The ketogenic diet (also known as the ketone diet or simply the keto diet) is the most popular, discussed, and mysterious diet for weight loss these days. The progressive public is actively losing weight by eating homemade mayonnaise, and in the capital's catering establishments you can even order a "sample" of the ketogenic diet - a hamburger, which is a flowing cutlet with juice, without bread and other excesses. . Foreign scientists are increasingly publishing new studies proving the benefits of an unusual menu that triggers a process that forces the body to get energy from fat, not carbohydrates, but domestic weight loss experts are in no hurry to trust in diet fad. The truth, as usual, is out there somewhere.
The cutlet diet is in fashion
A can of coconut oil, three dozen eggs, a dozen steaks, seven hundred grams of fresh butter, a bottle of olive oil, a kilo of tofu, a few bunches of radishes, and a bag of fresh herbs. This is what the result of going to the supermarket of a ketone diet adherent (ketogenic diet) looks like. It's time to think in horror: "First he will die of indigestion, and then from cholesterol blockage in the blood vessels! "And show your blatant ignorance of dietary trends.
With a diet rich in ketones, they don't get fat or sick, they lose weight and become healthier! At least many keto bloggers and their followers who call themselves ketoists are firmly convinced of it. They extol life-giving ketosis as an ideal new dietary philosophy, designed to restore the genetic code of a 21st-century human being, marred by the dominance of carbohydrate foods, to its best shape, while at the same time rehabilitating the fats accused of all the sins.
The ketone diet (also known as the keto diet) changes the enzymatic and hormonal machinery of our body in such a way that the production of the hormone insulin, which regulates blood glucose levels, is reduced and, as a consequence, the sensation of hunger and satiety.
"In place" of insulin and in response to an increase in fat and protein in the context of a sharp reduction in carbohydrates in the diet, the liver begins to produce ketone bodies, a special form of acetone, during a ketone diet. These chemical compounds are included in the body in a kind of closed cycle, moving from organ to organ with the bloodstream and affecting the oxidation process of fatty acids.
As a result, the body goes into ketosis, that is, it learns to draw strength for existence not from the usual available carbohydrate chains, but from the already accumulated depots of adipose tissue and fats from food, preventing the depletion of energy reserves. proteins. The result is an unprecedented rapid weight loss, muscle strengthening, victory over the annoying feeling of hunger and a new life.
Of course, in the event that your metabolism can handle the ketone diet: this meal plan (however, like any other) is not universal. For some, even a carb shortcut turns into weakness, a sudden change in well-being, and other signs that ketosis doesn't seem to be on its way.
The Keto Diet: A Story of Forgetting and Rebirth
The ketone diet is only meant to be a fad. The first carbohydrate-restricted (carbo) and fat-restricted eating plan was clinically tested in the 1920s. Physicians working with patients suffering from diseases of the nervous system at that time often prescribed courses of therapeutic fasting, which limited sharply and significantly the production of insulin and other hormones that affect the functioning of the central nervous system and the brain. This gave excellent results, which, however, could not be enjoyed for long for an obvious reason: a person does not last long on water alone, and when it comes to a child, things take an even more serious turn.
It was then that the prototype of the menu, today known as the ketogenic diet, was developed. It was assumed that diet, reshaping the metabolism in such a way that carbohydrates cease to be the main source of energy, is chemically similar to the rejection of food. Particularly striking results of a low-carbohydrate, high-fat diet were demonstrated with the example of epilepsy: the number of unbearable seizures in patients was reduced to zero.
Simple, original and not requiring significant material costs, the technique was safely and widely used, but, unfortunately, not for long - the pharmacological industry proved the effectiveness of a new type of drug - anticonvulsants, and doctors of the new generation preferred to prescribe pills to their patients, instead of lard. Forgetting about the anti-epileptic ketone diet was also facilitated by the growing dietary trend of blaming fat for all problems.
There was a resurgence of interest in the ketogenic diet in the late 1990s, when director Jim Abrahams (mostly known for thrash-comedy masterpieces like The Naked Gun and Scary Movie 4) helmed the unexpectedly penetrating and frank melodrama Not Harm. , the plot of which was based on his own experience.
Abrahams' son, Charlie, suffered from a severe form of epilepsy from birth and reacted extremely poorly to all types of medication, suffering from side effects. The boy's parents were desperate for help before discovering information about the ketone diet. With their help, they managed to bring the disease under non-pharmacological control. Jim Abrahams was so taken with the effect of the keto diet that he organized a fund to help epileptic children and their families, supported by Meryl Streep, who played the role of the mother of a small patient in the movie Do No Harm, in the childhood stage.
