According to Google’s 2016 search trend, “Ketogenic” is one of the most famous phrases in the world. By 2017, you are likely to catch Ketogenic at any major nutrition show in the world. Last year, it was present at both Arnold Classic, Ohio and the Olympia Fitness & Performance Expo, Las Vegas. What has made this diet so popular since the 1920s? Do you have more questions about Ketogenic, its mechanism of action and its benefits? Let’s answer the problems in the post.
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What is Keto diet?
If you don’t know what is Keto diet? Ketogenic is a dietary name which consumes tiny amounts of carbohydrates (carb) and a large amount of fat and protein. It has many similarities with low carb diets. It will cut carbohydrates because the body to switch to a metabolic state called ketosis. When this state is established, your body will burn fat, instead of glucose for energy needs.
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Principles of Ketogenic activity
The rule of the Ketogenic Diet is to reduce the carbohydrate to a minimum of about 30-50 grams/day which is equivalent to 5% of the total food. This causes the body to burn off all the stored glucose. Then, if you want more energy to work, it is forced to switch to fat burning mechanisms. The result of Ketogenic is burned fat, so if you follow the low carb diet to your weight which can help you reduce many other health risks such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes, Alzheimer’s and even cancer, Ketogenic is the best choice for you.
Everyone knows that everything that wants to work in the universe needs energy, so does the human body as well. The energy that the body uses every day is fed through meals. A typical meal would be 20% fat, 30% protein, and 50% carbohydrate. You should focus on carbohydrates because it is the favorite energy source of the body. After eating, the digestive system breaks down carb into glucose molecules in the blood. Glucose is considered a priority fuel for the body just like electricity in an electric bike. You will not have to bike, once it’s electric. As well, the body continues to burn glucose, if you have glucose inside. This process is called glucose. However, with a 50% carbohydrate diet plus a sedentary lifestyle, you are sure to get some extra energy out of your body. At this point, glucose is not used; it goes to the liver and is converted into a reservoir called glycogen which is a macromolecular polysaccharide of glucose.
Furthermore, although glycogen is also stored in muscles, red blood cells, kidneys and even in glial cells, the density of this macromolecule is most excellent and only glycogen in the liver acts as a source of energy reserving for other agencies. Now, you have to realize that carbohydrate and glucose are the main reasons you gain weight and fat. Therefore, you do not blame 30% of fat in your daily diet.
In Ketogenic diet, instead of eating up to 50% carbohydrates, they give you the opportunity to convert fat into one serving of 10% from 5% calories from carbs, 25% protein and 70% from fat. When the liver receives large amounts of fatty acids from the fatty tissues of the body, it converts these fatty acids into an important molecule called acetyl-CoA. That’s also what comes from carbohydrate. Acetyl-CoA is extremely important because this is the input to the Krebs cycle that occurs in the cells. The Krebs cycle creates ATP energy coins for every activity in the body, which we have all learned in the curriculum.
Therefore, if you use the Ketogenic diet, after converting fatty acids into acetyl-CoA, the liver can not take it into the Krebs cycle immediately. It continues to break down Acetyl-CoA into two molecules, acetoacetate and beta-hydroxybutyrate which are also known as ketone bodies.
Ketone bodies are introduced into the bloodstream and transported to each cell. Cells turn Ketone bodies back into Acetyl-CoA. Then, it is now being introduced into the Krebs cycle in the mitochondria to produce ATP energy. The whole process of burning fat instead of glucose to create this energy is called Ketosis. As you’ve already noticed, it’s also the origin of the name given to the Ketogenic diet.
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How to do Ketogenic diet
We have talked about the principle of Ketogenic activity; it is not difficult to recognize the practice of this low carb diet. You only need to keep the carbohydrate loaded below 5% of your daily caloric intake; from 30-50 grams which also keep high levels of fat (65-75%) and the rest is protein.
In the standard Ketogenic diet, the exact ratio is 5% Carb, 20% protein and 75% fat. There are also some other variants such as
– Cyclic Ketogenic regimen: Includes five standard Ketogenic days, followed by two days of high carbohydrate intake.
– Flexible Ketogenic Mode: Allows you to increase the amount of carbohydrate if you exercise heavily.
– Protein-rich diet: 60% fat, 35% protein and 5% carbohydrate.
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One day eat a Ketogenic sample
We will introduce a typical example of a Ketogenic day
– Breakfast: 2 fried eggs and two slices of meat
– Lunch: 2 celery and 25g cheese
– Lunch: 140g chicken breast, 85g cabbage, two tablespoons rich greens and low carb
– Midnight snacks: 30g almonds
– Dinner: 200g of loin tenderloin, 85g spinach, and 14 small mushrooms
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The opinion of the scientists
The principle of the Ketogenic regime, built above, is what scientists have agreed upon. For a long time in the process of evolution, the people of the hunter-gatherer period also lived mainly in the state of ketosis. However, today, only the standard Ketogenic diet and protein-rich diet Ketogenic are more than 20 studies prove regarding benefits. The first benefit of Ketogenic was scientifically proven, also in its birth. In 1921, Henry Geyelin who is an American endocrinologist tested the regimen on epileptic patients. After putting their bodies into ketosis, Geyelin noticed that the seizures had subsided. Since then, many other scientific studies have supported the benefits of the Ketogenic regime, including
– Reduced risk of cardiovascular disease: reduced body fat, cholesterol, blood pressure, and blood sugar
– Reduced cancer risk: Ketogenic has recently been used to treat certain cancers and to reduce the growth of tumors.
– Beneficial with Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s: Ketogenic regimen can reduce the symptoms of these two conditions
– Brain injury support: A study in animals has shown that Ketogenic regimens can reduce confusion and help recover from brain damage.
– Reduced acne: Ketogenic lowers insulin levels and eating less sugar will reduce acne.
– Promote weight loss: When your body starts burning fat as the main source of energy, you will start losing weight.
– Increases energy levels: Fats are molecules that provide better energy than glucose. Therefore, when you eat Ketogenic, you will feel full of energy.
– Reduced hunger: Carbohydrates will put you in a vicious cycle of appetite. Fat, on the other hand, will make you feel fuller longer, because it digests more slowly, releasing energy gradually and continuously.
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Should you apply Ketogenic?
Before deciding to apply the low carb diet, you should consider the benefits, they are proven by some studies, but also only at the beginning. Furthermore, Ketogenic is not without its back. In the early days of application, Ketogenic will cause some side effects. That is when the body is not adapted to this diet. You may experience keto flu which is an uncomfortable condition that includes many symptoms including fatigue, or hunger, sleep problems, nausea, gastrointestinal discomfort and decreased the ability to exercise.
Furthermore, the Ketogenic diet also changes the balance of water and minerals in the body. Therefore, you should add salt to the meal or take supplements containing mineral supplements. To reduce the side effects, you should try to get 3,000-4,000 mg of sodium, 1,000 mg of potassium and 300 mg of magnesium a day.
Ketogenic diets are perfect for those who are overweight, obese, diabetic or want to improve metabolic function. It can also be used for healthy people, but it is not suitable for athletes who wish to gain weight or gain muscle. The most important thing like any diet, Ketogenic is only valid when you do it often and for a long time. After all, from the most up-to-date studies, reducing carbohydrate in the diet as Ketogenic seems to be quite reasonable.
Hope that the post helps you understand more about Ketogenic diet.
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