But, this article isn’t about the relative merits of different diets! It’s about whether plant-based proteins are appropriate for use on ketogenic and Paleo diets.

What are Ketosis and Ketogenic Diets Anyway?

Ketogenic diets elicit the state of ketosis. Ketosis is when the body produces ketone bodies, mainly from fats (and some amino acids) to use as an alternative fuel in times of fasting or drastic carbohydrate restriction.

When stored carbohydrate (glycogen) reserves aren’t sufficient to supply the glucose necessary to fuel the brain and central nervous system, an alternative fuel source is needed. Ketones (especially beta-hydroxybutyrate) are created in the liver to supply the necessary fuel to the body and brain.

Ketogenic Diets

A ketogenic diet is a form of very low-carb, high-fat, low-to-moderate protein diet.

Originally developed as a treatment for childhood epilepsy beginning nearly a century ago, keto and other low-carb, high-fat diets are now being studied for their potential use for Alzheimer’s Disease¹, Parkinson’s Disease², Autism^{3, 4}, Cancer^5-7, and Diabetes and Obesity^8-16.

Ketogenic diets typically require that you eat almost no carbohydrate and very high levels of fat. This equates to around 4-parts fat to 1-part protein and carbohydrate (a 4:1 protocol)¹⁷, but ketosis can be achieved with a little more protein and carbohydrate, and less fat, if you use a specific type of oil called MCT oil (medium chain triglycerides)^{18, 19} which is commonly available as a supplement.

Plant-Based Proteins and Ketogenic Diet

The main concern with using plant-based proteins in a ketogenic diet is that many of them are proportionately lower in protein, and subsequently higher in carbohydrate, than the common standard of whey protein concentrate (isolates are even higher in protein and lower in carbohydrate.)

For example, hemp proteins are typically around 25% carbohydrate, and rice protein isolates are around 10% carbohydrate (by weight). It’s important to remember though that more important than the percentage of carbohydrate in food is the total amount you are taking in per day and how that compares to your ability to be in ketosis. There is a really wide range of carb intakes that can allow people to reach ketosis! But overall, you should choose a supplement higher in protein and lowest in carbohydrate if following a ketogenic diet.

I want to make my case here for my pick for plant-based proteins for keto, a high-quality pea protein isolate, as these can contain up to 90% protein by weight with around 2% carbohydrate. And before you ask… don’t worry about whether pea protein isolate is complete. While many plant proteins aren’t complete (i.e. they lack sufficient amounts of one or more of the nine essential amino acids), if you are getting enough protein overall, you need not worry too much about whether one of your protein sources differs marginally in amino acid content (20, 21).

That said, high-quality pea protein isolates exceed all amino acid requirements for the healthy functioning of the human body as defined by the World Health Organisation (except for methionine and cysteine in which it is only fractionally under the recommended amount). This amino acid profile also compares very favorably with the recommended amino acid pattern proposed by the Institute of Medicine of the United States National Institutes of Health²².

Because of its very high protein content and low carbohydrate content, pea protein isolate is a favorite of many keto dieters. It’s also considered to be a very satiating protein that anecdotally (probably because of its gelling properties) helps promote greater feelings of fullness and satisfaction than whey protein.

Plant-Based Proteins and Paleo Diets

Paleo is a dietary approach that seeks to (at least partially) emulate that of our hunter-gatherer ancestors. While often claimed to be a low-carbohydrate diet like keto, it’s not necessarily low-carb. The diet can contain considerable carbohydrate from tubers like sweet potatoes, potatoes, yams, and berries and fruit (although some paleo followers remove some or all of these too.) It excludes all grains, legumes, and dairy typically.

The biggest concern for followers of paleo diets is the presence of anti-nutrients in plant proteins. These can include phytic acid (which inhibits uptake of various minerals), saponins (which can cause gastric upset), and trypsin inhibitors (which reduce protein digestion). Overall, for most people, there’s little concern that eating some of these are going to cause any problem at all.

