10 Potential Reasons Why Someone May Want to Start a Ketogenic Diet

You may wonder why on earth anyone would even want to be on Keto.  You know about weight loss from the keto diet, but you may not know about any of the other benefits you gain by being on Keto.  So, let's go through them one by one. Before you start watch this video:

https://youtu.be/ZbghVpdMG-0

Reason One:

Weight loss: One of the most popular reasons people start a keto diet is to lose weight. By reducing carbohydrate intake and increasing fat intake, the body enters a state of ketosis, where it burns fat for fuel instead of glucose. 

This may take a few days for your body to acclimate to the new food source, so that is where the "Keto Flu" originates.  To offset this, be sure you drink plenty of water and try to replace electrolytes you may be losing due to loss of water from your body.  When you use ketones for fuel, your body does not need to hold onto water for removing toxins left over from digesting carbohydrates.  Also, simply in the digestion process, you gain water as a result.

Reason Two:

Improved energy levels: Many people report feeling more energetic and alert when they follow a keto diet. This is because the body has a constant source of fuel from fat, which is a more stable energy source than glucose.

You get more bang for your buck with using fat for energy, too.  Carbs only produce 4 grams of energy while fats produce 9 grams during the digestion process. 

There is, however, a period during the initial stage of starting this diet that you may find it hard to sleep. You may find yourself tossing and turning and getting up more frequently to urinate.  This is normal and will pass.  Just stay on your diet and your body will finally adjust to using a new fuel.

Reason Three:

Better mental clarity: Some people report improved mental clarity and focus on a keto diet. This is thought to be due to the brain's ability to use ketones (produced during ketosis) as a more efficient source of energy than glucose.

Your brain loves, loves, loves ketones.  When you give your brain ketones, it kicks into high gear.  So you feel less foggy and you have more focus.  This effect will last as long as you remain on the diet.

Reason Four:

Reduced inflammation: High-carbohydrate diets can cause inflammation in the body, which can contribute to a range of health issues. A ketogenic diet may help reduce inflammation levels and improve overall health.

Inflammation is not something you want to have in your body.  You need to reduce the amount of inflammation you may have already and keep it from coming back.  Luckily for you, the keto diet will take care of this for you; inflammation uses glucose to live, so by removing that energy source, it slowly goes away.  

It is not unusual to have a health professional suggest keto if you have been shown to carry around lots of inflamed tissues.  There are numerous health conditions that can actually be improved just by being on this diet.

Reason Five:

Improved blood sugar control: By cutting out carbohydrates, a keto diet can help stabilize blood sugar levels, which is beneficial for people with type 2 diabetes or insulin resistance.

So many of us have developed insulin resistance from our carb-heavy diets that changing over to a keto diet will almost instantly stabilize your blood sugar levels.  Blood sugar levels measure glucose, so by changing to ketones your blood sugar levels will drop automatically.  

Many people with diabetes are on the keto diet, but if that is your reason for starting this diet, please consult your physician first.  Make sure he/she knows about your diet change and is agreeable to a more careful monitoring of your condition for a while initially.

Reason Six:

Reduced risk of heart disease: A keto diet can help lower triglyceride levels, which is a risk factor for heart disease. It may also help increase levels of HDL cholesterol (the "good" cholesterol).

This seems counter to what you think about when you consider your levels of cholesterol in your blood.  You think that if you eat so much fat, your levels will go up, but in actuality, your levels go down with this diet.  

Any decrease of cholesterol in your bloodstream is a very good thing for your heart health, but if you have a heart condition already, be sure to check with your doctor before starting this diet.  You may require closer monitoring and medication management by your physician as you progress on your diet.

Reason Seven:

Better skin health: Some people report clearer, brighter skin on a keto diet. This may be due to the reduction of inflammation and the increase in healthy fats. Whatever the reason, having better skin and looking better is always a good thing. 

