What are the benefits of a ketogenic diet? Who is it suitable for? Understand the principle and danger once

 What are the benefits of a ketogenic diet? Who is it suitable for? Understand the principle and danger once

What are the benefits of a ketogenic diet?

Ketogenic diet (English: ketogenic diets) is a high-fat, low-carb diet. It is strictly forbidden to eat more than 50 grams of sugar a day, or control carbohydrates to 5-10%, and replace sugar with a lot of fat .

The principle of the ketogenic diet is that when we reduce sugar intake and make the body lack of glucose, the liver will start to consume fat and produce "ketone bodies (ketone)" as an alternative energy source for the human body . Intake of sugar can provide energy for the body to burn, but excessive intake of sugar can actually damage the organs.

Based on the aforementioned biochemical mechanism, the ketogenic diet may have the following effects:

• help lose weight

• improve epilepsy

• Anti-dementia

• Anti-cancer

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1. Keto aids in weight loss

The ingredients taken in the ketogenic diet can reduce the secretion of hunger hormones, promote metabolism, and reduce appetite, so it can help lose weight. Previous studies have pointed out that after 6 months of ketogenic diet, people lose about 2.26 kg more than the low-fat diet method; in 2013, the "British Journal of Nutrition" literature analysis showed that the ketogenic diet lasted for 1 year, and was on average thinner than the low-fat diet. 0.9 kg.

However, the ketogenic diet is also easier to regain weight than other weight loss methods. Due to the large amount of fat intake, it will burden the cardiovascular system. After stopping the diet, it will even exceed the original weight.

2. Keto Improves Epilepsy

A study in the Journal of Nutrition found that a ketogenic diet can significantly reduce the frequency of seizures in children with epilepsy. A 2019 analysis also agreed that the internal mechanisms promoted by the ketogenic diet can help epilepsy patients improve their spasticity. According to the Epilepsy Foundation of America , ketogenic drugs may be used as an alternative to help patients who have not responded to other treatments.

3. Ketogenic anti-dementia

Alzheimer's disease, the most common form of dementia, is caused by the accumulation of fibrous β-amyloid and tau proteins in the brain, which damage neurons and neural circuits and reduce the metabolic function of the brain. The ketogenic diet can protect brain nerve cells, promote brain metabolism, and prevent dementia.

4. Keto Fights Cancer

Research in the bimonthly "Aging" found that the ketogenic diet can slow down the growth of tumors and protect healthy cells from chemotherapy or radiotherapy; it can also promote the efficacy of anticancer drugs, relieve inflammation, and prevent patients from gaining weight during treatment. This is because cancer cells consume glucose in the body to obtain energy. When cancer occurs, a large amount of sugar is taken in, which will feed the growth of cancer cells. Although the ketone bodies produced by ketogenic ketones can be used by the human body, they cannot be digested by some cancer cells and will not become the nutrition of cancer cells.

Ketogenic diet causing death? What are the health risks?

"Harvard Health Journal" pointed out that because the ketogenic diet consumes a lot of saturated fat , it has potentially serious risks, such as malnutrition and cardiovascular disease. "Keto Flu (Keto Flu)" refers to the short-term and long-term symptoms of discomfort after using ketone.

A study in the journal "Pediatric Neurology" pointed out that eating a ketogenic diet has the risk of nutrient "selenium deficiency", which may lead to myocardial infarction and then sudden death; in addition, it is more likely to suffer from "long QT syndrome (QT prolongation)", that is, myocardial contraction to relaxation Prolonged time, resulting in irregular heartbeat.

Long-term implementation of a ketogenic diet can easily lead to nutritional imbalance, or excessive intake of fat and protein, which will burden the liver and kidneys. Therefore, many ketogenic diet practitioners have low blood pressure, and eventually they are prone to cardiovascular problems.

Who is the ketogenic diet suitable for?

The ketogenic diet is not for everyone. Medically, patients with epilepsy are advised to adopt a ketogenic diet. In addition, for patients who want to lose weight, reduce cardiovascular risk, and lower blood sugar, a ketogenic diet can also be effective in the short term.

A research analysis in 2019 pointed out that although the ketogenic diet is helpful for hormonal disorders such as polycystic ovary syndrome and type 2 diabetes, it is not appropriate to recommend the ketogenic diet as a suggested diet method due to different research results.

What is the principle of the ketogenic diet?

The process of ketosis can promote the body to burn fat and achieve weight loss. The concentration of blood sugar and insulin in the body will also decrease, improve the basal metabolic rate (BMR), and increase muscle mass. Therefore, the ketogenic diet is often used to lose weight. However, to produce ketone bodies, it is not necessary to eat a ketogenic diet. Zhao Qiang, a nutritionist at Mackay Memorial Hospital in Taipei, said that as long as the body is hungry for certain periods of time, it will also consume ketone bodies. This is the same principle as intermittent fasting .

How to eat ketogenic diet?

The meal combination ratio of the ketogenic diet includes 70% fat, 20-25% protein, and 5-10% carbohydrate. The daily intake of sugar should be limited to 20 grams to 50 grams. In other words, if you adopt a ketogenic diet, as much as 60-80% of your daily calories will come from fat.

But Brigham and Women's Hospital dietitian Kathy McManus suggests,Do not consume more than 7% saturated fat per day, otherwise it may lead to cardiovascular disease.In view of the risks of the ketogenic diet, before adopting it, it is also recommended to consult a physician or nutritionist to evaluate whether it is suitable for you before implementing it.

When implementing a ketogenic diet, be careful with your fruit intake. Most fruits contain high fructose and glucose. If you overeat accidentally, the sugar will exceed the standard. Fruits suitable for a ketogenic diet include berries such as avocados, blueberries, and strawberries.