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Principles of the Keto Diet Have Been Used to Treat Epilepsy for Centuries, Does It Actually Work?
The keto diet and medical conditions
The ketogenic diet is becoming a proven treatment for epilepsy. But there is also evidence that it may be helpful for other medical conditions such as Type 2 diabetes and glioblastoma multiforme, a type of aggressive brain cancer. Conditions such as metabolic syndrome, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, obesity, chronic migraines, traumatic brain injury, dementia, Parkinson's, autoimmune disorder, mental health, polycystic ovarian syndrome, and much more are anecdotally benefiting from the ketogenic diet.
However, caution is advised. Side effects include kidney stones, low bone density, weight loss, low blood sugar, and gastrointestinal symptoms. Certain rare metabolic disorders can be made worse on the ketogenic diet. So supervision from experts remains a necessity.
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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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Key Ideas
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.
![What Is The Ketogenic Diet [A Keto Guide for Beginners]](https://d3t70bohx4vuj7.cloudfront.net/05Mkbe1lb2haGJ9xa3HnjRTkyoxI0fRxyeyWBs-q984/resize:fill:500:0/gravity:sm/aHR0cHM6Ly9jZG4ucnVsZWQubWUvd3AtY29udGVudC91cGxvYWRzLzIwMTMvMTEvcGFnZS1saXN0LWJhbm5lcl9ndWlkZS10by1rZXRvLWRpZXQucG5n)
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Key Ideas
Ketosis
Benefits of a Ketogenic Diet
- Weight Loss.
- Keto naturally lowers blood sugar levels due to the type of foods you eat.
- Mental Focus: Ketones are a great source of fuel for the brain.
- Increased Energy & Normalized Hunger: Fats are shown to be the most effective molecule to burn as fuel.
- Epilepsy: Keto diet has been used since the early 1900’s to treat epilepsy successfully.
- Cholesterol & Blood Pressure: shown to improve triglyceride levels and cholesterol levels most associated with arterial buildup.
- Insulin Resistance.
- Improvements in your skin health.
Do Not Eat on a Keto Diet
- Grains – wheat, corn, rice, cereal, etc.
- Sugar – honey, agave, maple syrup, etc.
- Fruit – apples, bananas, oranges, etc.
- Tubers – potato, yams, etc.