The Ketogenic Diet

The keto diet has become very popular in the recent couple of years, especially among athletes and adolescents. However, in reality the ketogenic diet has its origin at the beginning of the last century, when it was designed for therapeutic purposes to treat diseases such as epilepsy.

It basically consists of a very low carbohydrate intake, a high fat intake, and a moderate protein intake.

Here nutritionist Rivka Oratz will explain more about this diet.

HOW EXACTLY DOES THE KETO DIET OR THE KETOGENIC DIET WORK?

Low-calorie diets provide fewer calories than you need to use your reserves and lose weight. That is the classic mechanism of most weight loss regimens.

“But, in the case of the ketogenic diet, which also aims to preserve your muscles, the mechanism is totally different: says Rivka Oratz. “By reducing the intake of carbohydrates, the main fuel of the cells disappears. The metabolism is forced to change the route to provide energy to the cells, and uses fats”.

The use of these fatty acids generates ketone compounds, which are an alternative energy source for our cells.

WHY DO KETONIC BODIES MAKE YOU BURN MORE FAT?

As Rivka has said, when the contribution of carbohydrates is drastically reduced (it is not zero because hydrates, even in a small proportion, are present in many foods) the liver uses the fatty acids from adipose tissue to generate ketone bodies.

Thus, as Rivka explains, the energy that your body uses on the keto diet are ketone bodies, which are the waste of fat.

It is a costly and time consuming metabolic route. But, the important thing is that you need large amounts of fat to be able to obtain the same energy that you would obtain from carbohydrates. That is why it helps to lose weight.

WHAT IS GOING INTO KETOSIS?

When there is already a certain load of ketogenic bodies in the blood, the body enters what we call ketosis.

According to the experienced nutritionist Rivka Oratz, ketosis is a natural adaptive pathway of metabolism in the absence of carbohydrates.

Therefore, it is a route that your body knows and uses in emergency situations when you fast or when there is a lack of carbohydrates.

Rivka Oratz points out that specifically, this diet does not involve risks, but if it lasts over time without any type of control it can be dangerous.