Benefits of Ketogenic Diet

The ketogenic diet, also known as the keto diet, limits the number of carbohydrates that are consumed while increasing the amount of healthy fats and protein consumed. The goal of this diet is that most of your calories should come from healthy fats rather than from carbohydrates. The keto diet depletes the sugar reserves in the body. When this occurs, the body begins to break down stored fat and uses it for energy. As your body burns fat, it leads to weight loss. Here we look into the various benefits of ketogenic diet.

Benefits of Ketogenic Diet

Acne Improvement

There are many different causes of acne, including your diet and blood glucose levels. Eating processed foods and refined carbs can alter the bacteria in your gastrointestinal tract and cause your blood sugar levels to rise and then crash. When your gut microbiome becomes imbalanced, it can affect all aspects of your health, including your skin. Inflammation can occur throughout the body and the risk of acne increases. The keto diet focuses on healthy fats that work to reduce inflammation in the body, decrease the amount of carbs you eat, which helps regulate glucose levels and improve your skin health.

Cancer Protection

A ketogenic diet can reduce the risk of developing cancer. A ketogenic eating plan can also be used as a complementary therapy alongside radiation and chemotherapy to help the body fight cancer. Elevated glucose levels, type 2 diabetes, and obesity have been linked to a variety of cancers, including breast cancer. Restricting carb consumption lowers blood glucose and insulin levels which may impede tumor growth. Ketogenic diets may help slow the progression of cancer and improve the patient’s quality of life.

Diabetes

Individuals who have been diagnosed with diabetes can benefit from the ketogenic diet. This low carb diet helps you better control your blood sugar levels and improve insulin sensitivity. Studies have shown that following a ketogenic diet may help individuals decrease or discontinue diabetic medications within 16 weeks.

Epilepsy

Epileptic seizures are caused by excess brain activity. A ketogenic diet may help to reduce the frequency and severity of epileptic seizures. This diet also helps improve brain patterns. The increased consumption of healthy fats helps decrease inflammation in the brain and provides the brain with the nutrients it needs for the production of neurotransmitters.

Heart Health

Many people believe that the high fat, high protein, and low carb protocols of the ketogenic diet is bad for heart health; however, it can actually reduce the risk of heart disease. The ketogenic diet is designed to help improve heart health by lowering the markers of heart disease, including blood glucose levels, triglycerides, and cholesterol.

For years it was believed that the main cause of heart disease was a diet with high fat consumption. However, recent research has found that systemic inflammation is what actually triggers the unhealthy buildup of plaque in the arteries. The ketogenic diet reduces inflammation in the body and provides anti-inflammatory protection.

Consuming healthy fats like avocados, nuts (almonds, walnuts, cashews, Brazil nuts, pecans, etc.), olive oil, fatty fish, butter, and whole eggs provide the body with omega 3 fatty acids that help to neutralize inflammation, promote healthy digestion, increase fiber, and provide the body with essential vitamins and minerals.

Migraine Headaches

Migraine headaches cause pain, light sensitivity, noise sensitivity, and nausea. Individuals who follow a keto diet may notice a decrease in the frequency and intensity of their migraine headaches. Researchers are unsure if the reduced frequency of migraines is due to the diet’s ability to reduce inflammation in the body or if it is due to the increased amount of healthy fats consumed. More research is needed to determine the exact cause of why ketogenic diets reduce migraines.

Multiple Sclerosis

Multiple sclerosis occurs when the protective covering of your nerves becomes damaged, resulting in communication problems between your brain and your body. The symptoms of multiple sclerosis include balance problems, memory issues, memory loss, numbness, and problems with movement. A ketogenic lifestyle suppresses the inflammatory markers associated with MS. In addition to this, MS reduces your cells’ ability to utilize sugar for energy. A ketogenic diet aids in cellular repair and energy production.

Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease is linked to obesity, metabolic syndrome, and type 2 diabetes. This type of liver disease is characterized by high liver enzymes due to fat stored in the liver. Following a keto diet helps reduce fat in the liver and can even resolve nonalcoholic fatty liver disease in certain individuals.

Parkinson’s Disease

Parkinson’s disease causes tremors, difficulty writing and walking, stiffness, and impaired posture. This nervous system disorder is due to low levels of dopamine. A ketogenic diet protects the brain and the nervous system by reducing inflammation and providing the body and brain with the healthy fats needed for neurotransmitter production.

Weight Loss

The keto diet promotes weight loss by increasing your metabolism as it suppresses your appetite. Typically, dieting results in hunger that causes the individual to feel so miserable that they eventually give up no matter how badly they want or need to lose weight. Studies have shown that following a low carbohydrate diet automatically reduces appetite. Furthermore, as you cut carbs and increase the amount of healthy fat and protein in the diet, you will eat fewer calories because fats and protein fill you up quickly and keep you feeling satiated for an extended period of time.

Looking for Healthy Diet and More

The World Health Organization reports that each year more than 2.8 million individuals diet due to obesity related diseases. The ketogenic diet helps to decrease weight, reduces low density lipoprotein (LDL or bad cholesterol) levels, and lowers blood glucose levels. Additionally, an individual’s body mass index (BMI) is significantly reduced, triglyceride levels decrease, and high density lipoprotein (HDL or good cholesterol) levels increases.

Ketogenic diets are often used to reduce weight and body mass index; however, this low carbohydrate diet has been shown to provide relief for a variety of disorders thanks to its effects on the nervous system and your metabolic health. The keto diet helps to reduce inflammation throughout the body, nourish the brain, and regulate glucose levels.

Before proceeding with any diet, it is recommended you consult with your healthcare practitioner if you are healthy enough to try the ketogenic diet. Individuals who have eating disorders, kidney disease, pancreatitis, and insulin dependent diabetics should avoid the ketogenic diet unless under the direction and supervision of a physician. If you are interested in the keto diet, our integrative practitioners can help. We will work with you to determine if this is the best diet for your unique health and guide you along the way to optimum health.