Important: it is not recommended to follow a diet without prior consultation with a doctor.This rule is relevant not only for those who have identified diseases, but also for everyone else.
Unlike most popular diets, the goals of the ketogenic diet were originally purely medical.They remain on the agenda today.Generally speaking, the word "diet" originally had nothing to do with losing weight.This word means a set of nutritional rules that must be followed in a given situation - during the treatment of a certain disease, during post-operative therapy.
The keto diet owes its renewed popularity largely to an American film producer whose son suffered from epilepsy for a long time.Despite numerous visits to the most famous and prominent neurologists, who tried, apparently, all the most effective anti-epileptic drugs available in nature, the boy's condition did not improve at all.Almost desperate, the father read a lot of literature in the local library on the topic of epilepsy treatment, and suddenly came across a description of the ketogenic diet, which no specialist had yet recommended for him.He immediately put his son on this diet and was delighted to find that the boy's seizure frequency was greatly reduced.
So the ketogenic diet was invented to reduce the frequency of epileptic seizures - mostly in children.There was no reduced caloric intake;Carbohydrates were simply replaced by fats.The children were kept on this diet for 36 hours and their seizure frequency actually decreased.
The ketogenic diet is now used to treat not only epilepsy, but also Alzheimer's disease, fatty liver disease (fatty liver), and some types of cancer.In general, its medical benefits are undeniable.What about weight loss?
A ketogenic diet is a diet that is very high in fats (animal fats and some vegetable oils), animal proteins and very little carbohydrates, so that about 80% of the body's energy needs are met by the breakdown of fats (the fat content of the average European diet provides 30-35% of the body's energy needs for the day).And just like fasting, breaking down large amounts of fat causes the body to become more acidic.This may 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.A state of ketosis means that the body uses exclusively fat stored under the skin to meet energy needs, preventing muscle breakdown.When in a state of ketosis, you get energy from ketones - carbonyl compounds that are formed when fat is broken down.By the way, ketones are an excellent source of energy for the brain, almost perfectly replacing glucose.
Another positive feature of ketosis is that in this state you practically do not experience hunger, therefore you eat less, which means that you do not fully cover energy costs.
In order to put the body into a state of ketosis, the diet is structured in such a way that the diet is clearly dominated by fats and predominantly saturated fats (the diet consists of 90% fat, based on caloric content).
In fact, the diet used by many professional bodybuilders in the last week before competition can also be called ketogenic: it consists only of salmon (usually fried, but can be prepared in other ways), peanut butter and green vegetables (lettuce, broccoli, spinach, kale).It is even better to add linseed oil or walnut oil to this diet.There is already much more protein here, which reduces the problems, but does not completely eliminate them.
Pros and cons 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 feel hungry, which means that limiting calories in your diet will be quite easy to tolerate.Ketones are an excellent source of energy for the brain.
It is also important that the ketogenic diet reduces the risk of cardiovascular diseases due to a drastic reduction in insulin secretion.But for people with an active lifestyle, this plus can easily turn into a minus, because insulin is a powerful anti-catabolic agent.The decrease in insulin secretion is based on the ability of the ketogenic diet to provoke acidosis in the muscles, which means that proteolysis increases, that is, it promotes the breakdown of the body's own proteins.And catabolism can get out of control.Not immediately, of course, but in 3-4 days for sure.
Sticking to the classic ketogenic diet for a long time is simply not possible - the most natural thing is to start feeling sick.It is not for nothing that the ketogenic diet was limited to 36 hours for children with epilepsy.
The ketogenic diet is currently being used to treat certain types of cancer.In particular, prostate cancer uses the ability of diet to reduce the production of IGF-1 (insulin-like growth factor 1).
Another disadvantage is a decrease in the level of free testosterone in the blood plasma.