They are present in many foods, and people eat them regularly without any cause for concern. But, if this is a concern (and it will be if you’re a paleophile!), many processes help to markedly reduce the levels of phytic acid in legumes and grains. Soaking in an acidic medium (such as lime juice), cooking, and sprouting are all methods that have been shown to reduce the presence of anti-nutrients.

Nowadays, high-quality pea protein isolates are processed using a low-heat, enzymatic isolation process which effectively removes almost all the phytate, lectins, saponins, and trypsin inhibitors.

As you can see in the table below, the functional properties of the gold standard of plant protein, isolated golden pea protein, are quite different to whole legumes and to the commonly used vegan protein, soy protein isolate, with between 1/60th and 1/100th of the phytate content.

So, despite it being derived from a legume, pea protein isolate has become a favorite of many in the paleo and primal community, especially if they are intolerant to either lactose or one of the dairy proteins (whey or casein).

Is Pea Protein Well Absorbed and Used in the Body?

It is often claimed that pea protein isn’t well absorbed. This is a myth. In fact, pea protein exhibits absorption rates of over 89%²³, and is, therefore, an extremely absorbable protein type.

It is also functionally beneficial. In an evaluation of pea protein isolate vs. whey protein, both protein types of protein elicited nearly identical increases in muscle thickness when compared with placebo²⁴.

Pea protein is, in my opinion, the best plant-based option for people on keto and paleo diets due to its higher protein content, extremely low carbohydrate content, and low anti-nutrient levels. It’s beneficial for muscle growth when compared directly to whey protein and offers a viable alternative to animal-derived proteins for vegans, vegetarians, others interested in plant-based diets, and for those not tolerant to dairy or other proteins.

Disclosure.

Cliff Harvey is a co-founder of Nuzest, a supplement company that makes a pea protein isolate Clean Lean Protein.

References

1. Henderson ST. High carbohydrate diets and Alzheimer’s disease. Med Hypotheses. 2004;62:689-700.

2. Vanitallie TB, Nonas C, Di Rocco A, Boyar K, Hyams K, Heymsfield SB. Treatment of Parkinson disease with diet-induced hyperketonemia: a feasibility study. Neurology. 2005;64:728-30.

3. Napoli E, Dueñas N, Giulivi C. Potential therapeutic use of the ketogenic diet in autism spectrum disorders. Frontiers in pediatrics. 2014;2.

4. Evangeliou A, Vlachonikolis I, Mihailidou H, Spilioti M, Skarpalezou A, Makaronas N, et al. Application of a ketogenic diet in children with autistic behavior: pilot study. Journal of child neurology. 2003;18(2):113-8.

5. Seyfried TN, Flores R, Poff AM, D’Agostino DP, Mukherjee P. Metabolic therapy: A new paradigm for managing malignant brain cancer. Cancer Letters. 2015;356(2, Part A):289-300.

6. Bozzetti F, Zupec-Kania B. Toward a cancer-specific diet. Clinical Nutrition. 2015(0).

7. Vidali S, Aminzadeh S, Lambert B, Rutherford T, Sperl W, Kofler B, et al. Mitochondria: The ketogenic diet—A metabolism-based therapy. The International Journal of Biochemistry & Cell Biology. 2015(0).

8. Dashti H, Mathew T, Khadada M, Al-Mousawi M, Talib H, Asfar S, et al. Beneficial effects of ketogenic diet in obese diabetic subjects. Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry. 2007;302(1-2):249-56.

9. Hussain TA, Mathew TC, Dashti AA, Asfar S, Al-Zaid N, Dashti HM. Effect of low-calorie versus low-carbohydrate ketogenic diet in type 2 diabetes. Nutrition. 2012;28(10):1016-21.

10. Nielsen JV, Joensson EA. Low-carbohydrate diet in type 2 diabetes: stable improvement of bodyweight and glycemic control during 44 months follow-up. Nutr Metab (Lond). 2008;5:14.

