The beginning of the new year means new year resolutions and the adoption of new eating habits. Over recent years, new diets and cleanses have been popping up everywhere. Atkins, Whole 30, and the Paleo diet, are just a few of them. Recently the Keto diet has exploded in popularity. The diet claims to have the capability to cure obesity, cancer, liver disease, symptoms of mental disorders such as autism, and a dependence on prescription drugs.
Can that really be true? What makes this diet different from all the others? How do I know if the Keto diet is right for me? All these questions are very valid. Hours of vigorously searching articles are over. I will compile a list of what the top, most trusted, health publications say about the Keto diet as a reference for you. Without the confusing doctor lingo.
What is Keto Diet
If you are new to the Keto diet, let me give you a little background about this new fab. Keto, short for “Ketogenic” is a low carb, moderate protein, high fat diet that puts your body in a ketogenic state. I don’t suggest anyone drink butter!
However, the theory behind the diet is a high fat diet and a lot of butter is in fact allowed. The theory behind the diet is that it takes more calories to change fat into energy than it does to change carbs into energy. It’s possible that a high-fat, high-protein diet could satisfy you more, so you eat less.
WebMD
WebMD is one of the most trusted and visited medical reference publications on the web. Their articles are reviewed by doctors. This is what they say about the ketogenic diet.
“When you eat less than 50 grams of carbs a day, your body eventually runs out of fuel (blood sugar) it can use quickly. This typically takes 3 to 4 days. Then you’ll start to break down protein and fat for energy, which can make you lose weight. This is called ketosis. It\’s important to note that the ketogenic diet is a short-term diet that\’s focused on weight loss rather than the pursuit of health benefits.”
NIH
The National Institute of Health is right behind, if not right there next to WebMD as the most trusted medical information website. This is an excerpt from a larger more detailed article explaining the ketogenic diet.
“There is no doubt that there is strong supportive evidence that the use of ketogenic diets in weight loss therapy is effective, however the mechanisms underlying the effects of KDs on weight loss is still a subject of debate.
Atkins’ original hypothesis suggested that weight loss was induced by losing energy through excretion of ketone bodies, but more recently different hypotheses have been proposed: one hypothesis is that the use of energy from protein in KD is an “expensive” process for the body and so can lead to a “waste of calories” and therefore increased weight loss compared to other “less expensive” diets.”
Mayo Clinic
The Mayo clinic is the largest not-for-profit medical publications on the web and is a trusted medical reference around the world. This is their thought on the ketogenic diet:
“The upsides:
While the precise mechanisms are unclear, ketosis is thought to have brain-protecting benefits: As many as half of young people with epilepsy had fewer seizures after following the diet.
And some early research suggests it may have benefits for blood sugar control among people with diabetes. An upcoming study will look at the ketogenic diet as a weight maintenance strategy.
The downsides:
While the research is exciting, there’s very little evidence to show that this type of eating is effective — or safe — over the long term for anything other than epilepsy. Plus, very low carbohydrate diets tend to have higher rates of side effects, including constipation, headaches, bad breath and more. Also, meeting the diet’s requirements means cutting out many healthy foods, making it difficult to meet your micronutrient needs.
Mayo’s verdict:
While the ketogenic diet may be recommended for some people with uncontrolled epilepsy, the high fat content — and especially the high level of unhealthy saturated fat — combined with limits on nutrient-rich fruits, veggies and grains is a concern for long-term heart health.”
The ketogenic diet has been one of the most talked about new diets of 2020. There was a Netflix documentary made about it and people swear on it. WebMD, the NIH, and the Mayo Clinic are some of the most trusted medical publications available to the public.
There have been many rumors floating around about the ketogenic diet among others and whether it’s the best diet for you. Most of us get our information from our friends and family about what is the best diet or cleanse out there for you and it’s easy to be misled. By providing the top research from the top experts, I hope this clarifies if this is the best diet for you.
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