Ketosis is a natural metabolic state where our body produces ketone from the fat present in the body. Fat is used for drawing energy instead of carbs. In order to reach ketosis state, you can take low carb food and high ketogenic fat diet. Besides weight loss ketosis offers few other benefits like less seizures for epileptic children. Ketosis is little complex subject and here we shall look at few of its benefits.
What is ketosis?
It is a metabolic state when fat becomes the source of fuel for our body. Usually it happens when there is limited access to blood sugar which is a common source of fuel for our body cells. When we talk about ketosis then we talk about low carb diets. It can happen either during infancy, pregnancy or during starvation. In order to become ketosis, one has to eat less than 50 grams of carbs in a day or sometime it can be as little as just 20 grams per day.
Therefore, in order to become ketosis, you need to give up few food items from your regular diet like grains, candy, soft drinks with sugar. You also have to reduce fruit, potatoes and legumes. As you are on low carb diet, your level of hormone insulin may go down due to release of fatty acids from body fats that are stored in your body. Some of them get transferred to liver and get oxidized and then it turns into ketones. Molecules that generated in the body can provide lots of energy even to our brain too.
Usually, people have an understanding that our brain will not work if sufficient dietary carb is present in our diet. There are certain cells in our brain that can only take glucose as a fuel for brain. However, considerable portion of our brain can function well with ketones for instance when we are in low carb diet or under starvation. If a person starves for 3 days then his brain will get 25 per cent energy from ketones. If someone starves for much longer period then this percentage can go as high as 60 per cent too.
However, you need to understand that ketosis is not possible for everyone. To remain under strict diet control to introduce ketosis is not that easy and simple. Some people may also get negative side effects. You can get to know what the keto diet is from the ketogenic diet chart from the internet too.
Few health benefits of ketosis
Ketogenic diet can also offer few health benefits and can be used as a therapy. More studies are being conducted on that aspect. Following are few benefits observed.
- Heart disease
It can improve cholesterol, blood triglycerides and HDL levels and thus reduce risks of heart disease.
- Type-2 diabetes
Insulin sensitivity may go up by 75 per cent and can reduce or stop diabetes.
- Metabolic syndrome
Improves the symptoms of high BP, belly fat and high triglycerides.
- Alzheimer’s disease
Benefits Alzheimer’s patients.
- Cancer
Studies show that it can help in cancer therapy.
- Parkinson’s disease
Improvement noticed within 28 days of ketogenic diet.
- Acne
It reduces acne.
There can be a few negative side effects too so only healthy people should try it.