11. Yancy WS, Jr., Olsen MK, Guyton JR, Bakst RP, Westman EC. A low-carbohydrate, ketogenic diet versus a low-fat diet to treat obesity and hyperlipidemia: A randomized, controlled trial. Ann Intern Med. 2004;140(10):769-77.

12. Bueno NB, de Melo ISV, de Oliveira SL, da Rocha Ataide T. Very-low-carbohydrate ketogenic diet v. low-fat diet for long-term weight loss: a meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials. Br J Nutr. 2013;110(07):1178-87.

13. Volek JS, Quann EE, Forsythe CE. Low-Carbohydrate Diets Promote a More Favorable Body Composition Than Low-Fat Diets. Strength and Conditioning Journal. 2010;32(1):42-7.

14. Sondike SB, Copperman N, Jacobson MS. Effects of a low-carbohydrate diet on weight loss and cardiovascular risk factor in overweight adolescents. The Journal of pediatrics. 2003;142(3):253-8.

15. Nordmann AJ, Nordmann A, Briel M, Keller U, Yancy WS, Jr., Brehm BJ, et al. Effects of low-carbohydrate vs low-fat diets on weight loss and cardiovascular risk factors: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Arch Intern Med. 2006;166(3):285-93.

16. Shai I, Schwarzfuchs D, Henkin Y, Shahar DR, Witkow S, Greenberg I, et al. Weight loss with a low-carbohydrate, Mediterranean, or low-fat diet. N Engl J Med. 2008;359(3):229-41.

17. Freeman JM. The ketogenic diet: a treatment for children and others with epilepsy: Demos medical publishing; 2007.

18. Huttenlocher P, Wilbourn A, Signore J. Medium-chain triglycerides as a therapy for intractable childhood epilepsy. Neurology. 1971;21(11):1097-.

19. Huttenlocher PR. Ketonemia and seizures: Metabolic and anticonvulsant effects of two ketogenic diets in childhood epilepsy. Pediatr Res. 1976;10(5):536-40.

20. Craig WJ, Mangels AR. Position of the American Dietetic Association: vegetarian diets. J Am Diet Assoc. 2009;109(7):1266-82.

21. Young VR, Pellett PL. Plant proteins in relation to human protein and amino acid nutrition. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. 1994;59(5):1203S-12S.

22. Hansen K, Shriver T, Schoeller D. The effects of exercise on the storage and oxidation of dietary fat. Sports Med. 2005;35.

23. Gausserès N, Mahe S, Benamouzig R, Luengo C, Ferriere F, Rautureau J, et al. [15N]-labeled pea flour protein nitrogen exhibits good ileal digestibility and postprandial retention in humans. The Journal of nutrition. 1997;127(6):1160-5.

24. Babault N, Païzis C, Deley G, Guérin-Deremaux L, Saniez M-H, Lefranc-Millot C, et al. Pea proteins oral supplementation promotes muscle thickness gains during resistance training: a double-blind, randomized, Placebo-controlled clinical trial vs. Whey protein. Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition. 2015;12(1):3.

The post Are Plant-Based Proteins Friendly for Keto and Paleo Diets? appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

How old are you?

Are you pregnant?

Do you eat carbs?

If you’re a woman, what emotions come up for you when you read that last question?

For some women, carbs are associated with their sense of morals, feeling proud if they restrict carbs and guilty if they indulge. Others can’t imagine giving up their daily bread, morning oats, fresh fruit, quinoa salad, or baked sweet potato.

The Carbohydrate Conundrum

Ever since the Atkins’ Diet first launched in 1972 and re-vamped in 1992, the “low-carb” kick has been part of headline news stories and put low-fat, whole-grain, granola-heads to the test. In recent years, the ketogenic diet of the 1920s has become popular, claiming humans were designed to consume fat as their primary fuel, shunning the mere thought of a sushi roll with rice or pre-workout banana. A typical ketogenic prescription includes a daily plate comprised of 60-70% fat, 20-30% protein, and 10-20% carbohydrate.

