other words, it provides for a radical reduction in the number of carbohydrates in the diet. Perhaps you have a question but is it possible to resist the carbs? This is the most important source of energy for the entire body!
The fact that the human body is capable of much more than we can imagine. Over millions of years of evolution we have acquired a number of compensatory mechanisms that enable us to survive in the harsh conditions of existence. One of these mechanisms allows our body to get energy from food, even if it has almost no carbohydrates. It's simple – the body begins to actively break down fats instead of carbohydrates, using them as an alternative source of energy. That is why the keto diet works and can really help to get rid of extra pounds by depriving yourself of carbohydrates, you force your body to transform excess fat to energy.
What is ketosis?
Ketosis is a natural metabolic state of the human body in which he resides, following the keto diet. When the human body lacks carbohydrates, it enters a state of ketosis, the essence of which is that the body as it switches on oil – that is, begins to use them as a primary source of energy. Fats are split with the formation of a large number of so-called ketone bodies (ketones). It ketones and alternative source of energy in a state of ketosis.
The essence of the keto diet
In fact, our body constantly uses ketones to support the functions of some organs, especially the heart and kidneys. But the brain and muscles get energy from glucose, i.e. carbs. Therefore, when the normal power mode in the body is cleaved with a relatively small amount of fat. The task of the keto diet to change metabolism so that the body has to get energy, mainly using ketone bodies. In deficit of carbohydrates, the body activates the process of lipolysis, which will inevitably lead to getting rid of excess body fat.
How the body converts fats into energy
When the body starts to experience a shortage of carbohydrates, it begins to consume the glycogen stores in cells. At the same time enables the mechanism to convert fats and proteins into energy. After about three days of carbohydrate starvation, the body enters a state of ketosis. Let's take a closer look at how the body gets energy in this state.
After using up glycogen stores, the body begins to enter a state of ketosis. In the liver aktiviziruyutsya the process of lipolysis that break up into fatty acids and glycerol. Further there is a process called ketogenesis fatty acids are cleaved, resulting in formation of ketone bodies in three types:
- acetoacetate;
- beta-hydroxybutyric acid;
- acetone.
It is these substances that the body uses instead of glucose for energy. However, it should be noted that in a state of ketosis ketone bodies provide all the energy needs of the body. The fact is that some organs and tissues are simply unable to metabolize ketones for their distinct cell structure and lack of necessary enzymes. For example, the liver produces ketone bodies, is not in itself able to obtain energy from ketones, for its functioning still need glucose. Thus, the body even in a state of ketosis may not completely do without glucose.
Under normal diet the body gets glucose from carbohydrates. But in a state of ketosis carbohydrates received from food is not enough. Where, in this case, the body will use the glucose to power the organs, are not able to absorb the ketones? All right, we have a mechanism to generate glucose without carbohydrates. In a state of ketosis aktiviziruyutsya a process known a gluconeogenesis. In the process of gluconeogenesis involved, mainly proteins and glycerine (the latter is formed during the breakdown of fats).
Now we can answer the question of why the keto diet should include sufficient amounts of protein: your body needs them for glucose production, which he now gets from food. But what if the food is not enough protein? Nothing good – the whites will be "removed" from the muscles, and subsequently the keto-diet will lead to muscle loss.
The types of ketogenic diet
Keto diet involves the consumption of large amounts of fat, moderate protein, and minimal carbohydrates.
In most cases, consumption of carbohydrates is recommended to be reduced to 50 g per day. Any officially recommended keto diet does not exist. However, there are several common schemes that have proven themselves among nutritionists.
To cause a state of ketosis in various ways, so there are different types of keto diets. But they all share a common principle – reducing the consumption of carbohydrates and high fat content of the diet. Below we describe the four most often used variant of the keto diet.
Standard keto diet (SKD)
This type of diet, we will consider in the future. The standard keto diet proportion of carbohydrates in the diet is reduced to 5-10%. The share of proteins is 20%, and fat – 70-75% of the diet.
In terms of grams daily diet consists of:
- 20-50 grams of carbohydrates;
- 40-60 g of protein;
- fats without restrictions.
The amount of fat consumed is determined by individual energy needs of each individual.
Standard keto diet allows you to get rid of excess body fat, stabilize blood sugar levels and is beneficial to the state of the heart.
Sometimes there are separate subtype of the standard keto diet called "Ketogenic diet with very low carbohydrate content", which implies a reduction in the proportion of carbohydrates in the diet to 4%.
Cyclic ketogenic diet
It is also called "diet, back-loading carbs". It is characterized by the presence of the days in which people consume more carbohydrates. For example, 5 days standard keto diet and 2 day diet with a high proportion of carbohydrates. This diet is usually practiced by athletes when they need to replenish muscle glycogen spent during intense workouts.
Targeted ketogenic diet
This diet is a compromise between standard and cyclic keto diet. It involves the use of uglevodosoderzhaschie food directly before or after sports training. The idea is that carbohydrates during physical activity consumed much faster, so this diet makes training more effective, and thus does not exit from a state of ketosis.
