Experts are weighing in on the effects of a keto diet and its ‘lose fat by eating fat’ approach.
(Mirror Daily, United States) – The Keto diet is the latest Silicon Valley fad, but how effective the diet plan really is? Can you really trim some fat by not giving up butter?
The ketogenic diet was first invented to help epileptic kids get back on their feet. The many successes of the diet were a huge inspiration for Dr. Atkins’ low-carb diet plan which was published in 1958.
Many experts agree that keto is more extreme than Atkins’ diet even though the idea of indulging in fat to get rid of fat is very appealing. Many people believe keto is healthier because it started as a diet plan prescribed by medics.
Under the keto diet, dieters are asked to get up to 90% of their daily calories intake from fat. Also, there needs to be one gram of protein for each kilogram of body mass per day, and all types of carbs should be trimmed to 10-15 grams daily. The keto diet is very different from the Western diet in which bad carbs account for half of calories.
The Keto Diet Is Good for the Brain
It remains unclear why the diet plan has helped so many kids cope with epilepsy and other neurological disorders. Usually, our bodies need carbs for energy, not fats. A balanced diet is generally rich in healthy carbs like whole grain bread.
Keto diet experts explained that when one abruptly switches from carbs to fats, their bodies are pushed into starvation mode. As a result, the body taps fat stores and breaks them down into ketone bodies, a process called ketosis.
Ketone bodies can mimic the functions of glucose which one gets from carbohydrates ’metabolism while on a normal diet. Since the brain is now filled with ketone bodies, not glucose, this may be why the keto diet is so effective in treating epilepsy.
Experts agree that the keto can lead to significant weight loss, but at a price. The weight loss may not be permanent, and fat may return if the body is no longer kept in a permanent state of mild starvation.
Image Source: StaticFlickr