The keto diet is popular, how good is it for weight loss

Carbohydrates are an important and integral part of the human metabolic process. Our liver and muscle cells store carbohydrates in the form of glycogen. Glycogen play an all-important role to serve as a quick source of energy in human body.

Once our body goes out of stock of glycogen, the liver starts producing organic compounds called ketones. These ketones are formed when our body burns fat for the fuel need, and that is how the high-in-fat keto diet contributes to effective weight loss.

The keto diet has many other physical and mental health benefits, apart from enabling our liver to convert fat into ketones, leading to a healthy weight loss.

5 Important health benefits of Keto Diet:

1. Reduced appetite. When our body begins breaking down fats, one will typically experience significant appetite reduction. Feeling full or lack appetite for more extended periods can be really beneficial for weight loss. Our brain, heart, and muscle tissue are more inclined towards burning ketones than glycogen. When ketones are burned, we can conserve blood sugar and function more effectively.

2. Decreased levels of triglycerides (fat found in your blood). Triglycerides are synthesized in our liver and by our fat cells when the dietary fat (the fat that we consume through food) and our body fat turns into Free Fatty Acids (FAA). When FAA’s start freely flowing through our Blood stream, they get attached to insulin, and this combination forms triglycerides. Increased levels of triglycerides are detrimental to our health as they’re known to cause obesity, heart disease, and seizures. Reduced consumption of carbohydrates, especially refined sugars, decreases insulin stimulation, resulting in lower levels of fat in the blood. The keto diet cuts down many types of carbs such as refined sugar, starch, alcohol, and fruit – all of them known to be insulin stimulators.
3. Increased levels of good cholesterol (HDL cholesterol). Our Lipid Profile shows triglyceride level, total cholesterol level, HDL cholesterol (high-density lipoprotein or “good” cholesterol) and LDL (low-density lipoprotein or “bad” cholesterol) levels. According to 12 medical studies performed on 1257 patients, carbohydrate-restricted diets, such as the keto diet, found to have contributed improvement of cardiovascular health because they increase the levels of HDL in the body. A low carb diet is a more accurate and efficient method of increasing the good cholesterol (HDL) when compared to conventional weight loss diets that put emphasis on reducing, rather than increasing, the fat intake.If you are really concerned about the overall health of your heart, increasing your HDL cholesterol levels is a great starting point.
4. Better blood pressure balance: There exists mis-conception among the general public that the high-fat diets are unhealthy, due to which many people are suspicious about going ketogenic. Even though the keto diet might have some side-effects, negatively affected blood pressure is not part of them. Lower-fat diets are more often associated with increased prevalence of high blood pressure than the high-fat food regimen. Diets with a higher number of calories coming from quality fatty foods, such as fish, avocado, walnuts, and olive oil, contribute to healthier blood pressure.
5. Supports the treatment of mental health disorders: The keto diet has a lot of applications and benefits for people who have epilepsy, bipolar disorder, seizures, and other mental health conditions. It has been clinically used to treat anxiety and depression. For people whose brain health is optimal, the keto diet is proven to contribute to more focus and clarity.

If you are interested in improving your figure, focus, or health condition by going on a keto diet, it’s wise to consult your dietitian or doctor in choosing a safe and supportive plan suitable for you.