While the low-carb diet has its critics, research shows convincing claims that ketogenic diets are beneficial, not only for weight loss, but also:

• Cancer treatment
• Alzheimer’s and brain-disease prevention
• Diabetes management
• Enhanced athletic performance
• Boosted metabolism
• Heart health

With all these benefits, “going ketogenic” seems to be the answer to the diet our society has been looking for: health, brain power, and lean body mass.

So what’s the downside?

The goal of this article is not to argue whether ketogenic diets are good or bad, but rather is a full-scope look at the benefits and downsides to a ketogenic diet—namely for women. So, if you’re a woman, read on.

Low-Carb for Life?

A low-carb ketogenic approach can work for fat loss. If you cut out excess sugar and starch, which retain water and stores as fat when overconsumed, your body will naturally make positive body composition adjustments, and as an added bonus, you’ll rid yourself of your sweet tooth. A key factor to finding success with this system is making consistent habit changes.

As with most things in life, when you put your mind to something—anything—it can be achieved. By nearly eliminating an entire food group (carbs) that currently comprise about 60% of the average American’s diet, you are forced to become consistent with eating in a different and new way.

It’s no secret that eating healthy fat does not necessarily make you fat. In fact, eating healthy fats keep you more satisfied between meals, decreases the blood-sugar roller-coaster response of insulin (notoriously known as the “fat storage” hormone), and takes longer to digest, which revs the metabolism for digestion in the process.

However, what about ketogenic diets for long-term? Or times when some weight loss has been achieved? When you hit a wall or plateau in your body composition efforts in spite of the same ketogenic approach you had been on? What about long term health for women?

Skewed Research

In the realm of science, medicine, and nutrition, where do we turn to find answers to our most burning questions? Research, of course. The problem is, when it comes to ketogenic research, it is safe to say that at least 90% of the research studies are conducted on men.

It’s not rocket science that the anatomy and biological makeup of the XX (women) and XY (men) chromosomes are like night and day—completely different. Thus, ladies, hate to break it to you, but we cannot look or claim the same benefits as most studies claim for men. Why not? One word: Hormones.

And here is where our “problem” with long term ketogenic diets may apply.

Eggs and avocado are popular food choices for a ketogenic diet. [Photo credit: Pixabay]

Hormones 101

Ladies, your carbohydrate intake could be a missing piece of the equation when it comes to balancing your hormones, supporting your thyroid, feeling energetic, boosting your mood, losing weight, ‘burning fat,’ and beyond. Several reasons for this include:

Elevated Cortisol. Low-carb diets have been shown to elevate cortisol levels (i.e., your stress hormone). When cortisol is elevated, it completely throws your other hormones out of whack. Unlike men, women have a much more delicate hormonal makeup. When cortisol spikes and our estrogen and testosterone dance with it (rising and/or falling), lost menstrual cycles, infertility, raging PMS, decreased libido, premature menopause, lowered mood and energy, suppressed appetite, and unexplained weight gain can enter the mix.

Accidental Dieting. Often times, unbeknownst to the ketogenic dieter, he or she is really not on a ketogenic diet, but instead, a low-carb, moderate protein, moderate fat diet. Eating fat liberally and with abundance is a part of the ketogenic equation, and if you are simply not eating enough fuel, your body goes into deprivation mode. While the consumption of fats with most meals may seem like an enormous shift from your low-fat, no-fat diet approaches of days’ past, you’re still not eating enough to constitute your new ketogenic diet as “ketogenic.” This is called the “accidental diet”—and if you’re not eating enough your cortisol will do funky things, which leads once more to hormonal imbalance.

Emotional Deprivation. An essential vitamin that everyone needs when it comes to a healthy, happy relationship with food is vitamin P—Vitamin Pleasure. When you lack enjoyment of the food you eat, or you are completely disconnected with your food, Vitamin P goes down. When you view another dish of chicken, broccoli and coconut oil, or salmon, avocado and kale as a “chore” (rather than delicious, nourishing food), this decreased Vitamin P impairs:

• Digestion. Instead of thoroughly chewing and tasting your food, you just power through it leading to poor breakdown of the food.
• Peace of mind. You’re constantly stressed about keeping up with your diet or reaching your goal.
• Peace with food. Erratic food behaviors or habits may surface, like binge eating on occasion, or thinking excessively about food.

