Ketogenic Diet & Constant Ketosis
The newest buzzword to hit the nutrition world is keto, referring to the high-fat, low-carb ketogenic diet.
A ketogenic diet is an eating plan that puts your body in ketosis. As the body breaks fat down, acids called ketones build up in the blood. Ketones leave the body in the urine. The presence of ketones in the blood and urine indicates that a person has entered ketosis. In ketosis the primary fuel source of the body is fat, rather than glucose.
Ketosis can help lose unwanted fat, as the body starts to break down it’s fat stores instead of relying on carbohydrates for energy. In addition, research suggests that ketosis can help suppress appetite, which can also promote weight loss.
Ways to Get into Ketosis
- Increasing physical activity
- Fasting for short periods
- Significantly reducing carbohydrate intake
- Increasing fat intake
- Limiting protein intake
Ketogenic Diet Benefits
- Classic therapy for epilepsy and seizures
- Slows brain aging by increasing Beta-hydroxybutyrate (BHB). BHB protects against neuronal death, preserves energy levels, and lowers reactive oxygen species
- Improves symptoms in bipolar and Parkinson patients
- Improves brain function especially in older adults and those with mild to moderate dementias or other cognitive impairments
- Increases mitochondrial levels of antioxidant glutathione
- Activates the NRF2 pathway — a set of genes that regulate the body’s detoxification, antioxidant, and stress response systems
Ketogenic Diet Shortfalls
The ketogenic diet prohibits nutrient-dense higher carbohydrate foods such as quinoa, beans, lentils and sweet potatoes which are high in fibre and promote gut health. Many of the plant based foods that re restricted on a keto diet are good sources of prebiotic fibre. Prebiotics feed our probiotics, the beneficial bacteria in our gut. This is essential for the health of our microbiome, which has been shown to be heavily involved in supporting our immune system and reducing inflammation.
Possible issues with a rigorous ketogenic diet include:
- May lead to nutrient deficiencies
- May stress kidneys
- Causes changes in gut bacteria
- May lead to digestive issues such as constipation and diarrhea
- May cause dangerously low blood sugar
- May damage bone health
- Effects on some diseases such as cancer not fully understood
Is Constant Ketosis Ever Desirable?
Long term or permanent ketosis is not necessary or even desirable.
People with health issues that respond to ketosis, like epilepsy and seizures, should stay in ketosis long-term to quell an overexcited brain.
People with neurodegenerative diseases, like Alzheimer’s or Parkinson’s, should try ketogenic diets as they look very promising and effective. Similarly, people with bipolar disorder should try ketosis as it looks beneficial.
Most healthy people should not stay in constant, indefinite ketosis, as it implies limiting important nutritionally-dense healthy foods. It is preferable and more beneficial to go in and out of ketosis to get the benefits of ketones.
For most healthy people, the healthier goal is metabolic flexibility, not constant ketosis. Optimum health requires a wide range of nutritional dense foods and sound lifestyle changes and not strict, rigid dogma and unnecessary restriction of healthy foods.
