As a personal trainer that has been in business on Long Island, NY for over 20 years I have seen every diet imaginable come and go in the attempt for people to become more fit and lose weight. With all the different diets that people ask me about I’ve been getting more and more questions on my thoughts about the keto diet.
The ketogenic diet is a high-fat, medium-protein, low carbohydrate diet that was created for medicinal purposes to treat epilepsy. The keto diet forces the body to burn fats rather than carbohydrates. Normally carbohydrates are converted to glucose, which is then transported around the body and used in fueling brain function. However, when less carbohydrates are in the diet, the liver converts fat into fatty acids and ketones. These ketones replace glucose as an energy source. This elevated level of ketones in known as ketosis which as a result causes a reduction in epileptic seizures.
The classic ketogenic diet which was developed in the 1920’s for pediatric epilepsy contained a 4:1 ratio by weight of fat to combined protein and carbohydrates. The popularity of this diet waned with the introduction of anticonvulsant medicine. In 1994 the keto diet received national media exposure when Hollywood producer Jim Abrahams’ 2 year old son Charlie suffered from epilepsy that remained uncontrolled by mainstream and alternative therapies. Under the keto diet his son’s epilepsy was rapidly controlled. This inspired Abrahams to create the Charlie Foundation to promote the diet.
By 2007 the keto diet was available in 45 countries in the form of a modified Atkins diet. The keto diet was also being researched as treatment for a variety of health concerns other than epilepsy. In today’s world the keto diet has gained much popularity for many reasons. Besides many celebrities doing the keto diet it is a diet that is giving people results, more so than a classic low-fat diet. The keto diet is also popular because many people feel like they can stay on it long term because they don’t feel deprived.
There have been many benefits to following a keto diet including the following:
- stabilize insulin
- decrease blood pressure
- improve gut health
- decrease hunger
- decrease weight
On the flip side as with most things there are negative factors to consider if choosing the keto diet. There are many critics that say keto only works in the short term and can be unhealthy if used long term. Reason being once your body enters ketosis you also begin to lose muscle, become extremely fatigued and eventually enter starvation mode. Then it becomes harder to lose weight. Also, for people that have underlying kidney or liver issues this diet can do more harm than good.
The keto diet has been marketed to our weight obsessed society when in reality what should be marketed is that for long term weight control we should engage in plenty of physical activity and to eat fresh, whole, minimally processed foods. We fall prey to fad diets, but the truth is there is no quick fix.
In summary, the keto diet may have its benefits to people with pre diabetes for short term use as it can regulate insulin and of course for adults and children with epilepsy. It may also be effective for short term use in weight loss. It is not beneficial for long term use as it may cause adverse health effects. It is not recommended for people with kidney or liver issues or people with high cholesterol due to the high fat intake. It is also not recommended for people that exercise vigorously or engage in weight training because of the lack of glycogen in the muscles resulting from this diet.