Important: It is not recommended to follow the diet without consulting your doctor.This rule is relevant not only for those who have identified diseases, but also for everyone else.
Unlike most currently popular diets, the goals of the ketogenic diet were purely therapeutic from the beginning.They remain on the agenda even today.Generally speaking, the word "diet" initially had nothing to do with losing weight.This term means a set of nutritional rules that must be followed in a given situation - during the treatment of a certain disease, during the period of postoperative therapy.
The renewed popularity of the keto diet is largely attributed to an American film producer whose child suffered from epilepsy for a long time.Despite numerous visits to the most famous and outstanding neurologists, who, it seems, tried all the most effective antiepileptic drugs that exist in nature, the boy's condition did not improve at all.The almost desperate father read a lot of literature on the topic of epilepsy treatment in the local library and suddenly came across a description of the ketogenic diet, which no specialist had yet recommended to him.He immediately put his son on this diet and, to his great delight, he found that the frequency of the boy's seizures was significantly reduced.
Therefore, the ketogenic diet was invented primarily to reduce the frequency of epileptic seizures in children.There was no reduction in calorie intake;Carbohydrates were simply replaced with fats.The children were kept on this diet for 36 hours, and the frequency of their seizures actually decreased.
The ketogenic diet is now used to treat not only epilepsy, but also Alzheimer's disease, fatty liver disease (fatty liver), and even some types of cancer.In general, its therapeutic benefits are undeniable.What about losing weight?
The ketogenic diet is a diet that includes foods that contain fats (animal fats and some vegetable oils), animal proteins and very little carbohydrate, so that about 80% of the body's energy needs can be met by the breakdown of fat (the fat content of the average European diet provides 30–35% of the energy the body needs during the day).And as occurs during fasting, the breakdown of large amounts of fat increases acidity in the body.This may perhaps explain why the use of such a dietary complex leads to a reduction in the frequency of epileptic seizures.
The goal of the ketogenic diet is to bring the body into a state of ketosis.
Ketosis is a pathological state of the body in which ketone bodies predominate in its tissues.The state of ketosis means that the body exclusively uses fat stored under the skin to meet energy needs, which prevents muscle breakdown.In a state of ketosis, you will get energy from ketones – carbonyl compounds that are formed when fats are broken down.By the way, ketones are an excellent source of energy for the brain, almost completely replacing glucose.
Another positive feature of ketosis is that in this state you will practically not experience hunger, therefore, you will eat less, which means you will not be able to fully cover your energy costs.
To bring the body into a state of ketosis, the diet is structured in such a way that fats clearly dominate in the diet, and mainly saturated fats (90% of the diet, based on calorie content, is fat).
In fact, the diet that many professional bodybuilders follow in the final weeks before a competition could even be called ketogenic: it consists only of salmon (usually grilled, but can be prepared in other forms), peanut butter and green vegetables (lettuce, broccoli, spinach, cabbage).It is even better to include flaxseed oil or walnut oil in this diet.There is already a lot of protein here, which reduces the problems, but does not eliminate them completely.
Advantages and disadvantages of the classic ketogenic diet
The plus is that this diet is very effective, the diet works, and how!The main thing is that you will practically not experience hunger, which means that calorie restriction in your diet will be much easier to tolerate.Ketones are an excellent source of energy for the brain.
It is also important that ketogenic diet reduces the risk of cardiovascular diseases due to a sharp reduction in insulin secretion.But for people leading an active lifestyle, this plus can easily turn into a minus, because insulin is a powerful anti-catabolic agent.The reduction in insulin secretion is superimposed on the ability of the ketogenic diet to provoke acidosis in the muscles, which means that proteolysis increases, i.e. the breakdown of the body's own proteins is facilitated.And catabolism can get out of control.Of course, not immediately, but definitely in 3-4 days.
It is impossible to follow the classic ketogenic diet for a long time - you begin to feel sick in the most natural way.It is no surprise that the ketogenic diet for children with epilepsy was limited to a 36-hour period.
The ketogenic diet is currently used to treat some types of cancer.In particular, prostate cancer exploits the ability of diet to reduce the production of IGF-1 (insulin-like growth factor 1).
Another disadvantage is the reduction in the level of free testosterone in the blood plasma.
