Source: telegraphindia.com<\/p>\n
Arecent survey of registered dietitians named the low-carbohydrate keto diet yet again as the most popular diet in the US. Powering this diet is fat, and loads of it \u2014 up to a hefty 90 per cent of one\u2019s daily calories.<\/p>\n
Its fans feed social media with before and after photos, crediting the diet for life-altering weight loss or other effects. They swirl butter into their coffee, load up on cheese and eat lonely burgers without its bestie, the bun.<\/p>\n
The diet is hailed for dropping pounds, burning more calories, reducing hunger, managing diabetes, treating drug resistant epilepsy, improving blood pressure and cholesterol, as well as triglycerides, the major storage form of fat in the body. People have reported improved concentration, too.<\/p>\n
What is a keto diet?<\/b><\/p>\n
A \u201ctypical\u201d ketogenic diet consists of at least 70 per cent of calories derived from fat, less than 10 per cent from carbs and less than 20 per cent from protein. That can mean chowing down on a lot of cheese, butter, eggs, nuts, salmon, bacon, olive oil, and non-starchy vegetables such as broccoli, cauliflower, greens and spinach. The keto diet is vastly different from the USDA dietary recommendations of 45 to 65 per cent of total calories to be from carbohydrates, 20 to 35 per cent from fat, and 10 to 35 per cent from protein.<\/p>\n
The goal of the ketogenic diet is to enter a state of ketosis through fat metabolism. In a ketogenic state, the body uses primarily fat for energy instead of carbohydrates; with low levels of carbohydrate, fats can be converted into ketones to fuel the body.<\/p>\n
For ketosis, a typical adult must consume less than 20 to 50 grams of net carbohydrates \u2014 total carbs minus fibre \u2014 each day. Crossing that threshold is easy: a thick slice of bread adds 21 carbohydrates, a medium apple 25, and a cup of milk 12. It\u2019s not just bread and soda that are on the outs but high sugar fruit and starchy veggies like potatoes, as well as too much protein.<\/p>\n
There are many ways to interpret the keto diet. Some people eat a salad with chicken, dressed in olive oil, while others feast on bacon washed down by diet soda, the kind of diet known as \u201cdirty keto\u201d. That\u2019s eating anything, including processed foods, as long as your carbs are low enough and your fat high enough to achieve ketosis. The best diet is one that works for you, but if you want to try this, avoid trans fats such as margarine and limit saturated fat by consuming lean cuts of beef, skinless chicken breast and fatty fish like salmon. Reach for foods high in unsaturated fats such as avocado, nuts, seeds and olive oil.<\/p>\n
Christopher Gardner, the lead author and a professor of medicine and nutrition scientist at Stanford Prevention Research Center, US, also says he sees one common misconception about keto: eating too much protein. Most amino acids in protein foods can be converted into glucose in the body, undermining efforts to keep carb intake low. \u201cIt drives me nuts that people don\u2019t get it,\u201d he said when he sees people eat, for instance, steak after steak.<\/p>\n
Can I lose weight on it?<\/b><\/p>\n
For the first two to six months, there\u2019s evidence that a very low carbohydrate diet can help you lose more weight than the standard high carbohydrate, low fat diet, according to a new literature review of low-carb diets by the National Lipid Association.<\/p>\n
\u201cBy 12 months, that advantage is essentially gone,\u201d said Carol F. Kirkpatrick, director of US\u2019s Idaho State University\u2019s Wellness Center, and lead author of the new literature review. She said keto is best used to kick start a diet, before transitioning to a carb intake that you can adhere to for the longer term.<\/p>\n
How long to see results?<\/b><\/p>\n
For some, it\u2019s the promised land of diets. Instead of cringing through carrot sticks, they can fill up on chorizo with scrambled eggs. Indeed, some evidence suggests that people feel less hungry while in ketosis, and have fewer cravings.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s why it\u2019s become so popular for the general population,\u201d said Dr Mackenzie C. Cervenka, medical director of Johns Hopkins Hospital\u2019s Adult Epilepsy Diet Center in the US. \u201cBecause once you are in ketosis, it\u2019s easy to follow.\u201d Usually, it takes between one to four days to enter the state, doctors say, but it depends on many factors like activity level: a runner, for example, may sprint there faster than a couch potato.<\/p>\n
