So, the magic keto diet. There are so many rumors and speculations around her, how many hopes are placed on her, how many hours have been spent in the toilet because of her. Keto proponents preach about rapid melting of fat glaciers, incredible performance, crystal clarity of mind, and more. And so on. in a similar spirit. We don't know where this data comes from, because scientists are just beginning to study this diet under the microscope.
Let’s discuss all the pros and cons of a fatty diet.
Gasoline for beginners: what is it in simple terms
Let's clarify an important point right away: a diet rich in fats (ketogenic diet) is still not a diet low in carbohydrates, it is above all a diet very rich in fats.
The keto diet is a low-carb diet for weight loss with a moderate amount of protein in the diet and active consumption of fats.
If you count calories, the percentage distribution of calories would be:
- 80% of calories come from fat,
- 15% protein kcal. ,
- the remaining 5% are carbohydrates.
In other words, at least 75% of the calories in your diet should come from fat; the sources of which can be eggs, bacon, sausages, avocados, vegetable oils, coconut oil, butter.
We would also like to note that this is not a diet based on animal fats, the so-called. purely meat diet, not at all! Vegetables are eaten, but moderately or completely avoiding starchy foods like potatoes.
What is important for beginners to know? What is a "fat diet" in simple terms?
So, the essence of the ketogenic diet is simple in words. With such a nutritional system, the body enters a state called "ketosis" and begins to synthesize ketones for subsequent energy generation (hence the name "ketogenic" diet), and such a transition is only possible. only if carbohydrate intake is strictly limited.
Our body is able to fully meet its needs thanks to its fat reserves. But the absence of carbohydrates is terrible for our brain and our nervous system, which need glucose: the brain cannot use fatty acids for its energy supply.
When we ignore carbohydrates, the body, in order not to stretch its legs, begins to pervert and create ersatz carbohydrates - ketone bodies.
Ketone bodies are organic biomolecules, soluble in aqueous media, which are synthesized in the liver from fatty acids when food intake (especially carbohydrates) decreases. Once transported to extrahepatic tissues, these biomolecules can be used as an energy source.
Ketone bodies are constantly synthesized in small amounts in the human body, but normally the concentration of ketones is so low that they are not detected in a urine test.
However, when the level of ketone bodies in the blood increases (a condition known as ketonemia), they begin to be excreted in the urine (called ketonuria); ketonemia and ketonuria taken together indicate the body's transition to a state of ketosis.
The ultimate goal of the ketogenic diet is to place the body in a state of nutritional ketosis (not to be confused with pathological ketosis), which ultimately triggers the metabolism to use fatty acids and ketone bodies as its primary source of energy.
In the early stages, the main thing is not to overdo it with the amount of protein.
If you eat too much protein (more than 20%), the body starts the process of gluconeogenesis and eventually all the excess protein is converted to glucose, preventing you from entering a state of ketosis.
It is therefore important to choose fatty foods with a little protein. There is no need to rely on chicken, but rather buy fatty cuts of beef. Instead of diet turkey bacon, buy regular bacon. Only 20% of your calories should come from protein.
Also remember that you need to drink lots and lots. Because the main sign of ketosis is the smell of acetone on your body and your breath. Cool, right?
The fact is that excess fatty derivatives are excreted by the body, giving this specific smell. Earlier, we talked about the fact that fat energy factories are the most "polluting".
It is not always possible to completely eliminate the smell. But most of the smell can be removed with plenty of clean water.
Those. When you drink a lot of water (from 3 liters per day), excess ketones are excreted in urine and sweat. This eliminates most odors after showering. In addition, it improves well-being (eliminates lethargy).
Interesting fact: the keto diet was originally invented for epileptics.
Why we don't recommend: the dangers of eating fat
For one simple reason: it is not a balanced diet. And such diets, which openly demonize any food, are absolutely not included in our concept: "Beauty does not require sacrifice, beauty requires health. What kind of freedom from the pressures of the Pope can we talk about when you exclude a huge amount of food from your diet?
We do not deny that the body can exist more or less adequately in conditions of minimal or complete absence of carbohydrates, subject to adequate protein intake and the physiologically necessary amount of fat, but ideally we always guarantee thepresence of the three nutrients in the diet, i. e. Adopt a balanced diet to lose weight!
Is it possible to lose weight
Often people, striving to lose weight, begin to believe all sorts of fairy tales like "exclude this food group and the weight will disappear by itself. "This is where such monsters are born, like the paleo diet.
Let's look at this interesting question with you: "Is it possible to lose weight by eliminating proteins, carbohydrates or fats from the diet? "The brilliant Line McDonald will help us (here are some extracts from her work).
