A ketogenic diet or “keto” is a specific diet in which you eat high fat, decent amounts of protein, and low carbs. It forces the body to burn fat instead of carbs. It puts your body in a state of “ketosis”.
Keto was actually developed in the 1920s. But, it hasn’t had much publicity until the last couple of years. Keto was one of the most googled diets of 2019.
If you’ve been thinking of losing weight perhaps after putting on “the COVID-15” as many people have, then you might want to think about keto. If you’re asking yourself “Does keto work?” then keep reading to find out.
The Science
The science behind the keto diet is actually quite simple. When you eat less than 50 grams of carbohydrates per day, your body will eventually run out of sugar (fuel).
After a few consecutive days, your body will then turn to fat to burn for its fuel. When your body is in this state that’s called ketosis and you’ll lose body fat.
Who Should Use the Keto Diet?
Anyone who wants to lose weight and or burn fat. It’s a great diet that won’t leave you feeling too hungry or “hangry”. One thing that’s not often talked about is the keto diet can actually help certain medical conditions.
That’s how the diet was founded in the 1920s. Doctors noticed that after fasting or in ketosis patients with epilepsy were having fewer seizures. Some in the medical field believe the keto diet can help acne, heart disease, and even some brain diseases.
But, there still needs to be more research on those to confirm it. It does look promising though so far with people that are keto fit.
How Long Should You Use It?
A good barometer is about three to six months. You’ll lose more weight on keto than other diets in the first three to six months. After that, you can switch things up a bit so your body doesn’t become stagnate.
Just like when you switch up a weight training routine every three to four weeks. When you do this your body doesn’t have time to adapt and it keeps gaining muscle or losing weight.
Cancer
Although there haven’t been any studies to conclude that keto can help the body fight against cancer, there is research showing that higher insulin levels make for higher risk of some forms of cancer. Keto lowers insulin levels.
Side Effects
When considering starting a keto diet you need to understand some mild side effects that can arise. You may get what is called “keto flu” which can bring on headaches, fatigue, irritability, and bad breath.
Some other side effects may be indigestion, mild low blood sugar, and constipation. Also, low carb diets have been known to produce kidney stones. But, all of these symptoms are rare, so keep that in mind.
Does Keto Work?
All in all, the answer to the question”does keto work?” is yes. Most people who follow the diet correctly see great results, especially when used with a regular exercise routine.
You’ll not only burn fat and lose weight while adding muscle to your frame, but you might also see some other health benefits as well.
Check out our Workouts for Weightloss blog for some other great fitness information.