The main danger of the keto diet is the increase in ketone levels in the blood, which lowers the acidity (pH) level of the blood and can lead to death in extreme cases.This condition is called "ketoacidosis".First of all, it concerns people with severe and moderate forms of diabetes.If it is not there, there is no need to worry about it, because the blood of healthy people contains exactly as many ketones as the body can process.
It takes time for the body to learn to give up glucose and feed the brain with ketone bodies, so physical and mental activity levels may decrease during the first week.The main symptoms are lethargy, dizziness and mental fog.
Many people experience this condition extremely painfully and literally "give up" the next day.But the state of health completely returns to normal on the third to fifth day, when the body recovers.
Lack of fiber slows down bowel function.The main point of the ketogenic diet is complete abstinence from carbohydrates.Therefore, the diet should consist of proteins and fats, and fiber is a complex carbohydrate.It is possible to get fiber in its pure form and simply include green vegetables or salad leaves in the diet, which contain a lot of rough dietary fiber.
An important disadvantage of the diet is the deficiency of micronutrients caused by the exclusion of carbohydrate-containing foods from the diet.Essentially, any meat or dairy products recommended on a ketogenic diet are devoid of vitamins and minerals.The best way to prevent deficiency is to take vitamins and minerals, dietary supplements containing minerals.A number of minerals, such as zinc or magnesium, are crucial for body function and hormonal levels.
Contraindications
Ketogenic diet is contraindicated in the presence or history of liver disease, kidney disease, metabolic disorders (including congenital and genetically determined metabolic disorders), progressive encephalopathy, as well as diabetes mellitus, cardiovascular diseases, cerebrovascular and lipid diseases, as well as taking valproic acid.There are currently no known contraindications to its use.
When prescribing a ketogenic diet, the diet of each child and adult is considered only by a doctor!Strictly individually, taking into account the child's diagnosis, age and weight, his nutritional needs.The content of the main nutrients (proteins, fats, carbohydrates) in the food is selected in a certain ratio, which only a specialist determines!During treatment, this ratio can change, so it is necessary to constantly monitor the patient by the attending physician, who, if necessary, adjusts the diet.The patient's diet includes various types of fatty foods - bacon, heavy cream, vegetable oils such as linseed.In countries where the ketogenic diet is widely used, the food industry produces many special products that can provide a varied and nutritious menu.
For those who are starting a course of treatment, nutritionists have developed special milk shakes with a large amount of fat, which can be drunk not only frozen like ice cream.This helps the child get used to fatty foods and creates the necessary biochemical changes in the body, which provides an anti-epileptic effect.During treatment, the doctor requires great skill in creating a menu, otherwise the child will quickly get bored with a monotonous diet and may refuse to eat altogether.During various diseases, such as a cold, the metabolism always changes.This may make the ketogenic diet less effective.In such conditions, you should definitely consult a doctor so that he can adjust the menu.
What can you eat on a ketogenic diet and what recommendations should you follow?
The ketogenic diet focuses on foods rich in protein and fat.It is important that moderate consumption of fat is healthy and even necessary, because it is fat that causes a long-lasting feeling of fullness.
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).
Fats perform many functions in the human body:
- Energy (with a lack of calories, fats can be broken down, providing the body with energy);
- protective (all organs are covered with a thin layer and have high thermal insulation properties);
- construction (part of cell membranes);
- enzymatic (some lipids are part of cofactors);
- Hormonal (some lipids are part of hormones and mediators).
The best choice will be protein-rich foods - meat, fish, milk, cottage cheese, eggs, cheese, as well as their derivatives.Carbohydrates are acceptable, but only in small amounts.30-50 grams of fiber will be enough for digestion.
Any products containing starch (cereals, pasta, potatoes) and sugar in any form are categorically not recommended.Almost all fruits contain a lot of sugar in one form or another, so they are also prohibited.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 that should also be excluded, if only because they are harmful, is being studied.
To promote weight loss, drink plenty of water.Water helps the body burn more calories and prevents constipation.Limit your caffeine intake.Exercise regularly.