Reason Eight:

Reduced appetite: A high-fat, low-carb diet can help reduce appetite, which can make it easier to stick to a calorie deficit and lose weight. Because you are eating more fat (which takes longer to digest so it uses more energy) and because it is more filling to you, you will discover that you are not craving food all day long.

Gone will be the daydreams about food and that is a good thing.  You can now focus on your tasks at hand and with more focus, you can accomplish more in your day.

Reason Nine:

Improved digestive health: A keto diet can help reduce bloating and other digestive issues by eliminating high-carb foods that can be difficult to digest. Bloating may come from the increase of water produced during digestion, but it is not ever pleasant to feel like your gut may explode.  

People with other digestive issues will see an improvement in their symptoms on this diet.  IBS is caused by excess inflammation, so you will see your symptoms calming down over time.  Be sure your doctor is aware that you are on this diet and will monitor you closely to ensure you experience no adverse response.

Reason Ten:

Increased longevity: Some studies suggest that a ketogenic diet may help increase lifespan and improve overall health, possibly due to its effects on inflammation, blood sugar control, and other factors.

So if that sounds good to you, start Keto and see if you feel better, have more focus, have clarity in your thinking, and live longer.  Sounds like a win-win situation to me.  What do you think?

So if you still aren't convinced, here are a couple of articles I found that cover this and more:

https://www.chefabod.com/post/5-reasons-why-you-should-try-a-keto-diet

https://www.naturallynourishedrd.com/10-reasons-to-go-keto/

8 Scientific Benefits of the Keto Diet

 Most of us are familiar with the keto diet by now, but even though we think we know all about it, we do not.  You really need to research this diet to realize all it has to offer you in terms of health, weight, and mental clarity.  

I have researched this diet for years now and here are 8 benefits of being on keto that you may or may not know:

Benefit #1: the keto diet can help you obtain (and maintain!) a healthy weight

 The keto diet is excellent for losing fat and keeping it off. For example, a meta-analysis of 13 randomized controlled trials concluded that:

“Individuals assigned to a VLCKD [very low carbohydrate ketogenic diet] achieve a greater weight loss than those assigned to an LFD [low-fat diet] in the long term; hence, a VLCKD may be an alternative tool against obesity.”[1]

What’s more, randomized controlled trials found that the keto diet produces up to three times as much weight loss as a high-carb, low-fat diet.[2-3] 

In other words, if you want to lean down but are sick and tired of failing your weight loss attempts, the keto diet may be the key to a slim figure.

Benefit #2: the keto diet boosts brain function 

When going keto, most people experience an improvement in their brain function and mental clarity.[4-5]

The keto diet supports your brain in various ways and for various reasons. A major reason is that ketosis enhances mitochondrial functioning. [6] 

Researchers believe ketosis stimulates the formation of new mitochondria in your brain, especially in your hippocampus. [7] This aids your mental clarity, memory, and energy levels.

Benefit #3: the keto diet can help manage or even reverse diabetes

Many studies show minimizing carb intake benefits people with diabetes. In fact, the keto diet was the standard diabetes treatment before the discovery of injectable insulin. [8-9]

 Consider the following:

Research published in Annals of Internal Medicine found that when type 2 diabetics went low-carb for two weeks, they improved insulin sensitivity by up to 75%. [10] 

And another study involving 21 individuals with type 2 diabetes found that seven of them could stop their diabetes medication within 16 weeks of going keto. [11]

Benefit #4: the keto diet reduces heart disease risk

 While saturated fat and cholesterol are often alleged to clog arteries, these compounds do not cause heart disease. [12-14]

That’s good news for keto dieters because this eating style loads up on high-fat foods such as eggs, nuts, and bacon.

