Ketogenic diets are growing fast in popularity because of one simple reason; they work and they work well. However, if you are new to the world of weight loss through ketosis, you might be wondering what is it exactly that makes them so effective? In order to answer this question, it is necessary to first explain how ketogenic diets work.
What is a Ketogenic Diet?
A ketogenic diet is a high-fat diet plan with a decent amount of protein and almost no carbohydrates. The fat comes from natural food sources such as butter, coconut oil, olive oil, lard, and animal fat. Vegetables with little to no starch content are also welcome, such as cucumbers, zucchini, asparagus, broccoli, etc.
How Does It Work?
The primary objective of a ketogenic diet is to force the body into a metabolic state known as ketosis, where the fats in our liver are broken down into sources of energy, referred to as ketones. Ketosis occurs naturally when someone is starving, but a ketogenic diet cuts the starvation out of the equation by providing the body with all the calories that it needs to function well in the form of healthy fats, but none of the carbs. As the body does not receive enough of the carbohydrates, which are the easiest to break down into glucose, it seeks to find an alternate source of energy by breaking down fat instead. The high-fat content in your ketogenic diet provides ample sources for the body to utilize and soon, the system shifts into full fat-burning mode and starts to break down stored fat as well.
Isn’t a High-Fat Diet Bad for Our Health?
As long as your carb intake is low, the fat you eat is being utilized as energy and not stored like it would be if you were also taking a lot of carbs with the fat. Therefore, not only does a ketogenic diet help you to lose weight, but it also has the following advantages.
- Ketone is a cleaner source of energy
- Oxidative stress is relieved
- Blood sugar, blood pressure, and cholesterol are naturally lowered
- A ketogenic diet has been related to better mental focus, reduced hunger, and high energy
- It might help epileptic patients
- Acne, pimples, and certain other inflammatory skin diseases could be reduced
Do You Need Ketone Supplements?
If you want to reduce the pressure on your body, which is inevitable as you make this switch and see faster results, then yes, ketone supplements are necessary for that. However, it is essential to only use high-quality exogenous ketone supplements because skipping the research and going with something cheap might lead to side-effects such as amenorrhea and constipation. Find more information here.
As you can see, ketogenic diets are popular for their efficacy because they simply change the source of our daily energy itself by turning our own bodies into fat-burning machines. As long as you combine a well-planned keto diet with adequate exercise and supplement it with a few high-quality ketone supplements, weight loss is just one of many advantages you will start seeing in a matter of weeks.
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