Low-carbohydrate diets, which include the ketogenic diet, have long been known to medicine. However, they have become popular in recent years, when instead of reducing the amount of fat for weight loss, nutritionists began to strongly recommend cutting carbohydrates in the diet as much as possible in order to lower blood glucose levels. The keto diet is currently considered one of the most effective for rapid weight loss. As part of the series of materials “The Whole Truth About Diets”, Lenta.ru, together with experts, compiled a short guide for beginners to eat according to the keto system and figured out whether this diet is really as good as they say about it, for whom it suits or does not suit, and what harm can bring to health.
What is a keto diet
The ketogenic diet, or keto diet, is a food system in which fats are the basis of the diet, while the amount of carbohydrates is sharply limited to a maximum of 50 grams per day. On a keto diet , energy is distributed as follows: carbohydrates make up 5 percent of the daily caloric intake of food, proteins – 20 percent, and fats – 75 percent.
The surge in popularity of the keto diet came in 2017-2018, but it has been known in medicine for a long time. The Mayo Clinic doctor Russell Wilder came up with it and gave it such a name back in 1921 . In his work, he described the ketogenic diet as an effective treatment for children with epilepsy. As an anticonvulsant therapy, it was used for almost ten years, until the invention of special antiepileptic drugs.
How the keto diet works
The main idea of the keto diet, as reported by Svetlana Pavlichenko, a cardiologist, executive director of the ANO National Research Center “Healthy Eating”, is to induce a state of ketosis in the body, which occurs with an acute shortage of carbohydrates. In stress mode, due to low blood sugar, that is, deprived of glucose as the main source of energy, the body begins to “burn” the fats received from food and previously deposited, converting them into ketone bodies. These ketone bodies in the blood, in turn, become an alternative source of nutrition for the internal organs, muscles, and brain, and are then excreted from the body in the urine.
The body perfectly “feeds” on ketone bodies, so most keto dieters note that they become more resilient, efficient, and energetic. Often, when people follow a low-carbohydrate diet, skin condition improves, puffiness disappears.
Signs of ketosis in the body
“The transition from carbohydrate to fat nutrition is not always easy for the body, so you should do it smoothly and be sure to monitor your condition. Usually, the more physical activity on a keto diet, the faster addiction passes and there are fewer side effects, ”explained Pavlichenko.
The state of ketosis in the early days is accompanied by characteristic signs, among which are fruity or acetone bad breath, frequent urination and intense thirst, disruption of the intestines, irritability, fatigue, nausea, dizziness, sudden bouts of hunger, insomnia and weight loss. If these symptoms of the so-called “ketoflu” do not go away by the end of the third week of the diet, then this nutrition system is not suitable for a person, and it is better to refuse it.
Also, in the first days of switching to a keto diet, it is especially important to drink plenty of water and rationally reduce the diet, Elena Tikhomirova, a general practitioner and nutritionist, warned. According to her, prolonged fasting, coupled with dehydration and an increase in the amount of fat in the diet, can provokeketoacidosis
After the passage of the adaptation period, lightness, vigor and clarity of thought usually appear, the mood improves. “Many proponents of the keto diet report that they are much less hungry. This is easily explained: ketones reduce the production of the hunger hormone ghrelin, and due to the almost complete absence of carbohydrates in the diet, there are no jumps in blood sugar levels and, as a result, the feeling of satiety persists for a long time, ”added Tikhomirova.
Types of keto diets for beginners and professionals
There are several varieties of the ketogenic diet, the most popular of which are:
- The classic keto diet , which is characterized by a calorie-restricted diet in which 75 percent of the daily requirement is fat, 20 percent protein and five percent carbohydrates.
- High protein keto diet. It differs from the original version only in the proportions of nutrients in the diet: fats are given 60 percent of daily calories, proteins – 35 percent, carbohydrates – still no more than five percent.
- Targeted keto diet. In this type of diet, carbohydrates are consumed before training to increase its effectiveness. Tikhomirova emphasized that the targeted keto diet is only suitable for bodybuilders and professional athletes who play sports of great achievement, and not for those who go to the gym three times a week.
- The cyclical keto diet consists of following a keto diet for five days and then eating a diet with enough carbohydrates for two days to replenish glycogen, a polysaccharide that supplies glucose to the blood and serves as a backup energy source for the body.
At the moment, the classic and high-protein versions of ketogenic diets are well studied, since most of the research is devoted to them.
Do’s and Don’ts on a Ketogenic Diet
The basis of the keto diet is foods high in protein and fat. The recommended total amount of carbohydrates per day should not exceed 50 grams (for example, this is how much is contained in 100 grams of bread).
Foods allowed on the keto diet menu:
- Fatty meats: chicken legs, steak, pork, bacon.
- Fatty fish, especially salmon, any seafood.
- Bird: turkey, duck, chicken.
- Nuts, seeds, avocados, eggs.
- Vegetable oils: olive, linseed.
- Butter, lard.
- In limited quantities, full-fat dairy products, cheeses, cream, sour cream (be aware that these products are rich in carbohydrates).
- Low-carb, leafy, non-starchy green vegetables: spinach, kale, lettuce, broccoli, kohlrabi, cucumbers, zucchini.
Foods prohibited on the keto diet menu:
- Any starchy vegetables: potatoes, corn, pumpkin.
- Flour products: all types of bread, pasta.
- Cereals, beans.
- Fruits, berries.
- Alcohol.
- Sweets: sugar in all forms is excluded, including in the form of sweets and pastries.
The effectiveness of the keto diet in terms of nutrition
The keto diet remains one of the most effective for rapid weight loss. According to research , when choosing between it and a low-fat diet, it is better to opt for keto. This diet works twice as efficiently, as you feel fuller and burn fat faster by eating less food.
However, in terms of long-term effect, the ketogenic diet is much less attractive.
Due to the unbalanced composition of this diet, you can not stay for a long time. And one has only to return to normal nutrition, as the lost kilograms immediately return. Each new entry into keto is no easier than the previous one, with the same side effects: fatigue, nausea, irritability, gastrointestinal problems.
Who is the keto diet recommended for?
The keto diet is suitable for relatively healthy people who want to lose weight fairly quickly and change their eating habits, Tikhomirova explained. According to the nutritionist, this regimen has also proven effective in the treatment of type 2 diabetes. By drastically restricting carbohydrates, 95 percent of patients with this disease are able to reduce their dependence or completely stop insulin and avoid spikes in blood glucose levels.