By the way, this is why the ketone diet is often referred to as the "Meryl Streep diet, " and not because the world-class star actually ditched carbs in favor of fat.
Ketogenic diet: from the remedies for epilepsy to the arsenal to lose weight
Related to the ketogenic diet is one of the most popular diets used for weight loss in the late 20th century, the Atkins diet, the most effective and dangerous. American cardiologist Robert Atkins has popularized a proven method of effective weight loss by adapting the achievements of scientists and doctors during the period of therapeutic use of the ketogenic diet. He created his own four-phase diet concept, which became the harbinger of a real era of eating plans that limit carbohydrate intake.
As planned by Atkins, it is necessary to find the same ratio of carbohydrate to protein and fat foods, in which you can first lose weight to the desired weight, and then relatively comfortably maintain it. For this reason, he proposes to first reduce the consumption of carbohydrates to 20 grams per day for two weeks, and then gradually increase their number in search of an individual proportion.
The Hollywood elite is obsessed with Atkins; As a result of this popularity, low-carb diets literally took the throne as the most effective. The main trend has been the reduction of carbohydrates and fats in favor of protein foods: in fact, practice has shown and continues to show that this approach to nutrition allows losing weight without losing muscle and, moreover, maintaining the result for a long time . weather.
The fundamental difference between the most common protein diets and the ketone diet is in relation to fatty foods. In addition to limiting carbohydrates, high-protein diet planners generally recommend careful control of lipid intake, favoring low-fat or at least no visible fat diets when given the choice.
However, the LCHF diet (low carbs high fat, "low carbs – high fat"), considered the most progressive type of keto menu, it is no coincidence that the virus spreads precisely among users of the social network, where the new young intelligentsia communicates, eager for any decision to summarize the evidence base. Scientific studies have shown that the best way to get off sugar and into ketosis is a menu based on the principle of "lots of quality fats, adequate amount of protein, optimal amount of fiber, plenty of water. "
Gary Taubes, a columnist for The New York Times Magazine, became a talented popularizer and interpreter of the results of scientific research. With his posts proclaiming a new vision of a truly healthy diet that allows fats and bans carbohydrates, he has become a cult figure among ketone dieters. Taubes consistently showed that people don't get fat because they eat a lot, they start eating a lot because they get fat, and he saw that the only way out of this trap was to curb insulin spikes.
Experts on the ketogenic diet claim that it is precisely ketosis initiated and maintained correctly that becomes the key to a smooth lifelong adherence to the ketogenic diet without a shadow of carb craving and any harm to the body.
What and how much to eat? Diet foods high in fat and ketones
Several variations of the ketogenic diet suggest that you eat no more than 50 grams of carbohydrate foods per day. The LCHF diet suggests that when developing a diet, focus not on the weight of food, but on its relative volume, making up a daily menu of 70% fat, 20% protein and 10% carbohydrates (long chain; special attention should be paid to water-soluble fiber and resistant forms of starch, for example, from raw potatoes or unripe bananas).
Here is a sample list of foods that promote and maintain ketosis. Unrestricted use:
fatty dairy and sour milk products (except whole milk and kefir);
lard, bacon, ham, brisket, loin, bacon;
meat, poultry (with skin), shellfish and fish;
eggs;
fatty cheeses with a minimum carbohydrate component (see the composition of a specific product);
avocado;
green vegetables;
fungus;
tofu;
shirataki noodles;
butter and unrefined vegetable oils, including firming nut oils (coconut, shea, etc. ).
Allowed in minimum quantities:
berries and nuts;
chocolate (the darkest, with a minimum of sugar);
sugar-free fruits;
root vegetables (can be used as a minor component of complex dishes and better raw).
With a ketogenic diet, the following are completely excluded from the menu:
sugar, honey, pastries, industrial drinks;
sauces with added sugar and thickeners;
bread, cereals, pastries;
pasta (except shirataki);
dry fruits;
low-fat meals;
margarine and vegetable pasta.
On a high-fat ketogenic diet, you should drink plenty of still water, and you can also drink tea and coffee (from legal additives - lemon) and even light spirits, such as dry cider, dry wine, and light beer. .
What do nutrition experts say about the keto diet?
Well-known experts on proper nutrition and weight loss have had their say on the trendy ketogenic diet.
