Ketogenic Diet most commonly known as “KETO DIET” is hyped up to be the best thing ever happened to mankind. Actually hyped up is an understatement; celebrities like Kim Kardashian, Megan Fox, Gwyneth Paltrow, Halle Berry and Mick Jagger etc have been following KETO Diet plus it was the 6th most searched diet on Google in 2017.
So is KETO the answer to all our prayers to finally get rid of those unloved “love handles”? Does it deliver real results? Do aliens exist? Let’s find out.
History of KETO DIET
The Ketogenic diet became popular as a therapy for epilepsy in the 1920s and 30s. It was developed to provide an alternative to non-mainstream fasting, which had demonstrated success as an epilepsy therapy. However, the diet was eventually largely abandoned due to the introduction of new anticonvulsant therapies.
What is KETO DIET?
The Ketogenic diet is a high-fat, adequate-protein, low-carbohydrate diet. A true Ketogenic diet requires you to consume up to 75%-80% of your daily calories from fat. Rest of the calories come from protein while keeping carbohydrates at around 5% of total calories. The aim of Keto diet is to lower carbohydrates to an extent that the body begins to rely more heavily on fat and its by-products, known as Ketone bodies, for energy.
Once we lower our carbohydrates intake we starve our brain of its main fuel source i.e. glucose. After running out of glucose we still need fuel to function properly. That’s when the brain signals to switch to (thanks to body’s ability to switch metabolic pathways) its reserves of ketones and use them as primary energy source. Ketosis is a state the body goes into when it breaks down body fat for energy. The body uses ketones as fuel instead of glucose.
KETO and the Illusion of Weight Loss:
Any low carb diet will make you lose weight fast in the start when compared to a more balanced nutrition strategy and Keto is no different. Restricting carbohydrates reduces your glycogen stores and allows the kidneys to excrete water more readily, resulting in water weight loss. For someone who doesn’t understand the process, it creates an illusion of fast weight loss but in reality as soon as carbohydrates are reintroduced the water weight comes back.
So is a Ketogenic diet better for fat-loss when compared to other diets when calories are matched? The answer is NO, it isn’t – Both short and long term studies show that Keto diet doesn’t offer additional fat loss if calories are accounted for.
KETO and Muscle Mass:
Building muscle in general and retaining it during fat loss should be everyone’s primary goal. This is where Ketogenic diet underperforms when compared to other diets. Keto diet has shown to inhibit anabolic hormone activity – This is largely caused by the negative impact that Ketogenic diet has on the activity of anabolic hormones such as insulin and growth hormone.
Literature clearly shows that KETO Diets are not ideal for lean mass (water glycogen, protein) retention. Meaning if the goal is to build/retain muscle Keto is not the way to go.
KETO and Adherence:
KETO is primarily based around fat as main source as explained earlier, the rest of the spectrum is limited. Starchy vegetables like potatoes, corn, and squash are too high in carbs. Same goes for most fruits, milk, beans, rice, pasta and bread etc. Some experts label the diet impractical – “Extreme diets such as the Ketogenic diet have no therapeutic or practical use for people without neurodegenerative disorders such as epilepsy,” says nutrition researcher Alan Aragon.
A diet which eliminates certain food groups is a bad idea as shown by this 2014 Spanish study: People who followed a very-low-calorie ketogenic diet lost weight—BUT A THIRD OF THEM DROPPED OUT. Yes they weren’t able to carry on with harsh restrictions of Ketogenic diet by eliminating whole groups of food.
Another important aspect of low-carb dieting is the way they impact one’s mood. Carbohydrates are primary and preferred fuel for our brain. They aid not only in keeping us full of energy but they also relax us. People who follow low carb diet become cranky and irritable. This ultimately has an impact on one’s quality of life.
Conclusion:
The most important question people need to ask when choosing a diet is “CAN I DO IT IN LONG RUN?” – Thinking of diet as 12-16 weeks is setting yourself up for failure especially if you have substantial amount of fat to lose. Permanent fat loss requires lifestyle changes and a balanced approach. Hard restrictions by totally eliminating a certain macronutrient or type of food is incorrect approach to fat loss. The best diet for an individual is the one they can actually follow and adhere to in long-run and KETO certainly doesn’t fit the criteria.
