Thinking of going Keto? Why is it so popular for losing weight and living healthier? Dr. Cheryl Kam shares some benefits of this diet in this blog.

Losing weight is becoming such a popular topic nowadays that there seem to be endless amounts of literature out there about how to do it.

You may have come across the Ketogenic diet with plenty of success stories.

So what is the benefit of trying a ketogenic diet and why is getting into ketosis such a craze?

Read on for the 5 proven benefits, to decide if it is the right diet for you.

1. Controls Your Appetite

If you’re struggling to get into shape then following a keto diet is the way forward as it practically burns all the fat you’ve been trying to get rid of for years. One way is that ketosis helps to get rid of your pesky carb cravings and aids the weight loss process. Another way is that the fat and protein content keeps you full for longer. Carbs are a sinner when it comes to blood sugar levels which is something you don’t need if you’re attempting to lose weight. Being in ketosis makes the process far easier as you look to control your appetite hormones. 

2. Improves Your Memory

The purpose of the keto diet is to improve your ketone levels, which has benefits of its own, including improving your memory performance according to research. Where some people may look to solutions such as making the use of high strength fish oil to improve their cognitive performance, studies have shown that increased ketone levels have improved the memory of patients that have shown signs of cognitive impairment. This is because the low levels of carbohydrates is known to improve memory function as ketosis looks to reduce inflammation and increase energy metabolism.

3. Reduction In inflammation

One of the sorest things you can feel in life is agony after a good workout the day before. The recovery after a workout is just as important as the exercise that you do and a keto diet can help to relieve the pain that you’d normally the day after. Unlike glucose metabolism, keto metabolism produces far less oxygen molecules in the body which actually contribute to inflammation. It’s also a diet that can help to reduce conditions such as acne. This is due to foods that are high in glycine stimulating high levels of insulin in the body, increasing the chance of acne developing. Other conditions related to chronic inflammation include:

- Alzheimer's disease

- Cancer

- Cardiovascular disease

- Diabetes

- High blood pressure

- High cholesterol levels

- Parkinson’s disease

4. Treats Epilepsy 

Believe it or not, the ketogenic diets originate way back from the 1920’s when it was understood that ketosis could benefit children that suffered from epilepsy. Stabilising the neurons and neurotransmitters in the body are key to seizure prevention and ketosis enable the blood sugar levels in the body to stabilise, altering the brain chemistry and improving mood and cognition. 

5. Treatment for Type 2 Diabetes

 Obesity and diabetes continues to be a major issue for the global population. Insulin resistance is considered a major factor that contributes to type 2 diabetes because it prevents the body from using carbohydrates that are consumed for energy. Instead the carbohydrates contribute to the liver where it converts into fat. The benefit of the keto diet is that it can improve glucose control as there is a less glucose coming from food that you eat and insulin sensitivity increases.

It’s interesting to understand how exactly the keto diet can benefit you and what ketosis is good for. Whether it’s mental or physical benefits, a keto diet can help with providing many positives to your lifestyle and enhance your way of life.

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Article co-written by nutrition student Jamie Costello and Dr Cheryl Kam