The Ketogenic diet, or “keto diet” has been extremely popular in the past couple of years. It has however, received a bad reputation as there have been numerous conflicts between nutritionists on its effects. But what is the keto diet? The ketogenic diet is a low-carbohydrate diet which helps the body focus more on burning fat.
The term “keto” comes from the word “ketones” which are the fuel molecules that the body produces, which is used when there is little glucose in the body. It puts the body in a state of “ketosis”, which increases those ketones and therefore burns stored glucose.
Below are a list of reasons why the keto diet can be advantageous and some are the reasons for creating the negative rumors.
Advantages of Keto Diet
There are numerous advantages for the ketogenic diet, but before you get into the details, it’s important to know how fat cells work in general and in relation to the keto diet; learn more here to get insight so that you are better informed. It’s important for you to know what the advantages of this diet are:
Low Carb:
A low-carb diet such as this one reduces the appetite by a large percentage. This is an extremely relevant point, as one of the main reasons people give up on diets are the hunger pains.
Weight Loss:
Another advantage is that it promotes more weight loss initially. As soon as you cut carbohydrates or carbs, the body burns from the stored fat leading to more weight loss. Insulin levels also decrease, which is what stores and uses glucose. The higher the insulin level the more it will store glucose, the lower it is, the more it will burn off the stored percentage.
No more fats:
The Keto diet decreases the amount of visceral and subcutaneous fats. Both these types of fats tend to stick to organs such as the liver, pancreas, and intestines which can be very harmful as they can cause type 2 diabetes, heart attacks, raised blood pressure, etc.
Disadvantages of Keto Diet
On the other hand, the keto diet has been rumored to have a negative side and it’s just as important to be aware of these setbacks.
Less muscle mass:
If continued for long durations of time, with the body entering ketosis, you can lose muscle mass. Other health experts are against this since eating on a keto diet basis does not mean that the calories have to be decreased severely, so fats and protein can make up for the carbs.
May not be safe for you:
Another disadvantage is that keto diets need to be “watched over” by a dietician since not all body types can withstand such a diet. A ketosis is a mild form of ketoacidosis which is a complication of diabetes. therefore the third disadvantage that while ketosis burns fat, it is actually a mild complication but one that should be taken seriously.
Despite negative rumors, the ketogenic diet really is effective, and works really fast, which is probably why it has become so popular and is still going strong. You don’t have to starve yourself and it’s less strenuous than most of the other diet plans out there. It is possible to try different diets or have a carb refeed day as completely cutting off carbs is not a sustainable way to go about living.
The body needs carbs and sometimes vegetables and fruits do not provide the necessary amount. Healthy carbs such as whole grains including, quinoa, brown rice, and oats are truly beneficial and do not increase the insulin levels to an extreme rate. It is important to note that moderation is always key. So just because a diet works and is popular, doesn’t mean the rumors won’t stop or may not have some truth to them. Make sure that you balance yourself in a way that you don’t risk harming your body in the long run.
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