10 Health Benefits of Low-Carb and Ketogenic Diets
Low-Carb diets have been controversial for decades.
Some people claim that these diets raise cholesterol and cause heart disease due to their high fat content.
However, in most scientific studies, low carbohydrate diets have been shown to be healthy and beneficial.
Here are 10 proven health benefits of low carb and the ketogenic diet.
1. Low carb diet reduces your appetite
Appetite can be the worst aspect of the diet.
This is one of the main reasons why many people feel stingy and give up in the end.
However, low carbohydrate intake reduces appetite automatically
Studies consistently show that when people cut out carbohydrates and eat more protein and fat, they end up eating fewer calories.
SUMMARY:
Studies indicate that reducing carbohydrates can automatically reduce appetite and calorie intake.
2. A low carb diet leads to more weight loss at first
One of the easiest and most effective ways to lose weight is to cut down on sugar.
Studies show that people on a low-carb diet lose more weight than those on a low-fat diet, even when a low-fat diet actively limits calories.
This is because low carb diets work by removing excess water from your body, lowering insulin levels and causing rapid weight loss within the first two weeks.
In studies compared to low-carb and low-fat diets, people who controlled their sugar sometimes lost 2 to 3 times more weight without feeling hungry.
A study of obese adults found that a low-carbohydrate diet is particularly effective up to six months compared to a conventional weight-loss diet. After that, the difference in weight loss between diets was negligible.
In a year-long study of 609 overweight adults following a low-fat or low-carbohydrate diet, both groups lost the same amount of weight.
SUMMARY:
With almost no exception, low-carbohydrate diets lead to short-term weight loss compared to low-fat diets. However, low-carb diets seem to lose their long-term benefits.
3. A higher proportion of fat loss comes from the abdominal cavity
Not all your body fat is the same.
Where fat is stored determines how it affects your health and disease risk.
The two main types are subcutaneous fat, which is found under the skin, and visceral fat, which accumulates in the abdominal cavity and is most common in overweight men.
Visceral fat keeps lodge around your organs. Excess visceral fat is associated with inflammation and insulin resistance, and may drive metabolic dysfunction prevalent in the West today.
A low carbohydrate diet is very effective in reducing this harmful belly fat. In fact, a large proportion of the fat that people lose in a low-carbohydrate diet seems to come from the abdominal cavity.
This should reduce the risk of heart disease and type 2 diabetes over time
SUMMARY:
A huge percentage of fats lost from a low-carb diet is the tendency to have harmful belly fat which is known to cause serious metabolic problems.
4. Triglycerides tend to decrease dramatically
Triglycerides are fat molecules that travel through the bloodstream.
It is well known that high fasting triglyceride levels (blood levels after overnight bleeding) cause a greater risk for heart disease.
One of the main drivers of high triglycerides in sedentary people is the intake of carbohydrates, especially plain sugar fructose.
When people cut out carbohydrates, they experience a very severe decrease in blood triglycerides.
On the other hand, low-fat diets often increase triglycerides.
SUMMARY:
A low carbohydrate diet is extremely effective in lowering blood triglycerides, it is a fat molecule that increases the risk of heart disease.
5. "Good" HDL cholesterol levels have risen
High-density lipoproteins (HDL) are often called "good" cholesterol.
The higher your HDL levels are than "bad" LDL, the lower your risk of heart disease.
One of the best ways to increase "good" HDL levels is to eat fat, and a low-carb diet includes a lot of fat.
Therefore, it is not surprising that HDL levels rise dramatically on healthy low-carb diets, while HDL levels rise only moderately or even decline on low-fat diets.
SUMMARY:
A low carbohydrate diet is high in fat, which leads to a dramatic rise in blood levels of "good" HDL cholesterol.
6. Decreased levels of insulin and blood sugar
Low-carbohydrate and ketogenic diets can be especially helpful for people with diabetes and insulin resistance, which affects millions of people around the world.
Studies show that cutting carbohydrates dramatically lowers blood sugar and insulin levels.
Some people with diabetes who start a low-carbohydrate diet may need to reduce their insulin dose by almost 50% immediately.
In a study of people with type 2 diabetes, 95% of people reduced or eliminated their glucose-lowering medications within six months.
If you are taking medications for blood sugar, talk to your doctor before changing your carbohydrate intake, as your dose may need to be adjusted to prevent hypoglycemia.
SUMMARY:
The best way to lower your blood sugar and insulin levels is to reduce your intake of carbohydrates, which can be curable and possibly the opposite of type 2 diabetes.
7. May lower blood pressure
High blood pressure or high blood pressure is a major risk factor for many diseases, including heart disease, stroke, and kidney failure.
A low-carbohydrate diet is an effective way to lower your blood pressure, reducing your risk of these diseases and helping you prolong it.
SUMMARY:
Reducing carbohydrates leads to a significant reduction in blood pressure, which can reduce the risk of common congenital diseases.
8. Effective against metabolic syndrome
Metabolic syndrome is a condition that is highly associated with your risk for diabetes and heart disease.
In fact, a collection of metabolic syndrome symptoms including:
Abdominal obesity
Improved blood pressure
Improvement of fasting blood sugar levels.
High triglycerides
Low "good" HDL cholesterol levels
However, a low carbohydrate diet is incredibly effective in treating all five of these symptoms.
Under this national diet, these conditions are almost eliminated.
SUMMARY:
Healthy low-carbohydrate diets effectively counteract all five symptoms of metabolic syndrome, a fatal condition that increases your risk for heart disease and type 2 diabetes.
9. Improvement of "bad" LDL cholesterol levels
People with "bad" LDL are more likely to have a heart attack.
However, the size of the particles is important. Smaller particles are associated with a higher risk of heart disease, while larger particles are associated with a lower risk.
It turns out that low-carb diets increase the size of the "bad" LDL particles while reducing the total amount of LDL particles in the bloodstream.
For example, reducing your carbohydrate intake can improve your heart health.
SUMMARY:
When you eat a low-carb diet, your "bad" LDL particles increase in size, reducing its harmful effects. Cutting carbohydrates can also reduce the total amount of LDL particles in the bloodstream.
10. Treatment for various brain disorders
Your brain needs glucose, because some parts can only burn this kind of sugar. This is why your liver makes glucose from protein if you don't eat carbohydrates.
However, a large part of your brain can also burn ketones, which are produced during starvation or when your sugar intake is very low.
This mechanism behind the ketogenic diet, which drugs have not responded to, has been used for decades to treat epilepsy in children.
In many cases, this diet can cure epilepsy in children. One study found that more than half of children infected with the ketogenic diet had a 50% reduction in the number of infections, and 16% were seizure-free.
Very low carb and ketogenic diets are also being studied for other brain conditions, including Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease.
SUMMARY:
Low-carbohydrate and ketogenic diets have been shown to be beneficial in treating epilepsy in children and their effects on other brain conditions are being studied.
BOTTOM LINE:
Very few are established in nutrition science as low carb and ketogenic diets have lots of health benefits.
These diets can not only improve cholesterol, blood pressure, and blood sugar but also reduce appetite, increase weight loss, and lower triglycerides.
If you are interested in improving your health, this diet may be a consideration.
Article source healthline.com
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