Ketosis is the state in which the body begins to use fat as the main source of energy. The body then becomes very effective at burning fat in order to draw its energy from it. This process reduces your insulin levels and stimulates fat burning (source, source).
The brain favors glucose as an energy source. But because glucose reserves are insufficient, the body is forced to look for another source of energy.
The breakdown of fatty acids causes the production of ketones in the liver. Ketones provide energy to the brain so that it can continue to function (source).
Why follow a cetogenic diet?
Low-carb, high-fat diets have long been the subject of controversy. This type of diet was thought to increase cholesterol and the risk of cardiovascular disease due to high lipid intake.
But fortunately, times are changing, and today, diets high in fat (healthy) are no longer necessarily frowned on. The cetogenic diet can help you lose much more weight than a fat-free diet (source).
The cetogenic diet also has less obvious benefits. Eliminating (simple) carbohydrates from your diet reduces blood sugar spikes. The ketogenic diet is composed mainly of lipids, it also provides great satiety.
The main components of our diet are the three macronutrients.
The number of calories per gram differs from nutrient to nutrient:
Protein: 4 kcal for 1 g
Carbohydrates: 4 kcal for 1 g
Fat: 9 kcal for 1 g
A simple calculation might lead to the thought that you should eat as little fat as possible to lose weight. After all, they're more caloric, aren't they? That's where the error lies! The effect of each type of calorie should also be considered.
The main effects of different calories on the body in terms of weight loss are:
Insulin: a hormone that, when produced in excess, causes fat storage
Satiety: the body activates the hormones of the satiety and/or inhibits the hormones of hunger.
You may understand that ingesting too many calories as carbohydrates is not a good idea. You then produce large amounts of insulin (a fat-storage hormone) without being satisfied.
On the other hand, proteins and lipids provide much more satiety (source), so a ketogenic diet is easier to follow over time.
Ketogenic diet and epilepsy treatment
The benefits of the ketogenic diet are not limited to weight loss.
The ketogenic diet is also extremely effective in helping children with epilepsy control their epileptic seizures (source).
About 1 in 3 children with epilepsy reacts poorly to the antiepileptic drugs currently available. More than 70% of these children respond well to the cetogenic diet.
For this group of children, a few weeks of ketogenic diets are enough to show results. Seizures are considerably rare or even disappear completely.
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