Each year the U.S. News platform invites a panel of nationally recognized experts in diet, nutrition, obesity, psychology, diabetes, and heart disease to review the most popular diets on the market, including a 2020 review There were 35 different diets, each of which was evaluated by a panel of experts in the following categories: ease of following, ability to lose weight in the short and long term, nutritionally complete, safe and healthy, and prevention and management of diabetes and heart disease potential, etc. Under the evaluation of many experts, the results of the ketogenic diet are as follows:
Let’s start our topic today, after reading this article, you will The following three aspects of information will be obtained:
The principle of the ketogenic diet
The advantages and disadvantages of the ketogenic diet I know
My opinion on the ketogenic diet Some views of the ketogenic diet
The principle of the ketogenic diet
The carbohydrates we consume are also the staple food in the usual sense. The body then converts it to glucose, which is absorbed in the stomach and small intestine and then released into the bloodstream. Once in the blood, glucose is either immediately used for energy expenditure or stored in the form of liver glycogen, muscle glycogen or fat. In the process of use and storage, insulin plays a very important role. However, when our body has not ingested carbohydrates for a long time, there is no glucose available in the blood, or the glycogen storage in the body has been exhausted, at this time, the body still needs heat to maintain the state, what should we do? By breaking down protein in the body and storing fat for energy are two of them. The human body can convert protein into glucose, a process called gluconeogenesis. The body can also break down stored fat for energy, and ketones are a by-product of the fat breakdown process. Ketosis is the metabolic state in which the body converts fat stores into energy and releases ketones in the process.
Simply put, when glycogen is seriously deficient or even depleted, the body’s main energy supply method can be converted into stored fat as the main source. But it should be noted here that the most efficient energy supply for the human body is still glucose, and our brain and central nervous system are also inseparable from glucose. When the human body is severely deficient in glycogen, the production of glucose relies on the process of gluconeogenesis just mentioned. Of course, our bodies continue to produce ketones even when carbohydrates are the main fuel, but very, very inefficiently.
Therefore, in the structure of the ketogenic diet, the proportion of carbohydrates is very low, and most of the main sources of carbohydrates are vegetables instead of what we usually say Whole grains, whole grains, or refined carbohydrates. Among them, carbohydrates account for about 5% of the calorie sources throughout the day, protein accounts for about 25%, and the remaining 70-80% are all fat. We all know that low-carb and high-fat is the key to ketosis, but at the same time, if you consume too much protein, it will also affect the use of ketosis as fuel, because too much protein will be converted into glucose when needed.
The advantages of ketogenic diet for fat loss
To a large extent, ketosis is so highly praised because of its short time The efficiency of internal weight loss is relatively high, and eating fat to reduce fat seems to be a good idea. But the real principle of the ketogenic diet is to improve the efficiency of fat loss by reducing the secretion level of insulin. Insulin is the only glucose-lowering hormone in the body, but it is also a fat-storing hormone. When it secretes too much or continues to secrete, it will be more difficult for the body to burn fat, making it difficult to lose weight. Carbohydrates are the most effective ingredients to stimulate insulin secretion, while protein and fat intake have little effect on insulin, which should be said to be very low. At the same time, the ketogenic diet is a fat-based diet, so it can help you lower your insulin levels, making weight loss a lot easier. Not only that, the ketogenic diet can also effectively reduce the secretion of ghrelin. This is because the fat is emptied in the stomach slower, so it has a better satiety, and the ketogenic diet seems to eat It has a better taste, which will also send some signals of pleasure to the brain, so that the human body can have a sense of satisfaction for a relatively long time.
At the same time, the following groups of people may get more benefits from the ketogenic diet, such as epilepsy patients, the ketogenic diet was originally invented for the treatment of epilepsy For people with unstable blood sugar levels, the ketogenic diet is more conducive to maintaining blood sugar stability because it has little effect on insulin; metabolic syndrome or people with three highs, etc., are also due to insulin resistance in such people. . Insulin resistance will reduce the efficiency of muscle cells to effectively use insulin and the ability to absorb glucose, thereby increasing blood sugar and blood lipids. But I also want to remind everyone that before using the ketogenic diet, ask a doctor or a nutritionist to have a complete assessment of your current physical state. After all, ketosis is not so sufficient based on existing research. .