Let's imagine that you consume a certain amount of calories, but you get them from different sources: in the first case, you will get them mainly from carbohydrates; in the second - from proteins, and in the third - from fats.
On carbohydrates
Let's imagine that most of our calories come from carbohydrates. Carbohydrates are rarely converted to fat (a process called de novo lipogenesis) under normal dietary conditions.
There are exceptional situations, for example chronic overeating of carbohydrates. This means 700 to 900 grams of net carbs per day for several days.
In this situation, carbohydrates overwhelm glycogen stores, exceeding the number of calories required for the day, and you end up converting carbohydrates into body fat.
But when you eat more carbs, you burn more carbs and less fat. And that’s why, even though carbs don’t turn directly into fat, too many carbs make you gain weight.
Generally speaking, by inhibiting fat breakdown, excess carbohydrates force you to store all ingested fats as subcutaneous reserves, preventing you from burning existing ones.
Yes, carbs don't make you gain weight directly through fat storage, but excess carbs still affect your fat stores, preventing you from burning the fat you consume during the day.
This is why exceeding your daily calorie intake by 500 calories from fat or 500 calories from carbohydrates makes you gain weight, they just do it for different reasons and in different ways.
An additional 500 calories of fat are simply stored under the skin, and 500 calories of carbohydrates cause all fat consumed during the day to go into reserves, because the carbohydrates will be oxidized and not the fats.
Bottom line: when you eat more carbs, you burn more carbs and less fat; When you eat fewer carbs, you'll burn fewer carbs and more fat. Unexpected, right?
On a squirrel
The protein buddy is never converted to fat or stored that way. But if you eat a lot of protein, the body will use it for energy (rather than carbs and fats), which means other nutrients will be stored.
As a result, eating too much protein will make you gain weight, but not directly, but because all the fat you eat goes under the skin.
Of course, proteins have the highest thermic effect, so more of the incoming calories will be used to digest the food. Excess protein is less likely to make you gain weight anyway, but if the calorie balance is exceeded, you will still gain weight.
But not by direct conversion of proteins into fats, but by reducing the amount of other nutrients burned.
In summary: if you eat more protein, you burn more protein (and therefore less fat and carbohydrates); eat less protein and you'll burn less protein (and therefore more carbs and fat). Presenting your face, you now clearly look like this:
On fat
Fats provided with food are mainly stored; if you eat more of it, it does not significantly affect the oxidation of subcutaneous fats.
When you eat fats, their destiny is to be deposited in fat stores, because. . . their consumption has very little effect on fat oxidation. It also has no significant effect on protein or carbohydrate oxidation.
General conclusion: all three options make you gain weight, but the mechanisms are different.
The only difference is that fats are stored directly, and proteins and carbohydrates require you to store the fats you eat.
Of course, some will wrongly understand that diets low in carbohydrates and/or protein have no advantage over others in terms of burning subcutaneous fat.
But with these diets, even though you burn more fat, you also eat more fatty foods. Thus, the overall fat balance remains the same, despite changes in other components. No matter how you look at it, it all comes down to energy balance and calorie deficit.
You probably have a logical question, why not stop eating fat?
This is because carbohydrates are converted to fats by de novo lipogenesis. This is the case when the amount of fat consumed through the diet falls below 10% of the total calories consumed. In this case, your body starts the process of lipogenesis de novo, so you will still gain weight.
The body is smarter than us. In a situation of adequate fat intake (i. e. greater than 10% of total calories), the fate of the fats we consume must be stored in fat reserves, and proteins and carbohydrates are usedfor other processes.
And when the amount of fat consumed is too low, the body begins to convert carbohydrates (and most likely proteins, although much less frequently) to store them as fat.
Lie or truth
Of course, under certain conditions, the keto diet will work and you will lose weight. But it’s not about her, nor about fats, nor about a special menu. The fact is that you will simply eat less!
That's how long they've been vilifying diets, but people don't believe them: and rightly so, because diets work!
Here, for example, is a meta-analysis of about 50 studies comparing 11 popular diets that can be grouped: low-carb (Atkins, South Beach, Zone), low-fat (Ornish, Rosemary Conley), balanced (Jenny Craig, Nutrisystem, Weight Watchers).
It turned out that (surprise) any diet for weight loss is better than no diet.
After six months, people on the low-carb diet lost more weight. But the overall difference in weight loss (differences in indicators) between all diets is insignificant: a few hundred grams.
