Ketogenic Diet
The ketogenic diet is one of the most popular diet plans today. It was originally designed to treat epileptic seizures when antiepileptic therapy was ineffective. Since then, many diet models based on the ketogenic diet have appeared, that is, a diet low in carbohydrates and high in fat, such as the Paleo, South Beach and Atkins diets.
What is the ketogenic diet?
The ketogenic diet involves an aggressive increase in fat (fat can reach up to 70% of total calories) and a simultaneous reduction in carbohydrates. During the ketogenic diet, foods such as legumes, rice, fruits and sweets are excluded as they are rich in carbohydrates. On the other hand, foods such as red meat, fish, chicken, eggs (which are rich in protein) are reinforced. Great emphasis is placed on sources of fat, namely nuts and their spreads, olive oil and avocado. However, appropriate education is needed as it aims to increase unsaturated “good” fats and not saturated-trans fatty acids.
What is ketosis?
Ketosis concerns ketones, which are produced when not many carbohydrates are consumed. Reduced carbohydrate intake leads to low blood glucose levels, which is an important source of energy for cells. So without the energy from carbohydrates, the body is forced to break down fat from fat cells to find energy. The liver begins to burn fat for energy, producing ketones. Ketones then become the body’s main source of fuel, providing energy to the heart, kidneys, and other muscles. The brain actually works better on ketones than glucose, which is why initial research into the treatment of epilepsy was done.
Types of ketogenic diets
- Typical ketogenic diet: A low-carb, fairly high-fat diet with a ratio of 70% fat, 20% protein, and 10% carbs.
- Cyclic ketogenic diet: This diet is divided into periods with cycles of 5 days of ketosis and 2 days of high carbs.
- High-protein ketogenic diet: A diet with higher protein levels, with proportions of 60% fat, 35% protein and only 5% carbohydrates.
What is allowed on the ketogenic diet?
Foods allowed on the ketogenic diet are:
- Meat: pork, beef, chicken, lamb, goat, turkey,
- Fish: sardines, anchovies, salmon, sea bream, tuna, etc.
- Shellfish and mollusks
- Eggs
- Vegetables: mainly green leafy vegetables such as spinach, lettuce, iceberg, cabbage, greens, broccoli, cauliflower, cucumber.
- Healthy Fats: olive oil, coconut oil, lard, homemade mayonnaise, coconut cream, olives.
- Fruits: Avocado, strawberries, berries (raspberries / blueberries), coconut.
- Dairy: butter, full-fat yogurt, heavy cream.
- Nuts: Brazil nuts, macadamia nuts, pecans, tahini & nut spreads
What to avoid on the ketogenic diet?
In the ketogenic diet, we generally avoid processed foods.
- Carbohydrate-rich foods Bread, rice, pasta, potatoes, (whole grain products are no exception).
- Sugar, sweets, cookies
- Gluten
- Fruits and fruit juices except those listed above
- Legumes & Oilseeds
- Alcohol we avoid beer and sweet drinks. We prefer drinks such as tsipouro, dry white wine, vodka, gin, whiskey
Benefits of a Ketogenic Diet
· Type II Diabetes – Insulin Resistance
The ketogenic diet has been studied extensively in relation to the management of diabetes. It has been shown that this type of diet improves insulin sensitivity, which is associated with improved glycemic control, reduced glycosylated hemoglobin, and reduced antidiabetic medication.
Studies also show that ketones help with the symptoms of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) by reducing insulin levels.
· Obesity
This diet creates a feeling of fullness, which contributes to fat loss without greatly restricting the volume of food. However, there is no scientific evidence to prove that the ketogenic diet helps with weight loss more than other types of diets such as the Mediterranean model. It always needs to be individualized and the diet plan that each person will follow must fit their habits.
· Sports
There are many athletes who take advantage of the benefits of the ketogenic diet to improve their body composition, increase their performance and protect their brain from frequent impacts in sports such as boxing, football, basketball. When the athlete is in ketosis, muscle proteins and glycogen are protected.
· Epilepsy
As we mentioned above, ketosis began to be researched for the treatment of epilepsy. The brain functions better with ketones than with glucose, which is why the ketogenic diet is used when antiepileptic treatment does not improve the symptoms of the disease.
· Nervous system
Ketones have a particularly favorable effect on the brain. They are an alternative way of supplying energy in situations where glucose is not sufficient. In addition to epilepsy, other neurological diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, and multiple sclerosis may show improvement.
Dangers of a ketogenic diet
There may be risks if the ketogenic diet is implemented without the correct instructions and direction. Such a diet is contraindicated in children and adolescents, as well as pregnant or breastfeeding women, as well as in people with a history of eating disorders. In addition, a diet so rich in fat and protein is not recommended for patients with pancreatic or liver disease or a history of gallbladder removal.
In the early stages of this diet, due to glycogen depletion, there are several cases where people have experienced dizziness and fatigue. Of course, these two symptoms subside after two weeks. Studies have also shown that a ketogenic diet can cause intense stress in the dieter as well as problems with sleep and concentration. However, these studies are still in their early stages and do not yet have the necessary scientific documentation.
Diets with such a low carbohydrate content, if not done with proper guidance, can lead to vitamin and mineral deficiencies. In addition, there are very limited food choices, so it is difficult to maintain this diet plan for a long time. This is one of the reasons why we do not have long-term results in terms of weight maintenance and long-term glycemic control.
In conclusion
Such a diet model can certainly bring the results we seek, but we must certainly take into account the method followed by this diet protocol. We should also pay attention to which dietary category we belong to. If, for example, a diabetic is not careful with this diet model, it can become dangerous and lead to hypoglycemia. So, when making the decision to enter the process of doing such a diet, we should check the protocol that follows with a nutritionist and know that such a diet is not so balanced, we do not have the ability to follow it for life. To fully assess the safety of this type of diet, more research is required, studies should be conducted on the long-term health effects of people who follow it.