Possible problems with the ketogenic diet
No diet is perfect, there are pros and cons, and the ketogenic diet also has many problems. The symptoms of keto flu can occur over a period of days or weeks as the body transitions from its previous carb-based energy to a fat-based one, and everyone is different , but the symptoms are likely to be problems such as dizziness, nausea, upset, irritability, fatigue and insomnia. It is the same as the irritability that people will have when the carbohydrate intake in your diet is very low. At the same time, because the intake of carbohydrates is drastically reduced, the water in the body will also be lost in a large amount, not only the water is less, but the electrolytes are also lost. And some people have significantly higher blood lipid and cholesterol levels than normal after using the ketogenic diet.
Nutritionally, too much saturated fat may have long-term negative health effects, and high amounts of whole grains The intake of some vegetables and fruits is limited, which means a lot of dietary fiber, certain vitamins, minerals and phytochemicals are lacking. Other possible problems include, but are not limited to, bad breath, constipation, irregular menstrual cycles, and decreased bone density. In addition, in the actual operation process, you also need to constantly test and track the amount of ketone production in your body, and adjusting your diet plan, etc., is relatively complicated to operate.
At the same time, the following groups of people are not recommended to use the ketogenic diet, such as women who are trying to conceive, pregnant and breastfeeding, women whose menstrual cycle is greatly affected by carbohydrates, thyroid People with hypofunction and hyperactivity, type 1 diabetes, people with abnormal cholesterol, growing children, people who need high-intensity anaerobic training, and people with other physical problems or diseases, if you want to use it, please communicate with your doctor or nutritionist to confirm.
My thoughts on the ketogenic diet
Nutrition is also a probabilistic event
No one diet is better than another in the long run. At the same time, nutrition is also a probabilistic event. One kind of diet may not work for you, but it may have poor adaptability, but it may be very effective if you change it. The difference in personalization is relatively large. For the ketogenic diet, I think most people are still not suitable, but it can be tried under the premise of safety. Whether a nutritional program is suitable for you, you can simply refer to the following three points: whether you feel better; whether you look better; whether you have more energy and physical fitness.
Diet needs to be sustainable
The ketogenic diet for fast speed reduction Fat is also relatively recognized, but as a healthy lifestyle, there may be more deficiencies, such as the problem of balanced diet, nutrient intake, and some large amounts of saturated fat that we don’t know about. potential problems. But if you want to try a ketogenic diet, it is also recommended that the source of fat in the diet be omega-3-based unsaturated fatty acids as much as possible, and reduce saturated fat and trans fatty acids that are more harmful to the body. Among them, ingredients high in omega 3 fats include salmon, olive oil, nuts, egg yolks, and peanut butter. In the long run, the ketogenic diet is less sustainable, but if you have an idea in the short term, you can try it according to your personal ability.
Ketogenic cost is really not low
Cost has two meanings here: One is the economic cost. Good ingredients themselves are not cheap and high-quality fats are relatively more expensive than carbohydrates, but in terms of the energy supply efficiency of the human body, carbohydrates are more direct and efficient. The second is the metabolic conversion cost. For ordinary people, the severe metabolism that occurs in the body during the ketogenic diet transition is relatively painful. It may be that for some small partners, these changes may not have the same effect as the previous diet state, and The change may lead to more potential health problems than before, and it is not known. So from the perspective of ketogenic cost, it is difficult to let you eat less desserts and snacks at ordinary times, not to mention the dramatic changes in the human body’s energy supply system? Ketogenic conversion and daily operating costs are really not cheap.
At the end
Whether the ketogenic diet is good or not varies from person to person, but you want to To ultimately lose weight, any dietary regimen must follow the underlying logic of calorie deficit. If you want to try it, I recommend that you go under the guidance of a nutritionist or doctorconduct. Because there may be various problems and physical discomfort in the middle, having a professional who can consult will make your persistence better. I’ll say it again, however, any diet plan is about the same for fat loss over the long term. So, look for one that is sustainable, and that is good for all kinds of balance in your life. The more you know about exercise science, the better it will help you achieve your goals. The harder, the more fortunate. Come on, everyone. Let’s encourage each other.