Important: It is not recommended to follow a diet without first consulting your doctor.This rule is relevant not only for those who have identified diseases, but also for everyone else.
Unlike most currently popular diets, the goals of the ketogenic diet from the beginning were purely medical.They remain on the agenda today.Generally speaking, the word “diet” initially had nothing to do with weight loss.This word denotes a set of nutritional rules that must be observed in a given situation - during the treatment of a certain disease, during the period of postoperative therapy.
The keto diet owes much of its resurgence in popularity to an American film producer, whose child suffered from epilepsy for a long time.Despite numerous visits to the most famous and outstanding neurologists, who tried, it seems, all the most effective antiepileptic drugs that exist in nature, the boy's condition did not improve at all.The father, almost in despair, read numerous books on the treatment of epilepsy in the local library and suddenly came across a description of the ketogenic diet, which had not yet been recommended to him by any specialist.He immediately put his son on this diet and, to his delight, found that the frequency of the boy's seizures was significantly reduced.
So, the ketogenic diet was invented in order to reduce the frequency of epileptic seizures, mainly in children.There was no reduction in caloric intake;the carbohydrates were simply replaced by fats.The children were put on this diet for 36 hours and the frequency of their seizures actually decreased.
The ketogenic diet is now used to treat not only epilepsy, but also Alzheimer's disease, fatty liver (fatty liver), and even certain types of cancer.Generally speaking, its medical benefits are undeniable.What if you lost weight?
The ketogenic diet is a diet consisting of meals very high in fats (animal fats and some vegetable oils), animal proteins and very few carbohydrates, so that approximately 80% of the body's energy needs are covered by the breakdown of fats (the fat content of the average European diet provides 30-35% of the energy the body needs during the day).And as happens during fasting, the breakdown of large amounts of fat leads to increased acidity in the body.This can probably explain why the consumption of such a food complex leads to a reduction in the frequency of epileptic seizures.
The goal of the ketogenic diet is to put the body into a state of ketosis.
Ketosis is a pathological state of the body in which ketone bodies predominate in its tissues.The state of ketosis means that the body uses exclusively the fats stored under the skin to cover its energy needs, which prevents muscle breakdown.In a state of ketosis, you will get energy from ketones – carbonyl compounds that form when breaking down fats.By the way, ketones are an excellent source of energy for the brain, almost perfectly replacing glucose.
Another positive aspect of ketosis is that in this state you will hardly be hungry, so you will eat less, which means you will not fully cover your energy costs.
In order to bring the body into a state of ketosis, the diet is structured in such a way that fats clearly dominate in the diet, and mainly saturated fats (the diet consists of 90% fats, depending on calorie content).
In fact, the diet that many professional bodybuilders use in the last week before a competition can also be called ketogenic: it consists only of salmon (usually grilled, but can be prepared in other forms), peanut butter and green vegetables (lettuce, broccoli, spinach, cabbage).It is even better to add flaxseed oil or walnut oil to this diet.There's already a lot more protein here, which reduces the problems, but doesn't eliminate them completely.
Advantages and disadvantages of the classic ketogenic diet
The best part is that this diet is very effective, the diet works, and how!The bottom line is that you will experience virtually no feelings of hunger, which means that calorie restriction 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 sharp reduction in insulin secretion.But for people leading an active lifestyle, this advantage can easily turn into a disadvantage, because insulin is a powerful anti-catabolic agent.A decrease in insulin secretion is superimposed on the ability of a ketogenic diet to cause acidosis in the muscles, which means an increase in proteolysis, that is, the breakdown of the body's own proteins is facilitated.And catabolism can get out of control.Not immediately, of course, but in 3-4 days, of course.
It is simply impossible to follow the classic ketogenic diet for a long time - you begin to feel sick in the most natural way.It is not for nothing that for children suffering from epilepsy, the ketogenic diet was limited to a duration of 36 hours.
The ketogenic diet is currently used to treat certain types of cancer.Specifically, prostate cancer uses the diet's ability 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 increased levels of ketones in the blood, which lowers the blood acidity (pH) level and can lead to death in extreme cases.This condition is called “ketacidosis.”First of all, this applies to people with severe and moderate forms of diabetes.If not, there is no need to worry, because the blood of healthy people contains exactly as many ketones as the body can process.
It takes time for the body to break down glucose and learn to nourish the brain with ketone bodies, so the level of physical and mental activity may decrease during the first week.The main symptoms are lethargy, dizziness and brain fog.
Many people experience this condition extremely painfully and literally “give up” on the second day.But the state of health returns completely to normal on the third to fifth day, when the body rebuilds itself.
Lack of fiber leads to slowed bowel function.The main point of the ketogenic diet is total abstinence from carbohydrates.Accordingly, the diet should consist of proteins and fats, and fiber is complex carbohydrates.It is possible to consume fiber in its pure form and simply include green vegetables or lettuce leaves in the diet, which contain a large amount of coarse dietary fiber.
A significant drawback of the diet is a deficiency of microelements caused by the exclusion of carbohydrate-containing foods from the diet.Essentially, the meat or dairy products recommended on a ketogenic diet do not contain most of the vitamins or minerals.The best way to avoid deficiencies is to take vitamins and minerals, dietary supplements containing minerals.A number of minerals, such as zinc or magnesium, are essential for body function and hormonal levels.
Contraindications
Ketogenic diets are contraindicated in the presence or history of liver diseases, kidney diseases, 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 when taking drugs based on valproic acid (valproate).There are currently no known contraindications to its use.
