Proven Benefits of a Ketogenic Diet Suggested by Grill Heat Aid

A keto diet is an eating plan that focuses on foods that provide a lot of healthful fats, adequate amounts of protein, and very few carbohydrates. The goal is to get more calories from fat than from carbs. The diet works by depleting the body of its sugar reserves. As a result, it will start to break down fat for energy. This results in the production of molecules called ketones that the body uses for fuel. When the body burns fats, it can also lead to weight loss.

10 Health Benefits of Low-Carb and Ketogenic Diets

• Low-Carb Diets Reduce Appetite
• Low-Carb Diets Lead to More Weight Loss 
• A Greater Proportion of Fat Loss Comes From Your Abdominal Cavity
• Triglycerides Tend to Drop Drastically
• Increased Levels of 'Good' HDL Cholesterol
• Reduced Blood Sugar and Insulin Levels 
• May Lower Blood Pressure 

Reduced inflammation: One of the most basic and most profound benefits of a ketogenic diet is that it drastically lowers inflammation. This is mainly due to the reduced amount of free radical production that occurs when burning ketones for energy instead of glucose. Less inflammation allows for more energy production and an overall more efficiently functioning body. This allows for a heightened ability of the body to heal in many different aspects. Another reason that a ketogenic diet is so anti-inflammatory is that it allows blood sugar and insulin to stabilize. Blood sugar imbalance is one of the most pervasive inflammatory activities that goes on in the bodies of people who are heavily relying on sugar for energy.

Keto protects your heart: You eat less than 50 grams of net carbs a day on keto. Cutting down on carbs increases your high-density lipoprotein (HDL) levels. HDL is known as the “good” cholesterol — it turns on anti-inflammatory pathways and protects your heart from disease. The keto diet also lowers blood triglycerides — fat molecules in your bloodstream. High levels of blood triglycerides are linked to coronary heart disease.

Blood Sugar and Insulin Resistance: When you eat a low carb diet (and moderate protein) with high fat, your blood sugar levels reduce dramatically as does the insulin you produce to deal with it. With High-Carb diets, many people develop a condition called insulin resistance. Ketogenic Diets have been shown to benefit and even reverse insulin resistance.

Appetite reduction: Studies have shown that reduced carbohydrate consumption plays a role in reducing one’s appetite. In one particular study participants who were instructed to stick to a low-carbohydrate keto diet did not get hungry as often as those who stuck to a low-fat diet.

Better-quality sleep: The keto diet has also been reported to improve the quality of sleep. There may be some obstacles to falling asleep initially, especially during the first three to five days of your keto diet. However, once your body has gotten used to ketosis, it becomes easier for you to fall asleep, sleep deeper, and wake up feeling more refreshed. This was demonstrated in a study that examined children with therapy-resistant epilepsy. 

Effective Weight Loss: Less frequent hunger pangs, of course, will ultimately reduce the amount of food (in other words, calories) that you consume, which helps you lose weight. In fact, another study showed that low-carb dieters could lose up to three times as much weight as low-fat dieters, with the added advantage of not feeling hungry. On top of that, other findings [5] have revealed that a significant portion of the fat lost by low-carb dieters comes from the abdominal area, making this an interesting diet option for people looking to lose those love handles.

Higher Energy Levels: This is related to the earlier point about better-quality sleep.  Initially, you may feel sluggish and a bit low on energy after adopting the keto diet. This state is called the “keto flu,” and it is not uncommon for it to be accompanied by headaches, nausea, and other unpleasant conditions. This occurs as a result of ketosis since the body is no longer burning glucose. However, after a few days, it’s likely that you’ll feel even more energetic than you used to after your body has gotten well-accustomed to burning fat for energy.

Improved Emotional Disposition: Recent experiments involving mice demonstrated that test subjects on the keto diet were observed to have reduced anxiety levels. This was also observed in mice whose mothers were on the keto diet. Researchers attributed it to the keto diet’s low sugar levels and increased emphasis on healthy fat intake.

Improved Heart Health: Higher levels of high-density lipoprotein (HDL) are associated with a decreased risk of heart disease [8]. Increased fat consumption is one of the most effective ways of increasing your HDL levels. This is perhaps why on low-carb diets such as the Keto diet, one can observe a marked increase in HDL levels, as opposed to low-fat diets where they even tend to decrease. 

Improved Liver Health: The keto diet is also a great idea for people at risk of fatty liver disease. It is typically associated with prediabetes and Type 2 diabetes which results from high levels of blood sugar. The reduction in your carb consumption may lead to lower blood sugar levels, thereby decreasing your chances of suffering from fatty liver disease.

Lower Blood Sugar and Insulin Levels: As mentioned earlier, type 2 diabetes is a serious condition resulting from high blood sugar levels. This may occur when a person has insulin resistance. The body uses insulin to safely react with highly toxic blood sugars, enabling it to burn or store the glucose in the cells. People with insulin resistance are unable to produce enough insulin to lower the body’s blood sugar levels, which leads to type 2 diabetes. However, by significantly reducing your carb intake, the body would no longer need to produce a large amount of insulin to handle your already-low blood sugar levels. 

Reduced Inflammation Markers: Your inflammation levels may indicate the level of risk you are currently at in terms of developing health conditions such as arthritis, heart disease, and even autoimmune disorders. By measuring high-sensitivity C-reactive proteins and white blood cell counts, doctors can gauge your inflammation levels. In two-year study patients that stuck to a low-carb diet displayed a 29% decrease in their hsCRP levels.

Sharper Mental Faculties: Interestingly, the keto diet may lead to improved mental performance as well. There is evidence suggesting that the brain operates more effectively on ketones than on blood sugar. One study found that diet-induced ketosis actually improved cognition in aged rats.