The Best Benefits of the Ketogenic Diet- Gaining Health with Keto
There are many reasons to start a ketogenic diet but some promising research includes potential benefits in people with epilepsy and Alzheimer’s.
In someone without these conditions, benefits include weight loss, increased energy efficiency, reduced blood pressure, improved mood, better sleep, and even slowed aging. No wonder this diet has gotten so much traction. Let’s quickly go over why this works!
What is the Ketogenic Diet?
The ketogenic diet, or keto diet, is a high-fat, moderate protein, low-carb meal plan designed to put your body in a state of ketosis.
There is definitely a healthy way to start keto, which can lead to incredible benefits!
This diet plan also makes you aware of the hidden sugars in a lot of food products, many of which are not sweet! After learning what foods to avoid, keto becomes much easier and more sustainable!
Consuming healthy fats and proteins while reducing the amount of carbohydrates in the diet can have amazing effects on the body!
Benefits of the Ketogenic Diet
Here are some common benefits of keto.
Weightloss
This is one huge reason why the keto diet is so attractive to many; there are fast results.
It’s also the reason people become perplexed because eating more fat can indeed help you lose weight! It sounds counterintuitive, especially with diet culture focusing so much on low-fat items being good for you.
Nevertheless, it is true; once you adapt your body to using fat as a fuel source, you will be able to not only burn the fat you consume but also burn the fat that is stored in your body.
Energy Efficiency
Fat as fuel is very efficient. With more calories per gram than sugar, it proves a lot of energy to the body. This also translates to you eating less but feeling fuller, longer.
Your appetite will be reduced because you will feel fuller, faster eating all those things you struggled to avoid (cream cheese, butter, avocado, eggs, bacon, etc.).
Increased Cognitive Function
The Ketogenic Diet may also increase brain power! Studies have found an increase in mitochondria (which, as we know, is the powerhouse of the cell) in the brain.
Ketones are also processed by the brain extremely fast and extremely efficiently, making them an excellent fuel source.
Reduced Blood Pressure
This may be due to the increase in olive oil, whole foods such as vegetables, and fish consumption. Healthy fats and balance are key for a healthy heart and healthy life. The keto diet also decreases overall inflammation.
Improved mood
Sugar/carbs cause sharp spikes of blood sugar whenever consumed. As your body flood’s your system with insulin, the glucose is used or stored, and blood sugar goes back down.
This causes mood swings associated with food, along with sugar crashes and lack of consistent energy. Even if you do not follow a keto diet, blood sugar should not be spiking in the body, as it leads to more and more insulin being used.
Eventually, it may lead to illnesses such as metabolic syndrome (increased blood pressure, high blood sugar, excess body fat, and abnormal cholesterol or triglyceride levels) and diabetes (a condition in which the body is unable to properly use insulin to metabolize sugar).
With fat as your primary source of fuel, you will no longer experience crashes and blood sugar will remain steady.
Improved Quality of Sleep
Though only a small number of studies have examined how the keto diet affects sleep, it shows great potential to improve overall quality of life.
Some studies that have conducted and explored this relationship have found that keto may lead to less sleepiness during the day, more ease of falling asleep at night, and an increase in the REM stage of sleep. The theory behind this is an increase in adenosine activity in the body when on keto.
This is a compound present in cells that helps promote relaxation of the nervous system, reduce pain, and reduce inflammation.
Slowed Aging Process
Let’s talk about beta-hydroxybutyrate (BHB). This is one of the primary ketones that come from being in a state of ketosis. This can promote vascular cell division.
Vascular cells are the ones that makeup blood vessels, delivering blood and nutrients to your entire system.
The theory behind slowed aging with keto is that as vascular division increases, your cells stay healthy; there is less wear and tear on the body.
It can also be due to the reduced stress on the body. With less sugar, there is less inflammation, and fewer problems for the body to fix, reducing the amount of wear and tear in the first place.
The Takeaway
Keto has many benefits. People who start a keto diet may find their mood to improve, their quality of sleep to get better, and their minds to be clearer. Keto will also increase weight loss, reduce blood pressure, and may even slow aging.
Sugar has an inflammatory effect on the body, which is why it is a good idea to cut back on its intake. Check out how to start a keto diet today and get all the benefits! Find out what food to avoid and what food you can consume for easy meal planning.