It’s no secret that our brain impacts our body—namely stress—and when we are stressed your hormones take a hit.

Your Unique Approach

So the big question: Is the ketogenic approach right for you? Only your body can determine the answer, but here are some key components to consider before taking a ketogenic approach in the long-term:

• Understand the short-term benefits. As mentioned, for some, a targeted ketogenic approach can be beneficial when it comes to consistency with weight loss or body fat loss goals, as well as decreased brain fog, and perhaps even finding a balance (and making peace) with incorporating formerly feared healthy fats into your diet.
• Don’t make the ketogenic approach about morals (“being good vs. bad”). This diet mentality sets you up for failure in the long term because it disconnects you from how your body really feels and what it needs, and bases your food decisions more on what your mind has determined it needs.
• Ensure that you are really eating a ketogenic diet if you are “going ketogenic” (i.e. 60-70% of your diet is actually healthy fats), and, eating enough (no accidental dieting here).
• Enjoy your food. The world is still your oyster with options of healthy and delicious foods to fit a ketogenic approach. Chew your food thoroughly and rest and digest as you nosh.
• Find individualized balance. Just like you want balanced hormones, your body needs balanced nutrition. And every BODY is different when it comes to what that balance looks like. Some women may very well find they need more carbs, and some may find they don’t need as much.

Here are some general barometers that can help you decide if the ketogenic diet is right for you.

You may need more carbs if:

• You are missing your period
• You struggle with getting pregnant
• You have low thyroid
• You have adrenal fatigue
• You are pregnant or nursing
• You are trying to put on healthy, lean muscle (it can be done with a ketogenic approach, but can prove to require a little more thought)
• You don’t feel energetic
• You often think about food in ‘deprivation’ mode
• You find it difficult to eat that much fat

You may need less carbs and more fats if:

• You have a hyperactive thyroid
• You’ve been trying to lose weight or body fat for quite some time with little to no results
• You experience brain fog regularly
• You have SIBO, Candida, or other bacterial infections
• You don’t fear eating fat
• You often hit a wall or ‘bonk’ after ‘carbing-up’ for your workouts
• You crave sweets and caffeine frequently

The Bottom Line

There is no one size fits all approach to eating, but if you are a woman, long-term ketogenic diets may not be all that our male counterparts chalk them up to be, and a little sweet potato, rice, or fruit never hurt you. Life is all about balance—food, hormones, sanity, and everything in between.

Want to learn more about low-carb diets?

Get the Lowdown on Low-Carb: Is It for You?

The post Does the Ketogenic Diet Work for Women? appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition published a study last week to investigate claims that a ketogenic diet can facilitate greater fat loss than diets relatively higher in carbohydrate.

Commonly known as “keto”, a ketogenic diet is a diet typically characterized by a 4:1 ratio of dietary fat to protein and carbohydrate and was originally used in the treatment of childhood epilepsy. It has been theorized that keto diets facilitate greater fat loss in humans as an absence of dietary carbohydrate forces the body to oxidize fat as its primary energy source.

Taubes and colleagues set out to test this theory. Their study was conducted over eight weeks in a research facility known as a metabolic ward. Seventeen overweight or obese volunteers participated, with no opportunity to eat foods outside of the diets of the study.

For the first four weeks, the subjects were fed a high-carbohydrate, high-sugar diet. Fifty percent of their total calories came from carbohydrate (338g per day), and 25% of their total calories came from sugar. The HCD diet totaled 2,739 calories per day.

For the second four weeks, they were fed a very-low-carbohydrate, low-sugar ketogenic diet. Five percent of their total calories came from carbohydrate (36g per day), and 2% of their total calories came from sugar. 15% percent of the calories came from protein. The keto diet totaled 2,738 calories per day. Note that the caloric intakes were kept close to identical, meaning fat loss could only be attributed to the source of the food rather than its caloric content.