In fact, the keto diet reduces heart disease risk for four main reasons. The keto diet: [15-18] 

    Stimulates weight loss

    Elevates levels of the “good” HDL cholesterol

    Decreases blood triglycerides levels

    Reduces blood pressure

Benefit #5: the keto diet boosts mental well-being

The keto diet benefits various mental disorders and conditions. For example, research shows the keto diet: [19-22]

    Has an antidepressant effect

    Improves the behavior of children with autism

    May stabilize mood in bipolar disorder patients

    Has cured one case of schizophrenia

Benefit #6: the keto diet can be therapeutic for various neurological diseases

These include Alzheimer’s, ALS, Parkinson’s disease, infantile spasms (West syndrome), and epilepsy. [23-26]

Benefit #7: the keto diet may prevent and fight some types of cancer

Most cancer cells rely on glucose as fuel, which is why keto diets may help prevent and fight the disease. 

For instance, when in-vitro cancer cells only receive ketones and fat for energy, they often die. [27]  Plus, various studies show the keto diet helps fight brain cancer. [28-29] 

 Benefit #8: the keto diet can improve gut health and bowel disorders

Many bowel diseases are the result of gut pathogens and infections, both of which rely on glucose for energy. 

By minimizing your carb intake, you stave off these infections and pathogens. That’s how going keto diet can improve gut health and treat bowel disease. 

I don't expect anyone to just take my word for any of this.  I will provide the bibliography below for anyone who wants to take a deep-dive into the science.  I know that just because I am a science nerd, not everyone is or wants to be.  

That noted, I still believe that if you research this diet on your own, you will also come up with these same benefits.  Popular articles will support these scientific papers.  

One last bit of information for you.  Did you know that the Keto Diet was not developed for weight loss?  In the 1920s, the Keto Diet was developed to treat epilepsy. Since then, it’s been used for medical treatments off and on, including for diabetes.

This diet has been around for quite a long time, so it is not a "new fad diet" as some would like to think. There is over 100 years of evidence to back the benefits of eating a keto diet.  Maybe you should try it out for yourself.

Bibliography:

1. Br J Nutr. 2013 Oct;110(7):1178-87. 

2. J Pediatr. 2003 Mar;142(3):253-8.

3. N Engl J Med. 2003 May 22;348(21):2074-81.

4. Appetite. 2009 Feb;52(1):96-103.

5. Neurobiol Aging. 2012 Feb;33(2):425.e19-27. 

6. J Child Neurol. 2013 Aug; 28(8): 1027–1033.

7. Biochim Biophys Acta. 2009 Mar;1790(3):208-12.

8. Nutr Metab (Lond). 2008 Dec 19;5:36.

9. Nutrition. 2015 Jan;31(1):1-13.

10. Ann Intern Med. 2005 Mar 15;142(6):403-11.

11. Nutr Metab (Lond). 2005; 2: 34. 

12. Am J Clin Nutr. 2010 Mar;91(3):535-46.

13. Am J Clin Nutr. 2015 Aug;102(2):276-94.

14. Ann Intern Med. 2014 Mar 18;160(6):398-406.

15. Arch Intern Med. 2004 Oct 25;164(19):2141-6.

16. J Nutr. 2006 Feb;136(2):384-9.

17. N Engl J Med. 2003 May 22;348(21):2082-90.

18. Am J Clin Nutr. 2009 Jul;90(1):23-32

19. Biol Psychiatry. 2004 Dec 15;56(12):981-3.

20. Pediatr Neurol. 2009 Aug;41(2):111-3. 

21. J Child Neurol. 2003 Feb;18(2):113-8.

21. Med Hypotheses. 2001 Dec;57(6):724-6.

22. Nutr Metab (Lond). 2009 Feb 26;6:10.

23. BMC Neurosci. 2006 Apr 3;7:29.

24. Brain Res. 2009 Aug 25;1286:25-31.

25. Nutr Metab (Lond). 2009 Aug 10;6:31.

26.  Lancet Neurol. 2004 Jul;3(7):415-20.

27. Carcinogenesis. 2014 Mar; 35(3): 515–527.

28. J Cancer Res Ther. 2009 Sep;5 Suppl 1:S7-15. 

29. J Am Coll Nutr. 1995 Apr;14(2):202-8.