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The keto moment
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The general Keto diet
The Keto diet is one of the biggest diet phenomenons today. It is the most Googled diet of 2018 and has surpassed Weight Watchers and other low-carb regimens, Atkins and Paleo.
There is a considerable variation in how humans respond to nutritional and dietary tweaks in this overhyped craze, but not without merit. There is a growing body of science exploring keto as a potential thwart for Type 2 diabetes and other illnesses.
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Keto is a no-carb diet
Carbohydrates account for about half the calories on average in the American diet. Rice, maize, and wheat provide 60 percent of the world's food energy intake, even though there are more than 50,000 edible plants.
Keto is practically no-carb, forbidding processed junk foods and severely limits grains, including whole grains, fruits, and legumes such as brown rice, apples, and lentils. Keto adherents think conventional nutritional wisdom is harmful.
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Keto is a cultural identity
Keto is more than just a diet. It is a cultural identity.
The Keto diet changes how adherents think about medicine and nutrition. With the fake news that dominates the news cycle, it's not surprising that keto went viral. It's anti-establishment.
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Benefits and side-effects of the keto diet
A concern of the Keto diet is that it may not be safe for the cardiovascular system since it can drive up cholesterol levels.
Other health professionals believe the high-fat regimen will damage people's kidneys, arteries, and brains. Side effects from "keto flu" include constipation, cardiac arrhythmias, and vitamin and mineral deficiencies.
But, a low-carb diet could be a nutritional treatment option for some patients with diabetes. It also helps people lose weight and get off their medications.
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Understanding ketosis
The body can only store glucose to last a few days. If we don't eat carbs, the body finds other ways to fuel the body, like ketogenesis. In ketogenesis:
- The liver starts to break down fat from food and our body reserves. The useful energy source is called ketone bodies and can replace glucose as fuel when there's a glucose shortage.
- Once ketogenesis starts, the ketone levels rise.
- The body burns fat instead of the usual glucose.
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How to enter ketosis
One way to get in ketosis is through fasting - when you stop eating altogether for an extended period. The body will start to burn fat for fuel and decrease its use of glucose.
Another way is to make your body think it's fasting by eating only about 20 to 50 grams of total carbs per day. (Equivalent to a slice of bread or a small potato.)
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Keto diet percentage
People on the Keto diet aim for:
- Five percent of the calories from carbohydrates from berries and salad.
- Fifteen percent from proteins like salmon and sardines.
- Eighty percent from fats including coconut oil and avocado.
Keto levels can be measured with blood tests, breathalyzers, and urine strips.
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New research on the keto diet
- Keto science is explored for the potential benefits of the diet as part of cancer therapy.
- Another new area of research is using keto to prevent and reduce the severity of flu.
- Studies show that there is a large reduction in seizures in people with epilepsy when following a ketogenic diet.
- Carbohydrate restriction helps control metabolic syndrome, including high blood sugar.
- An ultra-low-carb diet could have a role in treating neurodegenerative diseases, like Alzheimer's and Parkinson's.
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Documented uses of the keto diet
Doctors have been prescribing ketogenic diets to treat epilepsy for nearly a century, and increasingly believe it holds promise for people with Type 2 diabetes.
But the older keto regi...
The Ketogenesis process
It supplies energy under circumstances such as fasting or caloric restriction to certain organs (e.g. the brain, heart, and skeletal muscle).
In ketogenesis, our livers start to break down fat into a usable energy source called ketones. Ketones can stand in for glucose as fuel for the body when there’s a glucose shortage.
Once ketogenesis kicks in and ketone levels are elevated, the body is in a state called “ketosis,” during which it’s burning stored fat.
The Keto diet
That means eating mainly meats, eggs, cheese, fish, nuts, butter, oils, and vegetables while avoiding sugar, bread and other grains, beans, and even fruit.
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Ketosis
... is a normal metabolic process. When the body does not have enough glucose (derived from sugars and starches) for energy, it burns stored fats instead; this results in a build-up o...
Fast facts on ketosis
- Ketosis occurs when the body does not have sufficient access to its primary fuel source, glucose.
- Ketosis describes a condition where fat stores are broken down to produce energy, which also produces ketones, a type of acid.
- In small amounts, ketones serve to indicate that the body is breaking down fat, but high levels of ketones can poison the body, leading to a process called ketoacidosis, a serious condition that can prove fatal.
- People with type 1 diabetes are more likely to develop ketoacidosis, for which emergency medical treatment is required to avoid or treat diabetic coma.
- Some people follow a ketogenic (low-carb) diet to try to lose weight by forcing the body to burn fat stores.
The ketogenic diet
Adhering to the ketogenic diet can lead to short-term weight loss, consuming fewer calories without feeling hungry while following the diet.
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Ketosis
Is a metabolic state. Think of being in or out of ketosis like the settings in a hybrid car; you can rely on gas or electricity to different degrees.
In ketosis, we...
The function of ketones
Ketones aren’t just a form of energy, they’re powerful signaling molecules. They regulate the expression of genes and dampen inflammatory processes.
Your body is always producing a very low level of ketones, irrespective of your diet. You start producing more of them when following a diet that’s high in fat and low in carbs.
Getting in ketosis
- The stricter you restrict carbs (or total calories), the quicker you will be in ketosis.
- Restricting your carb intake to 20g per day is a good heuristic (loose rule) for entering ketosis. It will generally get you into ketosis within a few days.
- Fasting gets you into ketosis very quickly.