For example, on a low-carb diet for 6 months, the average weight loss was 8. 73 kg and 7. 25 kg in 12 months, and on a low-fat diet, 7. 99 kg in 6 months and7. 27 kg in 12 months.
Research has shown that, compared to a severely calorie-restricted diet, a low-carb diet may be slightly more effective for short-term weight loss.
This is due in part to a decrease in the body's glycogen stores (in the liver and muscles) and associated fluid loss (which totals about 2 kg for a typical adult). But as we can see, in the long term, there is very little difference between them.
A study comparing low-carb and low-fat diets over the past two years found that there was no significant difference in weight loss between the two.
By the way, please note that the diet was most effective in the first six months. And after a year, the weight generally began to increase. A striking example of metabolic adaptation.
Benefit and effect
The ketogenic diet does not make you hungry and does not take away calories. Basically, we simply compensate for the reduction in carbohydrates with proteins and fats.
Of course, this does not mean that by sharply reducing carbohydrate intake, you can overeat fatty and protein foods. Calorie intake should be maintained within normal limits. Another undeniable benefit of the keto diet is appetite control.
Many people who have been on one or another diet know that the strongest appetite occurs just during the diet. The keto diet eliminates the feeling of hunger. Fat and protein foods, which the keto diet is rich in, allow a person not to feel a sharp appetite and at the same time lose weight.
Harm
Considering that the ketogenic diet emphasizes fatty and protein foods, digestive disorders are possible - heaviness in the stomach, bloating, constipation.
Indeed, the diet contains practically no fiber, present in bread, potatoes, fruits and vegetables. To avoid digestive problems, you should consume certain vegetables and fruits in minimal quantities. For example, cabbage and sour grapes are suitable.
Another downside of the keto diet is the unpredictability of glucose deficiency. It is unknown how your body will behave if you deprive it of such an important energy resource.
It will take time for the body to convert into ketone bodies. As a rule, during the first week a person feels malaise, dizziness and general weakness. It is important to last at least 21 days to see the results of the diet.
A decrease in the amount of micronutrients (vitamins/minerals, etc. ) is a common occurrence in any low-carb diet, as the majority of micronutrients come to us from high-carb foods. Therefore, you should use vitamin and mineral complexes.
A decrease in blood acidity occurs in response to an increase in the amount of ketones it contains.
If you have problems with carbohydrate metabolism (e. g. diabetes), then vomiting and "ketacidosis" are possible. In a healthy body, ketones are used without consequences. Moreover, the smell of acetone confirms this (sign of ketone use).
We’re already seeing people in ketosis rushing into the comments shouting "I’ve been in ketosis for 116 days and I’m more active than ever! "Let us tell you our personal opinion, people with ketosis are worse than vegans in online battles. Not all of them, but for one reason or another, a very large number.
Go to any article on this topic and you will see how they pour buckets of dirt on the author, simply because he does not write laudatory odes to fat. They are always advised to eat buckwheat and calm down.
This probably comes from the fact that a person projects their personal and internal dispute onto others. This happens particularly often when it comes to nutrition/sport/religion. For example, a person's mind is forced to constantly argue with many factors, and such a person seeks to voice out loud arguments against them, in a dispute with an external opponent, in order to thereby feel himself a winner.
Another example is that a neophyte to a food system suppresses his own doubts in such conflicts. In short, these people are not arguing with you, but with themselves, it is better not to disturb them, they will bite you to death, you are made of protein and fat.
Moreover, if you personally "everything is a lie, I don't eat coals and I feel good", then this does not mean that this also happens to others! An individual’s personal experience cannot prove or disprove anything.
For what? Yes, because your "personal opinions" and critiques are a cart and a cart and everyone is different. Who will you trust, who has a nicer nickname?
Contraindications for use
For any deviation from health, any diet or exercise should be used only after consulting a doctor. People with kidney, digestive system, or intestinal diseases should not follow the keto diet.
Initially, glucose deficiency greatly affects brain activity. Such a regime is therefore not desirable for mental workers.
By the way, the American Dietetic Association does not recommend the keto diet due to ketoacidosis, but does recommend other diets with more carbohydrates.
Reference: Diabetic ketoacidosis (ketacidosis) is a variant of metabolic acidosis associated with impaired carbohydrate metabolism resulting from insulin deficiency: high concentrations of glucose and ketone bodies in the blood.
On the one hand, the keto diet is simple, on the other hand, it is very difficult. Of course, it all depends on the form chosen. Some people act so fanatically that the diet ends badly. You must not neglect the rules of nutrition, you must listen to your body and give it a break. In the end, the main thing is health, we must not forget that. Think for yourself, decide for yourself.