Exercise can help you lose fat faster on a ketogenic diet.Walk, ride a bike, walk in the park or work out in the gym.Incorporating physical activity into your daily schedule can help you maintain a healthy heart and lose weight.
sleep wellIn the early stages of ketosis, you may feel very tired.Sleep at least 7-8 hours a night to restore energy.Good rest will also help you lose weight.
See your doctor if you have cold-like symptoms.Many people feel tired and have mild headaches while in ketosis.Sometimes the side effects become so severe that they require medical attention.
When does the diet work?
The effects of using a ketogenic diet gradually become apparent within the first 3 months of its initiation.As a rule, long-term treatment is required (several years, usually 2-3 years), after which there is generally a steady improvement, which continues even with a normal diet.Thus, there is no need to follow a ketogenic diet for life.
In most cases, the positive effect is noticeable already in the first or second week of treatment.However, sometimes no effect is observed after one or two months of using the diet - in this case it is premature to draw conclusions about the ineffectiveness of the treatment;The doctor may calculate the biochemical parameters more carefully.
In the general sense, this is basically a variation on the theme of therapeutic fasting followed by a ketosis-inducing food "load".During the first three days of therapy, you must completely refuse any food and limit yourself to drinking water in any quantity.Mineral water and artificially sweetened drinks with and without carbonated water, 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;Bed rest is sometimes indicated.During the next three days, you should slowly introduce food, a quarter of the usual portion.When choosing food, you should be guided by the principle of 4 parts of fat, one part of 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 such foods as cereals, fruits, ordinary bread, carrots, beets, potatoes and pasta.
Complications
Like any method of therapy, the use of a ketogenic diet is sometimes associated with some adverse reactions, the main ones of which are listed below.
- hair lossSome children experience hair loss or sparse hair growth after long-term use of the ketogenic diet.This complication is believed to be primarily related to a mineral deficiency in the diet.
- Delayed linear growth.This type of physical development disorder has been reported in some patients, but its association with the ketogenic diet continues to this day.Increase in blood cholesterol and triglyceride levels.The ketogenic diet, which consists of almost 90% fat, in some cases causes an increase in blood cholesterol and other lipids.For any lipid content (cholesterol - more than 800 mg%, triglycerides - more than 1000 mg%), it is not necessary to stop the diet.Reducing the ratio of fat to protein to carbohydrates from 4:1 to 3.5:1 usually results in rapid reduction of lipid levels to acceptable levels.
- Kidney stones.This complication of the ketogenic diet affects about 1 in 6 patients.It is believed that this happens due to insufficient fluid intake in children.Therefore, during the ketogenic diet, a urine test is performed to determine the density and detect blood impurities.If necessary, an ultrasound examination of the kidneys is performed.
- Drowsiness and lethargyMay occur due to excessive ketosis or toxicity of concomitant antiepileptic drugs.Blood levels of drugs can increase on a ketogenic diet without increasing the drug dose.For this reason, it is necessary to check their concentration in the blood and quickly reduce the dose of potentially sedative drugs, such as phenobarbital and benzodiazepines.
- ConstipationIt is usually explained by the relatively small portions of food followed by the ketogenic diet and limited water consumption.Increasing the daily volume of consumed liquid by 100-150 ml helps to prevent defecation disorders.
- Excess body weightPatients are caused by consuming too many calories, not too much fat.Therefore, the energy content of the diet when prescribing a ketogenic diet should be adapted to their individual needs.
- weight loss.This point is 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 caloric content of the diet of young children or patients with a low level of physical activity, the amount of consumed energy does not need to be increased by more than 25 kcal.
We remind you once again that your personal menu for this diet should be drawn up by a specialist!
When using a ketogenic diet, a thorough clinical and laboratory examination of patients with recording of EEG and ECG data, as well as a biochemical blood test is required before starting treatment.