The ketogenic diet is a high protein
This option is keto diet the following ratio of macronutrients in the daily diet:
- protein – 35%;
- fats – 60%;
- carbohydrates – 5%.
Keto diet with high protein content used by people having difficulties getting rid of excess fat deposits.
Regardless of the type of keto-diet, to date there is no credible scientific data to ensure no harm to health when it is enforced over a long period (over a year).
A feeling of fullness
We used to take a diet as a diet in which portions of food are severely limited, and most of the day have to endure hunger. But the keto diet is so wonderful that it does not require the person limits the amount of food eaten. Because the process of weight loss while the ketogenic diet is not associated with a reduction in calorie consumption and happens due to minimize the consumption of carbohydrates. In other words, you don't have to limit yourself to portions and hunger. All the matter in the proper preparation of diet: you can lose weight, just removing uglevodosoderzhaschie products, and eating proteins and fats in the correct proportions.
Effective weight loss
Earlier among doctors and nutritionists, there is a widespread view that power system with a high proportion of fats harmful to health, cause obesity and a number of other pathologies. However, a number of studies conducted on animals have shown that between high fat intake and obesity, the causal link is missing. Just the opposite – low-carb diet high in fat led to weight loss. In addition, studies have shown that low-carbohydrate diet, compared to nizkozhirnye, is much more effective in getting rid of excess body fat. A link to the material you can find at the end of the article.
Improve memory and cognitive functions
Studies have shown that a keto diet improves memory and brain function in General. Also, studies show that the keto-diet reduces the symptoms of migraine.
Improvement in various diseases
In various studies keto diet have shown improvement in people with diseases such as epilepsy, Alzheimer's disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, traumatic brain injury, acne, cancer and metabolic disorders.
Treatment of epilepsy
The ancient Greek healer Hippocrates recommended fasting for people suffering from epilepsy. In the 20-ies of the last century as an alternative to fasting is to reduce the frequency of epileptic seizures was proposed keto-diet.
Despite the fact that the pharmaceutical industry regularly offers a new generation of anticonvulsants, every third patient with epilepsy remains refractory to drug therapy. This is called refractory epilepsy. Therefore, in the treatment of some patients used alternative methods, including the ketogenic diet. This is especially true given the latest scientific evidence proving the relationship of neurological diseases with the condition of the intestinal microflora. According to observations, the ketogenic diet reduces the frequency of epileptic seizures, and can reduce the dose of drugs.
How to detect that you've entered ketosis
So, what is ketosis and why this condition helps to lose weight, we understand. But as a person in complying with the keto diet, find out what he did in a state of ketosis? Very simple – there are a number of signs and methods, which you can see below:
Breath
One of the most reliable signs that your body is in ketosis – is the emergence of specific bad breath. Sometimes it is similar to the smell of fruit, but in fact it is acetone. The fact that in the process of breakdown of fats in the liver to form ketone bodies in the blood increases the level of acetone, which is excreted through breath and urine.
Interesting fact! Due to the nature of the metabolism of acetone in the body during delivery of a breath test for alcohol by a man in a state of ketosis can be obtained a false positive result.
People who keto diet, inevitably faced with this problem, which is usually solved by chewing sugar-free gum or toothpaste. If you decide to use chewing gum or other foods to eliminate bad breath, make sure that they do not contain carbs, otherwise it may lead to increased level of glucose in the blood and exit a state of ketosis.
The weight loss
When moving your body in a state of ketosis you will quickly begin to lose weight. However, don't be deceived – this is not due to the loss of body fat. Due to a shift in a state of ketosis, the body loses a lot of fluids and consume glycogen stores – that's why there is a rapid decrease in body mass. Later weight loss will occur more gradually, and body fat will actually be burned.
Is it safe keto diet?
Opinions of scientists around the security of the keto-diet are divided – some claim that it is quite natural for the human body, and can not bring anything except good. Others draw attention to the fact that, although it helps to get rid of excess body fat, the effect of prolonged ketosis on the human body have not been studied, and the confidence to keto diet can not be.
Thus, unfortunately, a clear and scientifically grounded answer to the question "is it Safe keto diet?" - no. So everyone will have to decide to practice this type of food or not to risk it.
However, there is a category of people for whom the keto-diet could prove to be salvation – for example, people with a high degree of obesity and the persons suffering from the metabolic syndrome. Obesity in itself brings a huge amount of harm and, in fact, dangerous for life. Therefore, these people can be recommended keto diet, despite its insufficient knowledge. But in such cases the practice of the ketogenic diet should be under medical supervision.
Side effects keto diet
One of the main side effects keto diet faced by beginners is the keto-flu.
As for the side effects of the ketogenic diet, which manifest themselves after a long period of compliance, they include:
- steatosis of the liver;
- hypoproteinemia (low protein level in the blood);
- kidney disease;
- a deficiency of vitamins and minerals.
As practice shows, keto diet often leads to complications and hospitalization for the dehydration, lack of electrolytes in the body and hypoglycemia.