The ketogenic diet is a high-fat, adequate-protein, low-carbohydrate diet that in medicine is used primarily to treat difficult-to-control (refractory) epilepsy in children. The diet forces the body to burn fats rather than carbohydrates.
Normally, the carbohydrates contained in food are converted into glucose, which is then transported around the body and is particularly important in fueling brain function. However, if there is little carbohydrate in the diet, the liver converts fat into fatty acids and ketone bodies. The ketone bodies pass into the brain and replace glucose as an energy source. An elevated level of ketone bodies in the blood, a state known as ketosis. When this happens, your body becomes incredibly efficient at burning fat for energy. It also turns fat into ketones in the liver, which can supply energy for the brain .
Ketogenic diets can cause massive reductions in blood sugar and insulin levels. This, along with the increased ketones, has numerous health benefits.
- Low-carb diets lead to more short-term weight loss than low-fat diets. However, low-carb diets seem to lose their advantage in the long term as it may not be sustainable for majority of people.
- A large percentage of the fat lost on low-carb diets tends to be harmful visceral(belly) fat that is known to cause serious metabolic problems.
- Low-carb diets are very effective at lowering blood triglycerides, increasing HDL cholesterol, reducing in blood pressure, possibly even reversing type 2 diabetes.
- Low-carb and keto diets have proven beneficial in treating epilepsy in children and are being studied for their therapeutic effects on other brain conditions in general population.
References:
https://www.dietdoctor.com/low-carb/ketosis
https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/10-benefits-of-low-carb-ketogenic-diets#TOC_TITLE_HDR_12
https://www.webmd.com/diabetes/type-1-diabetes-guide/what-is-ketosis
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