The main danger of the keto diet is an increase in ketone levels in the blood, which lowers blood acidity (pH) levels and can cause death in extreme cases.This condition is called "ketoacidosis".First of all, this applies to people with severe and moderate forms of diabetes.If it doesn't, there is no need to worry about it, as healthy people have as many ketones in their blood as the body can process.
It takes time for the body to learn to give up glucose and feed the brain ketone bodies, so levels of physical and mental activity may be low in the first week.The main symptoms are drowsiness, dizziness, and mental fog.
Many people experience this condition extremely painfully, and literally "give up" on the second day.But on the third to fifth day, when the body is rebuilt, the health condition completely returns to normal.
Due to lack of fiber the functioning of the intestine slows down.The main point of the ketogenic diet is complete avoidance of carbohydrates.Accordingly, the diet should include proteins and fats, and fiber is a complex carbohydrate.It is possible to take fiber in its pure form and simply include green vegetables or lettuce in the diet, which contain considerable amounts of coarse dietary fiber.
A significant disadvantage of the diet is the deficiency of microelements caused by the exclusion of carbohydrate-rich foods from the diet.Essentially, any meat or dairy products do not contain most of the vitamins or minerals recommended on the ketogenic diet.The best way to avoid deficiencies is to take dietary supplements containing vitamins and minerals.Many minerals such as zinc or magnesium are important for body functioning and hormonal levels.
differences of opinion
Ketogenic diet is prohibited in case of liver disease, kidney disease, metabolic disorders (including congenital and genetically determined metabolic disorders), progressive encephalopathy, as well as in the presence or history of diabetes mellitus, cardiovascular diseases, cerebrovascular and lipid diseases, as well as when taking valproic acid (valproate) drugs simultaneously.There are currently no known contraindications to its use.
When prescribing a ketogenic diet, the diet for each child and adult is calculated only by a doctor!Strictly individually, taking into account the diagnosis, age and weight of the child, his nutritional needs.The content of basic nutrients (proteins, fats, carbohydrates) in food is selected in a certain ratio, which is determined only by a specialist!During treatment, this ratio may change, so constant monitoring of the patient by the attending physician is necessary, who, if necessary, makes dietary adjustments.The patient's diet includes a variety of fatty foods – bacon, heavy cream, vegetable oils, such as linseed.In countries where ketogenic diets are widely used, the food industry produces many specialized products that can provide a varied and nutritious menu.
For those starting a course of treatment, nutritionists have developed special milkshakes with a large amount of fat, which can not only be drunk, but also eaten frozen, like ice cream.This helps the child to get used to fatty foods and causes necessary biochemical changes in the body that provide anti-epileptic effects.During treatment, the doctor requires great skill in making the menu, otherwise the child will quickly get bored of the monotonous diet and may refuse to eat altogether.Metabolism always changes during various diseases like cold and cough.This may make the ketogenic diet less effective.During such situations, you should definitely consult your doctor so that he can adjust the menu.
What can you eat on the ketogenic diet and what recommendations should you follow?
The ketogenic diet focuses on foods rich in protein and fat.It is important that moderate intake of fat is healthy and even necessary, because it is fat that creates the feeling of fullness for a long time.
Fats can be divided into three groups:
- saturated fat (found in red meat and dairy products);
- unsaturated (found in vegetable oils and vegetables);
- Monounsaturated (found in fish and olives).
Fat performs several functions in the human body:
- Energy (with calorie deficit, fat can be broken down, supplying the body with energy);
- protective (all organs are covered with a thin layer and have high thermal insulation properties);
- Formation (part of cell membrane);
- Enzymatic (part of some lipid cofactors);
- Hormonal (some lipids are part of hormones and mediators).
The best option would be foods rich in proteins – meat, fish, milk, cottage cheese, eggs, cottage cheese, as well as their derivatives.Carbohydrates are acceptable, but only in small amounts.30-50 grams of fiber will be sufficient for digestion.
Any starchy products (cereals, pasta, potatoes) and sugar in any form are strictly not recommended.Almost all fruits contain a lot of sugar in some form or the other, so they are also banned.It is always necessary to look at the composition of the product on the label, because even one glass of milk contains about 15 grams of carbohydrates.In addition, a list of basic food additives is being studied, which will also have to be excluded, if only because they are harmful.
Drink plenty of water to encourage weight loss.Water helps the body burn more calories and prevents constipation.Limit your caffeine intake.Exercise regularly.