When prescribing a ketogenic diet, the diet of each child and adult is calculated only by a doctor!Strictly individually, taking into account the diagnosis, age and weight of the child, his nutritional needs.The content of basic nutrients (proteins, fats, carbohydrates) in food is chosen in a certain ratio, which is determined only by a specialist!During treatment, this ratio may change, so constant monitoring of the patient by the attending physician is necessary, who, if necessary, makes dietary adjustments.The patient's diet includes various types of fatty foods - bacon, heavy cream, vegetable oils such as flaxseed.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 starting treatment, nutritionists have developed special milkshakes containing a large amount of fat, which can not only be drunk, but also eaten frozen like ice cream.This helps the child get used to fatty foods and creates the necessary biochemical changes in the body that provide an antiepileptic effect.During treatment, the doctor needs great skill in creating a menu, otherwise the child will quickly get bored of the monotonous diet and may completely refuse to eat.During various illnesses, such as a cold, the metabolism always changes.This may make the ketogenic diet less effective.In such conditions, you should definitely consult your 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 high in protein and fat.It is important that moderate consumption of fats is healthy and even necessary, because it is fats that cause a lasting feeling of satiety.
Fats can be divided into three groups:
- saturated fats (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, thereby 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 (certain lipids are part of the cofactors);
- hormonal (certain lipids are part of hormones and mediators).
The best choice would be foods rich in protein - meat, fish, milk, cottage cheese, eggs, cheese, as well as their derivatives.Carbohydrates are okay, but only in small amounts.30 to 50 grams of fiber will be enough for digestion.
All products containing starch (cereals, pasta, potatoes) and sugar in any form are strictly not recommended.Almost all fruits contain a lot of sugar in one form or another, so they are also prohibited.You should always look at the composition of the product on the label, because even a glass of milk contains around 15 grams of carbohydrates.Furthermore, a list of basic food additives is being studied, which will also have to be excluded, if only because they are harmful.
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 will help you lose fat faster on a ketogenic diet.Walk, bike, run in the park or work out at the gym.Incorporating physical activity into your daily schedule can help you maintain a healthy heart and lose weight.
Have a good night's sleep.In the early stages of ketosis, you may feel very tired.Sleep at least 7 to 8 hours a night to regain energy.Good rest will also promote weight loss.
Contact your doctor if you experience cold-like symptoms.Many people feel tired and have mild headaches during ketosis.Sometimes side effects become serious enough to require medical attention.
When does the diet take effect?
The effect of the ketogenic diet occurs gradually during the first 3 months after its start.As a rule, long-term treatment is required (for several years, usually 2-3 years), after which a stable improvement is usually observed, which persists even with a normal diet.It is therefore not necessary to follow a ketogenic diet for life.
In many cases, the positive effect is noticeable already in the first or second week of treatment.However, sometimes one or two months after using the diet, no effects are noticeable - in this case, it is too early to draw conclusions about the ineffectiveness of the treatment;perhaps the doctor needs to calculate biochemical parameters more carefully.
In the generally accepted understanding, this is largely a variation on the theme of therapeutic fasting followed by a “load” of ketosis-inducing foods.During the first three days of therapy, you should completely refuse any food and limit yourself only to drinking water in any quantity.Mineral water and artificially sweetened drinks with or without sparkling water, as well as fruit 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;sometimes bed rest is indicated.Over the next three days, you need to slowly introduce food, a quarter of the usual portion.When choosing foods, you should be guided by the principle of 4 parts of fat to one part of proteins and carbohydrates.
The menu is somewhat reminiscent of so-called fatty diets for weight loss.The main thing is to completely exclude foods such as cereals, fruits, regular bread, carrots, beets, potatoes and pasta.
Complications
As with any therapeutic method, the use of a ketogenic diet is in some cases associated with certain adverse effects, the main ones of which are listed below.
- Hair loss.Some children experience hair loss or thinning hair growth after long-term use of the ketogenic diet.This complication is believed to be primarily associated with a deficiency of minerals in the diet.
- Delayed linear growth.This type of physical development disorder has been recorded in some patients, but its connection with the ketogenic diet continues to be debated to this day.Increased levels of cholesterol and triglycerides in the blood.The ketogenic diet, which is almost 90% fat, in some cases leads to an increase in cholesterol and other lipids in the blood.For any lipid content (cholesterol - more than 800 mg%, triglycerides - more than 1000 mg%), stopping the diet is not necessary.Reducing the fat/protein/carbohydrate ratio from 4:1 to 3.5:1 generally results in a rapid reduction of lipid levels to acceptable levels.
- Kidney stones.This complication of the ketogenic diet affects approximately 1 in 6 patients. It is thought to be due to insufficient fluid intake in children.Therefore, when following a ketogenic diet, a urine test is performed to determine the specific gravity and detect impurities in the blood.If necessary, an ultrasound of the kidneys is performed.
- Drowsiness and lethargymay occur due to excessive ketosis or toxicity from concomitantly used antiepileptic medications.Blood drug levels may increase during a ketogenic diet even without increasing the drug dosage.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.
- Constipation, as a rule, is explained by relatively small portions of food when following a ketogenic diet and limited water intake.Increasing the daily volume of liquid consumed from 100 to 150 ml helps avoid defecation disorders.
- Excess body weightin patients is caused by excessive consumption of calories rather than fat.Therefore, the energy content of the diet when prescribing a ketogenic diet should be tailored to their individual needs.
- Weight loss.This point can be explained by certain individual metabolic characteristics, as well as the level of physical activity of the patient.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 calorie content of the diet of young children or patients with a low level of physical activity, it is not necessary to increase the amount of energy consumed at a time by more than 25 kcal.
We remind you once again that your personal menu for this diet must be developed by a specialist!
When using a ketogenic diet, a thorough clinical and laboratory examination of patients is necessary before the start of treatment with recording of EEG and ECG data, as well as a biochemical blood test.