What’s behind the Keto Diet? Does it work?

Hi this is Dr Ashwini Joshi of Aloha Clinic, Pune’s more known diabetic- reversal and health-transformation clinic that besides is getting its share of appreciation from the world over.

Today we speak about a diet the world is going ga-ga over. The Keto Diet. Does it work? Let’s find out!

Weight gain has been the bane of life these days. If you’re doing well, pretty soon it’s visible all over, more so around the waist. Fat. It forms due to various reasons, primarily due to all or any or a mix of the following conditions:

1. A sedentary lifestyle! Like every other occupant of the animal kingdom, humans were primarily meant to move most of the time, and eat to provide energy to the body while moving or while resting. With running, walking, climbing and the likes keeping our bodies very occupied, whatever we ate was mostly used as energy during such activities. The body still stores fats in the right places including the liver and just under the skin (subcutaneous fats) which it rightfully should, for lean times. Problem starts when fats start to get to other places including between organs (visceral fats).
2. Foods! rich in carbs, fats and sugars can lead to fat build-up in the body. These days food satisfies many urges, including energy needs. That, and the constant urge to eat sees us gain girth in all the wrong places. Coupled with very little exercise, it means a constant and sustained fat build-up.
3. Lack of sleep! This may seem contrary to established notions but the lesser you sleep, the more the chances of weight-gain. Studies have shown that when we sleep for 4 hours which is half of the recommended time, it affects hormones including ghrelin and leptin which affects metabolism leading to a craving for calorie-heavy rich foods. Against this, a fitful 7–8-hour sleep gets our metabolism in control and produces normal hunger pangs which do not lead to weight gain.

In all this, does a Keto diet help to reduce fat build-up?

What is a keto diet?

Keto is short for Ketosis, a part of our metabolism process where the body becomes adept at deriving energy out of fats and proteins instead of carbs. It takes places in times when our bodies being low on energy moves to burning stored fats - after using up all the carbs. The process releases an acid called Ketones which drives the process of energy in the body. There are those in the weight-loss business who see this as an ideal way to reduce body fat by forcing an obese body to turn to burning its stored fats in the absence of any other source of energy. Those undergoing the Keto diet are made to have low-carb diets with variations depending upon the composition of one’s bodies.

A keto diet does have noticeable short-term weight loss given that the body is made to use only stored fat without recourse to carbs as part of one’s diets. It’s recommended for Type 2 diabetes mellitus on the onset of the disease or which is secondary to obesity besides obesity itself (even in the absence of diabetes) given that the body is not troubled too much with the conversion of carbs into sugars and a subsequent high blood sugar levels. That said, extremes of ketosis may result in a condition called DKA which primarily affects Type 1 diabetics. It has other benefits including:

1. Improved levels of HDL, the good cholesterol
2. The above itself positively affects heart issues including cholesterol lining the arteries of the heart
3. It’s the best way to use fat than other forms and ways of reducing fats as it burns fats as a primary source of energy to form ketones
4. It does not about a starvation diet. Instead, one eats a low-carb diet that is filling with proteins and other forms of nutrition
5. With the right kind of exercise, the body’s metabolism is not affected negatively
6. It’s beneficial in the cure of conditions including diabetes and women helps control PCOD.

On the flip side, a keto diet in the long terms may not have the same result as that in the short terms. These take place due to the following reasons, among others:

• The secret carbs in the diet: Carbs in the classic keto diet shouldn’t be above 5 to 10% of the diet. Anything above means your body is still burning glucose and not gone into the much-needed ketosis state which leads to inch-loss
• Excessive proteins: There’s a certain perception that the Keto diet means fats and proteins. In reality, these should be fats 55 to 60% and proteins, max 35%. Excessive proteins get converted into sugars using amino acids- again keeping the body from the perfect ketosis state
• Sedentary lifestyles: Fat or carb, the body ought to be well exercised and in a state of motion. A sedentary lifestyle on a Keto diet just does not help reduce fats fast enough
• High stress: Stress releases cortisol which pumps glucose into the blood and does everything to reverse the ideal state that a Keto diet brings about
• Consumption of alcohol: Alcohol is a kind of carb and in addition heavy on calories. Even moderate consumption can impede the state of ketosis.

A keto diet is thus a mixed bag. Ideally, I advise people to do things under proper medical supervision. There are places like Aloha Clinics and folks like me ever-ready to help our readers whenever they feel the need to take drastic actions to make their lives better. Keto or any other diet, it’s best when done under proper supervision.