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Ketogenic Diet for Fat Loss

May 1, 2011 | By Adam Cloe

Ketogenic diets restrict carbohydrate and protein intakes and are high in fat. Although ketogenic diet plans are sometimes used as a treatment for epilepsy in children, people also use them to lose weight. These diets alter your body's metabolism and can be effective for weight loss; they can also reduce your risk of developing cardiovascular disease as long as you consume monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats rather than saturated and trans fats.

Carbohydrates and Metabolism

To understand how ketogenic weight loss diets work, you need to understand the role that carbohydrates play in your metabolism. Your digestive tract breaks down carbohydrates into sugars, which are then converted into glucose. Glucose is your body's preferred source of fuel because it is easily used for energy. Ketogenic diets limit your carbohydrate intake, which causes your blood glucose levels to stay low enough that your body cannot use glucose as its only source of energy.

Ketone Generation

The term "ketogenic diet" is the result of the fact that limiting carbohydrate intake causes increased levels of ketones in your blood. When you do not have enough glucose to supply all of the energy your body needs, your body converts fat into ketones. Your body can also use ketones as an energy source, so restricting carbohydrates causes your body to harvest fat for the production of ketones. The increase in ketones seen in these diets is not the same as diabetic ketoacidosis, a condition caused by extremely low insulin levels in patients with type 1 diabetes.

Weight Loss

Many scientific studies have been done to test the effectiveness of ketogenic or low-carbohydrate diets. For example, a study in the May 2003 issue of the 'New England Journal of Medicine" examined the effects of low-carb diets versus low-fat diets in 63 patients. Patients on the low-carb diet lost more weight in the first six months, but after a year, the weight loss in both groups was the same. Dieters on the low-carbohydrate diet also experienced a greater increase in HDL, or "good," cholesterol and a larger decrease in triglyceride levels than people in the other group.

Other Benefits

Another benefit of following a ketogenic diet is that because it limits the amount of carbohydrates you eat, you may also find yourself eating less because of the limitations the diet poses. This helps reduce the added calories that mindless snacking can produce. These diets are generally safe, though you should talk to your doctor before starting a ketogenic diet to ensure you do not have any health problems that could make this diet unsafe.

References

Article reviewed by Mia Paul Last updated on: May 1, 2011

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