"People are extreme"
The keto diet is a stressful diet, with many contraindications, and you can follow it for up to 10 days maximum. In my practice, this approach is mainly used by the category of overweight people who have a violation of water or water-salt metabolism. The diet is carried out under the strict supervision of a nutritionist, with the participation of some physical activity, which helps to actively break down already accumulated fats. During the first two days from the start of the diet, the brain, deprived of carbohydrates from the outside, receives these carbohydrates from the liver and muscle glycogen. Also, glycogen is destroyed only if the patient does not violate the rules of his diet.
The state of health during the first two days is not always comfortable; lack of carbohydrates can be accompanied by lethargy, weakness, irritability. Therefore, the ketogenic diet is not prescribed in premenstrual, menstrual and stress periods of life. Approximately from the third day of the protein-fat menu, in which carbohydrates are limited to 200 grams of non-starchy vegetables and a bunch of vegetables per day, the process of active splitting of subcutaneous fat under the action of carbohydrates begins. ketone bodies. At the same time, the patient's well-being, oddly enough, improves due to the fact that the appetite decreases and the brain does not require carbohydrates. It is important to ensure clear work of evacuation of contents of intestines and to activate work of kidneys. The possible consequences of non-compliance with the rules prescribed by the doctor are explained to the patient. After 10 days, the diet should be discontinued, and carbohydrates will certainly be added to the diet, maintaining a balanced ratio of all compositions. Thanks to such a diet, in 10 days you can lose up to 10 kg of body weight, mainly due to the removal of excess fluid and the breakdown of fat.
In recent months, a large number of articles have appeared that rehabilitate foods that contain fats. Of course, now our society will rush to adopt active fat diets and products that contain not only hidden but also explicit fats, as well as trans fats that are dangerous to human health and lead to serious cardiovascular diseases. People in general tend to be extreme. Proper balanced nutrition, aimed at reducing and normalizing weight, improving quality of life and active longevity, contains no more than 30% fat in the total diet. So my advice is don't assume you can lose weight on fat alone. Any diet that brings a resounding success to the next person or group of people will, at some point, be discredited, and people will eventually return to a natural, rational, balanced and varied diet.
"You can lose weight for a while, but then the weight and health risks increase"
The ketogenic diet was originally a therapeutic diet prescribed to people for health reasons, to combat epilepsy, Alzheimer's disease, and other ailments. And then the marketers paid attention to it, who considered it another informative opportunity with the possibility of popularization. After all, in fact, the ketone diet is a dream, not a diet: eat your favorite proteins and fats and at the same time lose weight. And the main enemies of harmony, carbohydrates, exclude or minimize.
When fat stores become the main source of energy, you can really lose weight for a while. However, there are a number of risks, in relation to which following a keto diet is still not recommended for any reason outside medical indications.
A medical diet involves the exclusion of a product from the diet in order to normalize the work of a particular organ. And starvation, drastic caloric restriction or an imbalance of fats, proteins and carbohydrates slow down metabolic processes and in the future only lead to weight gain, even more than before. Therefore, I do not recommend restrictive diets to my patients at all.
The ketogenic diet involves a drastic reduction in carbohydrates. As you know, carbohydrates are a source of energy provided by nature, necessary to maintain a healthy metabolism. The ketone diet involves eating a lot of fat and protein. It is strictly contraindicated in people with abnormalities in the functioning of the liver and kidneys. These organs simply cannot remove protein and fat breakdown products in such quantities. Such a diet is not recommended for people with severe stages of atherosclerosis, cardiological problems and diabetes.
A diet based on fats and proteins is fraught with a violation of the purine bases, which often provokes the deposition of salts and gout. And also an increase in cholesterol levels, which leads not only to cardiovascular diseases, but also to a decrease in testosterone levels, which in the future can cause weight gain.
Too much protein in the diet can lead to osteoporosis, poor kidney function, and stone formation. Increased body fat is one of the prerequisites for metabolic dysfunction and insulin resistance, and can cause inflammation.
The process of ketone formation during the ketogenic diet often leads to loss of appetite, nausea, and bad breath. During entry into ketosis, a person may experience extreme fatigue and loss of energy. If all this doesn't scare you, and you still consider the ketogenic diet as a way to lose weight, it's best to consult with a dietitian in person. It will help minimize risks as much as possible, taking into account your individual characteristics.
As a doctor, I believe that the only way to lose weight and maintain a normal weight is to change your eating habits. To be slim, you need to eat rationally, that's all.