Exercise will help you lose fat faster on the ketogenic diet.Walk, ride a bike, run in the park or work out at the gym.Including physical activity in your daily schedule can help you maintain a healthy heart and lose weight.
Get good sleep at night.In the early stages of ketosis, you may feel very tired.Sleep at least 7-8 hours at night to restore energy.Good rest will also promote weight loss.
If you feel cold-like symptoms, contact your doctor.Many people feel tired and have mild headaches during ketosis.Sometimes side effects become so severe that medical care is required.
When is the diet effective?
This happens gradually during the first 3 months after starting the ketogenic diet.Usually, long-term treatment is required (up to several years, usually 2-3 years), after which a stable improvement is usually observed, which persists even with a normal diet.Thus, there is no need to follow a ketogenic diet throughout life.
In many cases, positive effects are noticeable as early as the first or second week of treatment.However, sometimes no effect is noticeable within a month or two of using the diet - in this case it is too early to draw conclusions about the ineffectiveness of treatment;Perhaps the doctor needs to calculate biochemical parameters more carefully.
In the generally accepted understanding, this is largely a variation on the theme of therapeutic fasting followed by a "loading" of foods that causes ketosis.For the first three days of therapy, you should completely abandon any food and limit yourself to drinking only water in any quantity.Mineral water and carbonated water with and without artificially sweetened drinks, as well as juices, are prohibited.You can drink green tea.Water can be boiled or purified.During this period, it is necessary to reduce the patient's physical activity;Sometimes bed rest is indicated.For the next three days, you should gradually introduce one-fourth of the normal portion of food.When choosing food, you should be guided by the principle of 4 parts fat and one part protein and carbohydrates.
The menu is somewhat reminiscent of the so-called fat diet for weight loss.The main thing is that you should completely exclude foods such as cereals, fruits, regular bread, carrots, beets, potatoes and pasta.
Complications
Like any method of therapy, the use of a ketogenic diet in some cases is associated with certain adverse reactions, the main ones of which are listed below.
- Hair fall.Some children experience hair loss or reduced hair growth after long-term use of the ketogenic diet.It is believed that this complication is mainly associated with a lack of minerals in the diet.
- Delayed linear growth.This type of physical growth disorder was recorded in some patients, but its relationship with the ketogenic diet remains debated today.Increased levels of cholesterol and triglycerides in the blood.The ketogenic diet, which consists of approximately 90% fat, causes an increase in cholesterol and other lipids in the blood in some cases.For any lipid content (cholesterol - more than 800 mg%, triglycerides - more than 1000 mg%), there is no need to stop the diet.Reducing the fat-to-protein-to-carbohydrate ratio from 4:1 to 3.5:1 usually results in a rapid reduction in lipid levels to acceptable levels.
- Kidney stones.This complication of the ketogenic diet affects about 1 in 6 patients.It is believed to be caused by inadequate fluid intake in children.Therefore, while taking a ketogenic diet, a urine test is done to determine the density and detect blood impurities.If necessary, an ultrasound examination of the kidneys is performed.
- drowsiness and lethargyMay be due to excessive ketosis or toxicity of concomitantly used antiepileptic drugs.Blood levels of drugs may increase during the ketogenic diet even without increasing the drug dose.For this reason, it is necessary to check their concentration in the blood and immediately reduce the dosage of potentially sedative drugs such as phenobarbital and benzodiazepines.
- ConstipationAs a rule, this is explained by relatively small portions of food when following a ketogenic diet and limited water consumption.Increasing the daily amount of fluid by 100-150 ml helps to avoid defecation disorders.
- excess body weightThis problem in patients is caused by consuming too many calories rather than too much fat.Therefore, when prescribing a ketogenic diet the energy content of the diet should be adapted to their individual needs.
- Weight loss.This point can be explained by some individual metabolic characteristics, as well as the patient's level of physical activity.If it turns out that the child's body weight has decreased by 400-500 g in 1 month, the energy capacity of the diet can be increased by about 100 kcal per day.It should be remembered that when increasing the calorie content of the diet of young children or patients with a low level of physical activity, there is no need to increase the amount of energy consumed at one time by more than 25 kcal.
We remind you once again that your individual menu for this diet should be compiled by a specialist!
When using a ketogenic diet, a thorough clinical and laboratory examination of patients is required before starting treatment with recording of EEG and ECG data, as well as biochemical blood tests.