The ketogenic diet or simply the keto diet is a diet low in carbohydrates and high in fat. Recently, it is rapidly gaining popularity.
The ketogenic diet has been shown to provide huge health benefits, including weight loss. Thus, many people follow this diet to achieve their weight loss goals.
Despite the fact that studies show that a ketogenic diet can help you eliminate excess body fat, there are no long-term studies to support its effectiveness.
This article discusses the effectiveness of the keto diet for weight loss.
Does it promote weight loss?
When following a traditional ketogenic diet, carbohydrate intake is limited to less than 5-10% of total daily caloric intake.
This helps the body reach ketosis, a condition during which it switches to using fat instead of carbohydrates as its main source of energy. Ketones are produced in the liver.
Lack of carbohydrates is usually compensated by increased fat intake to about 80% of calories, which is 155-200 grams for a diet of 2000 calories.
Protein intake is low - usually about 20% of calories, which is 100 grams for a diet of 2000 calories.
Although long-term studies have never been conducted, there are several known mechanisms for weight loss caused by a ketogenic diet.
Reduced feeling of hunger
One of the main weight loss mechanisms associated with the ketogenic diet is probably its ability to reduce hunger.
Adherence to the keto diet provokes a decrease in the level of ghrelin, which is one of the main hormones in the human body, increasing the feeling of hunger.
Reducing ghrelin production and dulling the feeling of hunger can lead to the fact that a person will consume fewer calories throughout the day and this will certainly provoke weight loss.
A study conducted on a group of 20 obese people on a keto diet confirmed the link between this diet and reduced appetite for food and alcohol.
The keto diet can be an effective tool for reducing hunger levels. However, its long-term safety must be taken into account.
Weight loss support
Another possible mechanism for weight loss in the keto diet is water loss, which is caused by a measurable reduction in carbohydrate intake.
This is because the carbohydrates accumulated in the human body retain water.
When carbohydrate intake is reduced, for example during the initial phase of the keto diet, stored carbohydrates are released along with retained fluid and this leads to weight loss.
Calorie balance
To find out if a ketogenic diet can help you lose those unwanted pounds, it's important to consider how weight loss is usually achieved.
To lose weight, you need to eat fewer calories than your body burns. In other words, calorie deficiency is the main condition for weight loss.
A study of 17 obese or overweight men found that the keto diet led to a moderate 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 the ketogenic diet is not always superior to the traditional diet for weight loss, given the same amount of calories consumed.
Thus, the effect of weight loss from the keto diet is most likely the result of eating fewer calories due to the dullness of hunger associated with a high-fat and very low-carbohydrate diet in the daily diet.
Conclusion: The keto diet helps to lose weight, although the exact mechanisms by which this effect is achieved remain unclear. Studies show that weight loss caused by the keto diet is probably due to lack of calories, reduced hunger levels and water weight loss.
Keto supplements
Since the growing popularity of the keto diet on the market, there are many supplements designed for keto diets and some of them can help with weight loss.
List of the best keto supplements with a description of their characteristics:
- MCT oil (MCT oil). This medium chain triglyceride oil helps people on a ketogenic diet to add more fat to their diet and stay in ketosis. This oil is absorbed faster than traditional fats, but can have side effects affecting the digestive system.
- Exogenous ketones (Exogenous ketones). The supplement is an external source of ketones that complement the body's naturally produced endogenous ketones. They help increase the level of ketones in the blood, thus accelerating the achievement of a state of ketosis.
- Keto Protein Powder (Keto Protein Powder). These protein powders are characterized by a reduced carbohydrate content.
- Keto electrolytes (Keto electrolytes). Lack of electrolytes is common during the initial phase of the keto diet. It is caused by a decrease in fluid content in the body. Keto electrolytes can help avoid deficiencies in common electrolytes such as sodium, potassium and magnesium.
- Digestive enzymes (Digestive enzymes). Due to the high intake of fatty foods during the keto diet, some people may experience digestive problems. Digestive enzyme supplements, especially lipase, help break down fats.
It is worth noting that research on the effects of ketogenic supplements on weight loss is limited.
One study in mice looked at the viability of exogenous ketones as a weight loss supplement. As a result, some exogenous ketones as well as MCT oil have been found to promote weight loss by reducing hunger and continuing to consume fewer calories.
However, there is no research on humans to support these claims.
Although keto supplements are not mandatory, they can help people on a keto diet to switch smoothly to this rather restrictive diet and increase their adaptability to the diet.
However, it is worth considering the use of these additives due to limited research, which does not allow conclusions to be drawn about their long-term safety.
Conclusion: MCT oil and exogenous ketones can help you reach ketosis faster and avoid many of the side effects associated with keto switching. However, despite the fact that they also reduce hunger, it is not recommended to use them as a weight loss supplement.
Other factors that can affect weight loss
To get the best results from following a keto diet for weight loss, you need to consider the following number of factors.
The exact amount of carbohydrates consumed
Keeping track of the exact amount of daily carbs you eat can make it easier to switch to a ketogenic diet.
This will help you achieve ketosis relatively quickly and prevent a number of symptoms associated with the so-called "keto flu", which is a group of symptoms, including headaches and confusion associated with starting a keto diet.
If you eat a lot of carbohydrates, you will not get ketosis and the possible benefits of diet, including weight loss, will be reduced.
Consuming less than 50 grams of carbohydrates per day is enough to cause ketosis in any individual.
do you sleep enough
Sleep is an often overlooked aspect of any diet. Studies show that lack of sleep and constant stress can have a negative impact on weight loss results. This also applies to the keto diet.
Studies show that sleep deprivation can negatively affect hunger hormones such as ghrelin and leptin. This in turn can lead to increased appetite, counteracting the effects of the keto diet to reduce hunger.
Providing at least 7 hours of rest and sleep a day can help maintain the positive results that come with a ketogenic diet.
Do you lead an active lifestyle
While the keto diet itself can lead to weight loss, combining it with the right exercise program can improve the effect.
As it adapts to its diet, the body can use fat as its main source of energy for exercise. Studies show that the greatest amount of fat is burned during endurance exercise.
It is important to note that you need to be well adapted to the keto diet before you start moderate exercise. This will prevent unwanted side effects.
Conclusion: When it comes to losing weight with the keto diet, there are a number of additional factors to keep in mind, 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 the need for strict adherence to the established diet for a long period of time.
Due to the fact that this strict diet is quite restrictive, some people find it difficult to adhere to it.
This is especially problematic when you have dinner out or gather with family and friends for the holidays and you are forced to switch to a different diet, which can lead to reduced weight loss results.
Also, remember the lack of research on the health effects of a 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 run due to its restrictive nature. Eating out and other situations may require special perseverance and preparation.
The result
The keto diet is a diet low in carbohydrates and high in fat. It has been found to provide 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 provoked by lack of calories, dull hunger and water loss.
Keto supplements can reduce hunger and help you reach ketosis in a short period of time. However, it is not recommended to use them for weight loss.
Although the benefits of the keto diet for weight loss may seem reassuring, it is important to consider its potential side effects, disadvantages and lack of long-term research.