What is the ketogenic diet? Your benefits and risks
Within the nutritional alternatives to lose weight, the ketogenic diet It has positioned itself as one of the most recommended nutritional plans by nutritionists and doctors.
Although obesity is a pathological state that is characterized by a sufficiently excessive accumulation of fat to overcome the corresponding weight of a person, the ketogenic diet has as its main objective: eliminate excess fat and provide the person who carries it out, a physical and emotional well-being.
What is the ketogenic diet?
As a dietary plan that involves the restriction of carbohydrates, the ketogenic diet is basically a nutritional alternative rich in proteins and fats that seeks to reduce significantly the intake of carbohydrates.
Carbohydrates are mostly identified as the biomolecules responsible for storing and obtaining energy, however, their consumption in excess may be the main cause of obesity.
Carbohydrates are divided into two: simple and complex carbohydrates. Nutritionally, it is recommended to consume more simple carbohydrates than complex carbohydrates, since the former are composed of fructose (fruits) and galactose (dairy and derived).
In contrast, complex carbohydrates include lactose (the main component of dairy), maltose, which is found in beers and sucrose, also known as table sugar or common sugar.
The goal of the ketogenic diet is not to completely eliminate the consumption of carbohydrates, but to decrease them markedly so that, metabolically, the body can stimulate more the oxidation of fats, which leads to the formation of ketone bodies.
Conceptually, ketone bodies (also known as ketones) are products that are part of the waste of fat. They occur when the body uses sugars instead of sugars (carbohydrates) to generate and store energy.
This is usually a natural process for diabetics, because not by not producing enough insulin to transport glucose, cells use fats as their energy source.
This is where the term "ketogenic diet" was born and its main function: to produce ketones through the consumption of pure proteins and fats.
In fact, the proportion of carbohydrates in a ketogenic diet comprises values lower than 50% of total calories. That is, if there are 2,000 calories that should be consumed daily and that represents 100%, in a ketogenic diet barely between 500 to 1000 calories are those that are derived from the consumption of carbohydrates.
There are ketogenic diets in which the intake of fruits and vegetables is allowed, but in very controlled quantities, but in turn prohibiting the intake of cereals, flours, baked goods and desserts.
Advantages of the ketogenic diet
Rapid weight loss: nutritional studies have shown that the ketogenic diet compared to diets with a higher carbohydrate consumption, helps in a relatively short time to lose weight to the people who carried them out.
In a month you can see quite effective results with losses of up to 5 kg. An important factor not only in a ketogenic diet but in any other dietary plan, is that no matter what you are consuming, the ideal is to be done every day at the same time. In this way the organism manages to accelerate the metabolism and process the correct components.
Decreases fluid retention: because the ketogenic diet promotes the consumption of various proteins of animal origin, such as red meats (beef and pork), white meats (chicken, fish, turkey), eggs, cheese and occasionally, some sausages instead of foods high in sugars , as the main benefit, they manage to take the organism to a metabolic state known as ketosis, where more fluid is lost than muscle mass and a toned body is talked about.
Generates a greater sense of satiety the consumption of these proteins and fats generate a feeling of satiety much higher than in people who consume a lot of carbohydrate.
The carbohydrates manage to fill but not completely satiate the organism. In addition, these low-carbohydrate diets manage to reduce triglyceride levels, blood pressure and in turn a constant feeling of hunger and craving.
Risks of the ketogenic diet
On the other hand, ketogenic diets, like any other radical food change, bring their disadvantages and risks.
Among these risks and consequences are:
Presence of certain symptoms: Like any diet that implements a radical change in diet, this brings multiple symptoms and discomforts such as headache, nausea, fatigue, muscle weakness or fatigue.In the same way, during the course of the ketone diet it is common to suffer constipation, as a consequence of the minimum consumption of fiber, as well as bad breath or halitosis.
It is not recommended for people with cardiovascular problems: The ketogenic diet is not advisable in people with liver, kidney and heart problems, since in some cases it has led to the development of arrhythmias and hypertension. Also in ketogenic diets there is a deficiency of minerals, vitamins and especially fiber. This article is published for informational purposes only. You can not and should not replace the consultation with a Nutritionist. We advise you to consult your trusted Nutritionist. ThemesDiet