The keto diet appears to deliver fast results: The first pounds seem to slip off. That can be seductive but it\u2019s likely water weight. Then, dietitians say, it\u2019s back to energy in minus energy out. You can gain weight on any diet if you\u2019re consuming 5,000 calories a day, according to Whitney Linsenmeyer, director of Saint Louis University\u2019s Didactic Program in Dietetics.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s not like it is going to magically alter your metabolism to where calories don\u2019t matter,\u201d she said. And when resuming the carbs, that water weight returns.<\/p>\n
Does it help with diabetes?<\/b><\/p>\n
Yes. \u201cCarbohydrate is the biggest driver of blood sugar,\u201d said Dr William Yancy, director of the Duke Diet and Fitness Center, who sees a lot of promise in the diet helping those with diabetes.<\/p>\n
A new randomised clinical trial enrolled 263 adults with type 2 diabetes into group medical visits, with half receiving medication adjustment for better blood sugar control, and the others undergoing weight management counselling using a low carb diet. (All participants of the study had a BMI that fell within the range of overweight or obese.)<\/p>\n
Both groups experienced lowered average blood sugar levels at the end of 48 weeks, according to findings in the\u00a0Journal of the American Medical Association Internal Medicine<\/i>. However, the weight management group on the low carb diet slimmed down more, required less medication and had fewer problematic low blood sugar episodes.<\/p>\n
For those with type 2 diabetes, a low carb diet seems to improve average blood sugar levels better in the first year than the high carbohydrate, low fat diet. After that time, the review by the US National Lipid Association found that difference almost disappears \u2014 but with a very important benefit: the low carb participants were able to use less medication. \u201cPeople like that because they don\u2019t like to be on diabetes medicines,\u201d Dr Yancy said.<\/p>\n
Are there side effects?<\/b><\/p>\n
At first some can experience some stomach issues and GI distress. \u201cNinety percent of calories from fat is probably going to be a shock to the system,\u201d said Linsenmeyer.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s crucial, doctors say, to consult with a dietitian or physician, have cholesterol levels checked, and replenish the fluids and sodium lost by increased urination and the severe restriction of carbohydrates. If not, within two to four days of beginning the diet, that depletion may bring on \u201cketo flu\u201d \u2014 dizziness, poor sleep and fatigue.<\/p>\n
\u201cCarbohydrates have a lot of nutrients that can help us maintain our body function,\u201d said Carla Prado, director of the University of Alberta\u2019s Human Nutrition Research Unit, US. Some people experience \u201cketo breath\u201d, a halitosis likely caused by the production of acetone, one of the ketone bodies.<\/p>\n
Possible side effects for patients with epilepsy starting the diet include constipation, vomiting, fatigue, hypoglycemia, worsening reflux and increased frequency of seizures. The US National Lipid Association review urges patients with lipid disorders (high cholesterol or triglycerides), a history of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (such as a heart attack or stroke), heart failure and kidney and liver disease to take caution if considering the diet. People on blood thinners should take extra care.<\/p>\n
Whichever eating plan one chooses for 2020, certain recommendations are nearly universal: cut down on refined carbs and ultra-processed foods, and consume more whole foods, particularly non-starchy vegetables, such as broccoli, asparagus, and spinach.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe \u2018optimal diet\u2019 lies somewhere between what has been proposed historically \u2014 the high carbohydrate, low fat diet \u2014 and the ketogenic diet,\u201d said Dr Cervenka.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":4057,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[43],"tags":[1967,1058,305,835,482],"class_list":["post-4055","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-weight-loss-gain","tag-blood-sugar","tag-diabetes","tag-diet","tag-ketogenic-diet","tag-nutrition"],"yoast_head":"\n