The volunteers spent two days a week inside metabolic chambers, where their calorie expenditure was measured. Once every two weeks, their body composition was measured via a DEXA scan. The researchers also used doubly labeled water to measure the volunteers’ average calorie expenditure during the final two weeks of each diet.

In a fantastic online review of the study, Dr. Stephan Guyenet, a nutritional research expert, notes the study’s thoroughness and that the results, at face value, support the researchers’ initial hypothesis that a ketogenic diet promoted greater fat loss. Compared with the higher carbohydrate diet, the keto diet coincided with increased energy expenditure, meaning the subjects appeared to burn more calories when their carbohydrate levels were cut, thought they were consuming the same amount of calories as they were on the high carbohydrate diet.

But let’s look a little deeper at that. Though the subjects’ energy expenditure increased in the first two weeks of ketogenic diet, this increase eventually plateaued in the final two weeks and fell back down to the study’s baseline. What’s more, though participants lost weight rapidly in the first few days of going keto as a result of decreased water retention, body fat loss eventually also slowed. Further testing also returned that the participants on the keto diet even started to break down lean tissue for energy – not body fat.

Additionally, as also noted by Guyenet, fat mass decreased at a slower rate on the ketogenic diet than on the higher carbohydrate diet. On the ketogenic diet, the volunteers lost the same amount of body fat in one month that they lost in two weeks on the high carbohydrate diet. Guyenet comments:

“If you believe the hypothesis that sugar summons Beelzebub to plump up your fat tissue regardless of your calorie intake, the comparison should have been extremely favorable to the ketogenic diet. Yet the effect on fat mass was the opposite of what this hypothesis predicts.”

I’m biased, as I don’t believe that a ketogenic diet is an effective and uncomplicated way to lose weight in the long term. So it’s worth finishing with the point that for many trusted experts, including Guyenet, the effectiveness of the ketogenic diet lies in how satiating fat is. Fat makes us feel fuller, which commonly leads to a cumulatively lower net calorie intake and therefore, weight loss. This study removed the participants’ opportunity to eat according to their subjective hunger levels and thus the only feather in keto’s cap.

As one user on Guyenet’s blog notes, what would be interesting is a look at any data that tracked subjective hunger levels in this study, or a new study with a method that allowed for and controlled a more intuitive consumption of food. But this particular study lends little to no credence to keto.

The post Is a Ketogenic Diet Really More Effective for Fat Loss? appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

Once you understand the science behind this approach, especially when it’s done incorrectly, you’ll understand why this happens, why you might want to do it, and how to do it properly.

The Basics of a Ketogenic Diet

Seeming to defy all conventional logic and wisdom, the ketogenic diet is high in saturated fat, contains basically zero fruit, and recommends bacon. If that doesn’t defy the AMA and USDA recommendations, then I don’t know what would.

RELATED: The U.S. Government Is Full of Bad Ideas About Food 

But the ketogenic diet, when done properly, can have life-altering physiologic and neuroprotective benefits. That’s why it’s important to have a professional help you structure the diet, and to make sure you are still getting enough nutrients (especially the micro variety).

Mechanisms of the ketogentic diet.

To make this as simple as possible (nobody wants to drown in science), think of the ketogenic diet as a similar biochemical process to starvation, at least for your brain (but this is only initially). Most standard diets recommend obscene levels of carbohydrate consumption. This is supposed to supply the maximum amount of glucose to your brain. However, your brain only requires a small amount of glucose. This is where things get science-y.

We Evolved to Live Off Ketone Bodies

Unbeknownst to most, your brain can just as easily (and arguably, more effectively) run off of ketone bodies. What do you think we did, for millions of years, without 24-hour convenience stores on every corner, offering high-carb junk food? We killed animals (when we could) and then waited, sometimes for a long time, for our next meal. Maybe in between we had some berries or seeds, but mostly we waited.

