Keto-Diet: What is it? Is it for YOU?

The ketogenic diet (aka. Keto diet) has taken off and become a world-wide trend at the start of the year 2017. Many “keto recipes” have made their way into many people’s lives.
Source: Google Trends

What is “keto”?

Before diving deep into it, it’s important to understand what the ketogenic diet is in the first place. A ketogenic diet aims to put the body in the state of ketosis, making it efficient at using fats for energy, rather than carbohydrates. That means, for an extended period of time, the diet will include almost no carbohydrates but plenty of fats. There are variations that also include high amounts of protein, but this is not always the case.

Of course, this is not a walk in the park for everybody. Losing carbohydrates to that extent is extremely tough for most people.

So is it worth it?

Let’s find out and pull out the papers. More specifically, this(1)  paper from 2020, which aimed to explore the impact of a ketogenic diet on overweight or obese patients with and without type 2 diabetes. The paper reviewed 14 trials with a total of 734 participants.

A ketogenic diet for 3 to 12 months had a significant impact on the glycemic index, which measures the rise in blood sugar levels after the consumption of food. Even more significant in diabetic (type 2) patients. Participants on the diet for 4 weeks to 12 months were also more likely to experience weight loss. This effect is was also amplified in diabetic patients. A ketogenic diet for 4 days and up to 2 years also improved the lipid profiles of diabetic patients, a blood test used to monitor your risk of cardiovascular disease.

"The findings of this meta-analysis demonstrated that a ketogenic diet can be a more beneficial dietary option for diabetic patients with overweight or obesity and to improve metabolic factors related to glycemic, weight, and lipid controls."

Hardships associated with a ketogenic diet:

As you might have noticed above, the trend as been slowly declining over the past years, just like most trends. There are reasons for this, however.

1. It’s hard, man! Completely getting rid of carbohydrates might be easy for you, but for others, it’s extremely difficult. Even when trying it out for a short period of time, it proves to be challenging. It requires dedication, habit-building and consistency.
    
2. Type 2 diabetic patients, who most benefit from this diet, have another much easier option: the use of insulin as a therapeutic option.

A great diet is not only one that provides good results, but one that can also be maintained for extended periods of time. Personally, I wouldn’t go over 3 months on this diet, as it doesn’t line up with my fitness goals, but I encourage you to try! The ketogenic diet will yield better results than you can realistically expect, but can you maintain it?

See you soon.

Disclaimer: This is NOT medical advice. I’m not a doctor.

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Sources:

1. Choi YJ, Jeon SM, Shin S. Impact of a Ketogenic Diet on Metabolic Parameters in Patients with Obesity or Overweight and with or without Type 2 Diabetes: A Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials. Nutrients. 2020 Jul 6;12(7):2005. doi: 10.3390/nu12072005. PMID: 32640608; PMCID: PMC7400909. Link