How Effective Is The Ketogenic Diet For Weight Loss and Health

The ketogenic diet is the hottest diet of 2018-2019 because it is said that you’ll quickly lose stubborn fat…reduce fat storing inflammation… helps you live longer and avoid today’s most deadly diseases. But how safe is it? Here are the Pros and Cons.

By:  Tim Ernst – Founder of Intermittent Keto Fasting™, 30 Day Fat Blast Inferno , The 10 Day Fat Exterminator, Body Blitz Max, 180 Muscle and Barbell/Dumbbell Ripped Muscle Complexes

The ketogenic diet was originally devised as a tool for controlling epileptic seizures (though doctors aren’t exactly sure how it works) before there were drugs to treat seizures.

In the past few decades, it has reemerged as patients and parents seek alternatives to pharmaceuticals.

But the ketogenic diet has also been adopted as a weight loss plan.

In a nutshell, it’s a high-fat (75%), low- to moderate-protein (20%), low-carb (5%) eating plan.

Here’s how it works.

The ketogenic diet switches your body’s fuel source from carbs (glucose) to fats.

By restricting carbohydrates from your diet, over time your body will begin producing KETONES for energy INSTEAD of glucose from carbs.

This is known as a state of KETOSIS.

By reducing the amount of carbohydrates, your body’s blood sugar levels will be low enough to promote the release of fatty acids from your fat stores.

Ketones are produced when those fatty acids are broken down by your liver through a process called Ketogenesis.

These Ketones then replace glucose as your body’s energy source.

The keto diet also helps you wean off of the dopamine addiction that comes from spiking blood-sugar, and has been shown to raise good cholesterol (HDL), lower bad cholesterol (LDL), and lower triglycerides in overweight people.

What many people find helpful on the ketogenic diet is that hunger pangs goes way down and therefor making it easier to consume less calories.

Without constant insulin spikes, for example, your body can more easily take advantage of leptin induced satiety.

Different Keto Variations

Like almost every other diet, Keto has a number of variations that can make it easier to adapt to depending on your lifestyle and goals.

The four main types of the Ketogenic Diet you may see are the Standard Ketogenic Diet, the High-Protein Ketogenic Diet, the Cyclical Ketogenic Diet, and the Targeted Ketogenic Diet.

• The Standard Ketogenic Diet (or SKD) – This is often the most common form of Keto that many people end up following – at least at first. It consists of around 75% of your daily calories coming from fat, 20% coming from protein, and only about 5% coming from carbs.
• The High-Protein Ketogenic Diet – This variation to SKD substitutes fat with more protein. As a result, about 35% of your calories should come from protein instead of 20% and only 60% should come from fat. The 5% carbs limit remains the same.
• The Cyclical Ketogenic Diet (CKD) – Designed with exercise in mind, the CKD is used to help support high-intensity workouts with just a few high-carb days a week. A CKD program usually has 5 Keto days a week along with 2 high-carb days as well.
• The Targeted Ketogenic Diet (TKD) – Rather than designating days for eating high carbsto make workouts more productive, a TKD program allows users to consume carbs around workout times any day. This, again, is great for Keto dieters who also want to meet their exercise goals at the same time.

Cons

There are several problems that accompany a “traditional” ultra low carb, high fat keto diet:

• You like to eat carbs?….You are out of ketosis.
• Want to eat some healthy, ripe fruits that are in season?….You are out of ketosis.
• Too much protein in that delicious steak or bacon you just ate?….You are out of ketosis.
• Want to have a glass (or two) or red wine, a few beers, or cocktails?  You guessed right….You are out of ketosis.
• May experience what is called the “keto flu” or become very lethargic from the lack of carbs.

Pros

Here are some things you’ll experience when doing the ketogenic diet.

Increased Mental Clarity. Due to the fact that Keto calls for the reduction of any sugars and processed carbs, being in Ketosis gives you a significant boost in mental clarity

More Energy. Studies have shown that ketones are a more efficient fuel source than glucose, providing more energy per unit of oxygen.

Better Sleep. The lowering of blood sugar levels as a result of eating Keto has been shown to greatly increase the quality of your sleep

Clearer Skin. The keto diet has a high level of fat and helps improve dry and irritated skin, keeping inflammation to a minimum

Lower Cholesterol. One of the many awesome benefits of Keto is its effect on cholesterol levels.

Shed STUBBORN Body Weight. If you’re looking to shed excess body fat and lean down FAST, then Keto is exactly what you need.

Cancer Prevention. Studies consistently show that through the restriction of sugar and reducing of inflammation, the ketogenic diet weakens cancer cells, thereby decreasing risk of cancer!

Reduced Symptoms of Type 2 Diabetes. Thanks to the steady blood sugar levels resulting from the Keto diet, many people with type 2 diabetes experience relief from typical symptoms of the condition!

Studies

Here are 10 studies on the effectiveness of the keto diet:

STUDY #1 – One study found that people on a ketogenic diet lost 2.2 times more weight than those on a calorie-restricted low-fat diet. Triglyceride and HDL cholesterol levels also improved.

STUDY #2 –Ketogenic diets reduce hunger and lower food intake significantly more than do high-protein, medium-carbohydrate non ketogenic diets.

STUDY #3 –Keto diet is currently being used to treat several types of cancer and slow tumor growth. [3]

STUDY #4 –Study found that the ketogenic diet improved insulin sensitivity by 75%.

STUDY #5 –The ketogenic diet can improve risk factors like body fat, HDL levels, blood pressure and blood sugar.

STUDY #6 –ketogenic diets can lead to weight loss and favorable changes in serum triglycerides and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol.

STUDY #7 –Studies show Keto Helps Improve Acne.

STUDY #8 –The Effects of Ketogenic Dieting on Body Composition, Strength, Power, and Hormonal Profiles in Resistance Training Males

STUDY #9 –Body composition and hormonal responses to a carbohydrate-restricted diet.

STUDY #10 –Ketogenic diet’s affect on strength and performance.

What’s Next?

While the standard ketogenic diet is a very low carb/high fat diet, there are different forms of keto (mentioned above) that may work better for you!

One of them is called, “TKD” or “Targeted Keto Diet.” Targeted Keto is great for beginners if you want to experiment with it before graduating to the standard ketogenic diet.