RELATED: Leveraging Modern Technology to Achieve Ancestral Wellness

This is where humans developed a survival advantage. When few carbohydrates are consumed, the body develops insulin-resistance (not the pathological kind) and spares glucose for the brain. This is what kept us alive and allowed us to evolve into the fat slobs that we are today.

“What do you think we did, for millions of years, without 24-hour convenience stores on every corner, offering high-carb junk food?”

When you start taking in more dietary fat, your liver derives ketone bodies from your body’s stores, or from your intake of fat. It uses these ketones to power your cells (specifically, your mitochondria). Beta-hydroxybutyrate, acetoacetate, and acetone (three ketone bodies) are now running the show, quite literally.

The Arguments for Ketosis

• The argument that ketosis (importantly, not to be confused with metabolic ketoacidosis) is a preferred state of metabolic existence, is based on both the aforementioned evolutionary argument and the fact that mitochondria may prefer fat, rather than glucose, as an energy source. Ditto this statement, for your brain.
• Then, there is also the argument that higher blood sugar levels, over time, have been directly correlated with dementia. The common test for this is called hemoglobin A1c.

• Then, there are the observed mood effects with a high-carb diet. Do you feel like you’re always on a rollercoaster of emotions? Do you never feel completely relaxed and focused? Welcome to the town of blood sugar fluctuations. Population: you.
• Another fantastic scientific argument for trying the ketogenic approach, is that a ketogenic diet actually increases the number of mitochondria in your brain cells. If that doesn’t sound advantageous to you, then you’ve probably been on carb-overload.
• We are all also likely familiar with the free radical theory of aging. Antioxidants quench the harmful free radicals produced by a poor diet and other lifestyle choices. Ketone bodies help to stop the production of free radicals, thereby (perhaps) keeping you looking younger.
• Since you’ll be taking in a lot of dietary fat, you actually get the benefits of lowered inflammation, because your body will now be producing more protective polyunsaturated fats. Why do you think you’re taking that fish oil supplement, anyway?
• From an aesthetic and weight loss perspective, your body also becomes more efficient at utilizing stored body fat for fuel. Gluconeogenesis (the breaking down of protein to become glucose) is first encountered when adjusting to a ketogenic diet, but once you are in ketosis, your body now spares protein. This means you lose fat, but maintain, and can even build, muscle. Sounds like a magic bullet, right?

“[T]he lack of hunger experienced on the ketogenic diet may be its best selling point. The science behind this is the fact that dietary protein and fat are both extremely satiating.”

The Full Story on Ketosis and Hormones

But the lack of hunger experienced on the ketogenic diet may be its best selling point. The science behind this is the fact that dietary protein and fat are both extremely satiating. This is seen in the hormones ghrelin and leptin. These can be simply thought of as your hunger hormone and your satiety hormone.

When eating a lot of carbohydrates – especially the simple, sugary kind – you never quite feel full. And because of all that sugar energy, you are likely running around (assuming you aren’t leptin and/or insulin resistant). This is best exhibited by the little kid, running around the grocery store, because he just ate a cookie. A ketogenic diet makes you feel full and filled with energy – without the cookie.

Leptin neuroprotection in the brain.

The Long-Term Health Benefits

On top of all these scientific advantages, researchers have also looked at the long-term effects of a ketogenic diet. They found that individuals on this diet significantly reduced both their body weight and body mass index. What should really get your attention, though, is that the diet also decreased the level of triglycerides, LDL (“bad”) cholesterol, and blood glucose. At the same time, it increased the level of HDL (“good”) cholesterol. There were also no side effects reported.

Mood Stabilization Benefits

Lastly, many mental issues, such as autism, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and bipolar disorder, may respond quite favorably to a ketogenic diet. Since the approach was originally developed to combat epilepsy, this should come as no surprise. Interestingly, researchers found that acidification of the blood may help to stabilize mood, perhaps by reducing intracellular sodium and calcium. A ketogenic diet can help to provide this effect.

