First things first, what is the keto diet?

Generally speaking, the ketogenic (keto) diet is a high-fat diet where you eat 70-80% fat, about 20% protein and about 5% carbohydrates. This change causes your body to burn ketones instead of the burning glucose provided by carbs. More specifically, ketones are chemicals made in your liver which are produced when your body doesn’t have enough insulin to turn glucose (sugar) into energy. In response to this, your body uses fat as another source of energy which turns into ketones, sending them into your bloodstream.

When you switch from burning glucose to burning ketones while on the keto diet, it causes…

• Your metabolism to speed up
• Less hunger
• Your muscle mass to increase
• Your blood pressure and heart disease risk to improve

Studies have shown that people on the keto diet have lost more weight compared to a typical low-fat diet. Most people on the keto diet quickly notice that they’re losing weight as soon as one week after they switch to eating mostly fat.

Benefits of the Keto Diet

You should always check with your doctor before changing your diet.

Weight loss– The keto diet can be very helpful with losing weight in order to reach a healthier goal. For example, if your body mass index is over 40 and you need to lose weight, the keto diet could make it a quicker process compared to other diets.

Helps with Type 2 Diabetes- A  study showed that being on the keto diet for a year actually reversed diabetes for 60% of participants. Interestingly enough, the average weight loss was 30 pounds and reduced or even eliminated their need for insulin.

Self-image– To some, the keto diet is a quicker and maybe a simpler way to lose the amount of weight that you’re aiming for. Once you reach that goal, you can switch back to a regular diet or keep close track of your weight and continue on the keto diet. This is not the healthiest choice for your body, especially if you’re looking to only lose 10 or 15 pounds, but it is very common to want to lose weight at a faster pace, seeing physical results sooner compared to a low-fat diet.

Dangers of the Keto Diet

One of the most common effects that the Keto Diet has on the body is losing weight at a more rapid pace compared to a low-fat diet. However, the keto diet may not be the right choice for you if …

• You’re already considered thin on the scale according to your age, height and gender.
• You have an eating disorder.
• You have any metabolic issues.
• You already have tried the keto diet and notice that you’re losing too much weight.

Hopefully this helped you to at least understand the keto diet and why it may be helpful for you or not. You should always discuss with your doctor about changing your eating habits, especially if you’re eating mostly fats while on the keto diet. Your body may react to it differently compared to someone else.

(Sources: Cleveland Clinic and Healthline)