Benefits of the Keto Diet
There are many diets claiming to have various benefits, both in general and for certain health issues. The keto diet, however, can back up its claims with over 500 studies to date with evidence that it is a form of medical nutritional therapy. This means the keto diet has many health benefits, with new research studies ongoing.
Here are the 7 main benefits of following keto:
1. Weight loss & the fight against obesity
The most common use and benefit of the keto diet is weight loss. Restricting carbohydrates is one of the most effective ways to achieve weight loss as a low-carb, high-fat diet helps you get rid of any excess water (think: no more – or very little – water weight!) and lowers your insulin levels. This leads to rapid weight loss in the first couple of weeks when you start the keto diet.
Furthermore, once your body reaches a state of ketosis, it will burn ketones instead of glucose for energy. You will, essentially, become a fat-burning machine - your body will burn body fat at a fast rate to use as fuel.
2. Reduced appetite
One of the worst side effects of many diets is hunger; this is also one of the key reasons diets are unsustainable.
On the plus side with keto, you will benefit from a reduced appetite as protein and fat keeps you satisfied for longer. Additionally, when you cut carbs and eat more fat and protein, you will likely consume fewer calories than people following a high carb diet.
3. Decreased triglycerides
Triglycerides are a type of fat that are found in your bloodstream. High levels of triglycerides after an overnight fast are a high risk of heart disease and a key driver of increased triglycerides in a sedentary person is their consumption of carbs, especially simple sugars such as fructose. However, when you follow a low-carb diet, like keto, you’ll experience a sharp decline in triglycerides.
4. More good cholesterol & less bad cholesterol
Low-carb diets are often high in healthy fats, which helps increase your levels of good cholesterol, or high-density lipoproteins (HDL). Bad cholesterol, or low-density lipoprotein (LDL), increases your risk of heart diseases; however, just like following keto improves HDL, so does it increase the size of LDL particles in your blood, thus reducing their harmful effects. Keto promotes heart health!
5. Decreased insulin & blood sugar levels
Restricting carbs in a ketogenic diet helps to decrease your blood sugar and insulin levels. This is key for people suffering from insulin resistance and diabetes. Research has showed that diabetics starting a lowcarb diet may need to decrease their dosage of insulin by half.
Pro Tip: Check with you doctor first if you are planning to make changes to your intake of carbs while taking blood sugar medication. Your dosage may require adjusting to prevent low blood sugar (hypoglycaemia).
6. Lower blood pressure
Hypertension or high blood pressure is a serious risk factor for a variety of diseases, from kidney failure and heart disease to a stroke. To help combat hypertension, follow a lowcarb diet.
7. Reversal of metabolic syndrome
Metabolic syndrome increases your risk for type 2 diabetes, a stroke, and heart disease. Following the keto diet can effectively reverse metabolic syndrome, which includes 5 risk factors (all of which keto combats):