RELATED: Your Food and Your Mood: Carbs, Depression, and Cognitive Decline

Have I convinced you to try a ketogenic approach? Did you learn anything? I hope I conveyed the scientific how and why in a clear, concise, fashion. Let me know, in the comments.

References:

1. Bueno NB., et al. “Very-low-carbohydrate ketogenic diet v. low-fat diet for long-term weight loss: a meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials.” Br J Nutr. 2013;110(7):1178-87.

2. Johnstone AM., et al. “Effects of a high-protein ketogenic diet on hunger, appetite, and weight loss in obese men feeding ad libitum.” Am J Clin Nutr. 2008;87(1):44-55.

3. Masino SA., et al. Jasper’s Basic Mechanisms of the Epilepsies [Internet]. 4th edition. National Center for Biotechnology Information (US); 2012.

4. Westman EC., et al. “Low-carbohydrate nutrition and metabolism.” Am J Clin Nutr. 2007;86(2):276-84.

5. Evangeliou, A. et al. “Application of a ketogenic diet in children with autistic behavior: pilot study.” J Child Neurol. 2003;18(2):113-8.

6. Paoli, A. “Ketogenic diet for obesity: friend or foe?.” Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2014;11(2):2092-107.

7. Gasior M, et al. “Neuroprotective and disease-modifying effects of the ketogenic diet.” Behav Pharmacol. 2006;17(5-6):431-9.

8. Paoli A, et al. “Beyond weight loss: a review of the therapeutic uses of very-low-carbohydrate (ketogenic) diets.” Eur J Clin Nutr. 2013;67(8):789-96.

9. Seyfried BT, et al. “Targeting energy metabolism in brain cancer through calorie restriction and the ketogenic diet.” J Cancer Res Ther. 2009;5 Suppl 1:S7-15.

10. Krilanovich NJ. “Benefits of ketogenic diets.” Am J Clin Nutr. 2007;85(1):238-9.

Graphic 1 courtesy of Trends Neurosci. Jan 2013; 36(1): 32–40.

Photo 2 courtesy of Shutterstock.

Graphic 3 courtesy of J Neurochem. Sep 2008; 106(5): 1977–1990.

The post Why a Ketogenic Approach to Nutrition Is Ideal for Your Health appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

The study recruited 8 elite artistic gymnasts and analyzed their body composition and various performance aspects before and after 30 days of a modified ketogenic diet. The performance aspects analyzed were: hanging leg raise, pushups, parallel bar dips, pull ups, squat jumps, countermovement jumps, and 30 seconds of continuous jumps. The athletes continued with their normal training, and after three months tests were performed again.¹

The modified ketogenic diet was mostly made up of beef, veal, poultry, fish, raw and cooked green vegetables without restriction, cold cuts (dried beef, carpaccio, and cured ham), eggs, and cheese (such as parmesan). The drinks allowed were infusion tea, moka coffee and herbal extracts. The foods and drinks that athletes avoided on the VLCKD included alcohol, bread, pasta, rice, milk, yogurt, soluble tea, and barley coffee.²

After the VLCKD trial, the athletes consumed their usual diet which consisted mostly of potatoes, whole grains (bread, pasta, whole wheat, and rice), meat and poultry, eggs, vegetables, legumes, fruits, olive oil, whole milk, and wine. This diet was very similar to a Western diet. Just as in the VLCKD, the athletes were analyzed before and after the 30 days of the diet.³

The results of the study indicated that there were no significant differences in body measurement variables or in the basal athletic performance that was detected before either trial. However, comparison of measurements before and after the VLCKD shows a significant reduction in body weight, fat mass, and fat percentage, and an increase in lean body mass percentage. There were no significant differences pre and post the Western diet trial. After the VLCKD trial, muscle mass and lean body mass remained relatively the same.⁴

The results of this study suggest that power and strength performance can be maintained on a VLCKD, despite the rapid weight loss. To date, only one study has been published that examined the effects of a VLCKD on exercise, and the results of that study reported no difference in strength isometric performance between a VLCKD group and a high carbohydrate group, which is consistent with what was found in this study.⁵

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