We have discussed in detail about Ketosis in our previous blog. Briefly Ketosis is a state when your body uses fat( not carbohydrates) as the primary fuel for energy. When you come into fat burning state( low level of carbs in the body), glycogen stores starts depleting & rate of beta-oxidation increases thereby allowing mobilization of fatty acids from the fat tissues. This is when your body attain Ketosis & liver releases Ketone bodies since they cannot be utilized by liver. These Ketone bodies travel to the brain which are used as a fuel. In such a situation, free fatty acids becomes primary source of energy. So what are the benefits of adopting Keto Diet:
- It increases the body’s ability to use fat as a fuel. When you are on a high carb diet, your body expect glucose as primary source of fuel for energy. However, when you enter Ketosis, your body becomes efficient to mobilize fats for energy.
- Ketosis has protein preserving impact. Once in Ketosis, body prefers Ketones over Glucose. Since at any point of time body has good amount of fat, it is not required to oxidize protein to generate glucose.
- Fats does wonder for growth & development through its property of carrying vitamins & supporting in biological functions. When you replace your primary source of fuel with fat, insulin level of your body is low as compared to normal diet when insulin level is 80 to 120. Insulin has blocking effect & inhibits use of fatty acids as energy. When insulin levels are low, hormones are released in the body which helps in growth.
- Fats along with high protein intake tend to suppress appetite. On the other hand high carb diet increases your hunger levels.
What is Ketone body?
Ketone body is a byproduct that is formed during conversion of fatty acid to fuel. Some fatty acids are oxidized by liver for energy production. Others can be partially oxidized to form ketone bodies. Ketones can be used by all tissues including muscles & brain.
So what are the issues related to Ketosis?
- During the first week of Ketosis, body has to undergo a ‘metabolic shift’ & you will face fatigue, brain fog & even dehydration due to increases water loss attributed to depletion of glycogen stores. Once your body gets used to Ketones, you will may more energy that you had during high carb diet. However hydration is an important aspect which should be considered especially before & after workout since low glycogen stores results in water loss.
- Blood lipid profile is also an area of concern when adopting a ketogenic diet since we tend to consume a lot of whole egg omelette & cheese which increases the amount of saturated fats in our diet( satisfies our taste buds). This may increases cholesterol level. Such a saturated fat focused diet is more fun than having diet focused on polyunsaturated & monounsaturated fats
- Since the carbohydrates consumption is less than 50 grams on a daily basis, you may experience nutrient deficiency such as folate, calcium, potassium & magnesium. So most of the people who adopt Ketogenic diet tend to increase the consumption of supplements.
- Ketoacidosis occurs when level of Ketones in the blood go out of control which poses a health risk for diabetics. High level of Ketones decreases Ph level of blood creating a high acidic environment.
- Having low carbs negatively impact your gut( check out our blog on gut health). It is important to note that carbs provides beneficial microbes with food. Our next section is going to discuss in detail about microbes that are beneficial for our body.
About Microbes
In general word “ microbe” sounds scary & we associate it with flu, ebola etc. We are covered with microbes & these microbes do good much of time rather than negatively impacting us. How these microbes benefit us :
- Microbes help us protect against pathogens by simply taking up space. By doing so, microbes keep us healthy.
- Microbes boosts immune system by binding itself to immune system & stimulate to divide & reproduce.
- Microbes help us stay slim by assisting us digest & ferment foods as well as producing chemicals that shape our metabolic rates.
- Microbes detoxify & reduce stress as it helps in toxins & save us from their dangerous effects. People who suffer from huge stress has less level of bacterial communities in their gut.
- Microbes protect us from autoimmune diseases: Microbes help train immune system & its absence reduce the ability of the body to differentiate between itself & foreign invaders A difference in microbial community can trigger a disease which can kill the cells that produces insulin resulting in diabetes.
So how do we start Ketosis?
The best way to get into Ketobolic state of Ketosis is to start with high fat & less protein. After your body adapts Ketosis, you can reduce the amount of fat & increase protein intake. Remember Ketosis implementation takes about 3 weeks.
Our verdict: Ketosis is a good to follow specifically for those looking to shed weight. However, it is important to note that adopting Ketosis on a long term basis has lot of pitfalls associated with it. It is perfectly fine to adopt Ketosis on a short term basis since it not only aids in weight loss, but also helps in improving gut health.
