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A Layman’s Study of Keto Diet

The human body converts carbohydrates into blood sugar (glucose). This glucose is converted into energy needed by the body. When a person fasts or consumes low-carb foods for certain period of time, their body burns fat to produce ketones as a substitute for glucose through a process called ketosis. Ketogenic diet also known as keto diet or ketosis diet is a type of dieting that involves a somewhat strict consumption of food that is low in carbohydrates and high in fat. You would often hear the words ‘low-carb, high-fat diet’. People who adhere to this type of dieting have a common expectation; this diet is consumed with hopes that it will serve as a way of burning fat without having to “hit the gym”. People who want to watch their weight or prevent obesity form a larger majority of the keto culture. The decision to enforce weight loss without exercising could be influenced by natural or manmade constraints. An example of a natural factor that could lead to this decision could be health issues like paralysis or amputation. An example of a manmade motivation for this type of dieting could be inflexible work schedule. Several types of diets have been in existence over time such as Atkins, Dukan, Paleo diet, etc.

food

A Brief History of Keto Diet

In ancient times, fasting has been used by certain groups of people as a procedure for curing epilepsy. In 1921, RT Woodyatt made a discovery in which two acids were found to be present in people that were subjected to starvation, acetone and beta-hydroxybutyric acids they were called. These same acids were found to be induced by low-carb, high-fat diets, popularly known today as keto diet. This is the foundation of modern ketogenic diets and has since been used clinically as a substitute for fasting (Wheless, 2008).

The Keto Formulae

The key thing to note about keto diet is that it is almost always taken with intentions that it will help in weight loss. One may begin to wonder if this diet is a combination of the regular foods we consume or a special kind of concoction. Keto diet is in fact based on the everyday food we can get from a grocery store. I have seen several people throw a lot of money at packaged or canned “keto foods” because they think it’s made from some kind of concoction derived from beyond their immediate environment. Before we jump into what makes up a keto list, lets have a look at some foods that should be avoided in order to prevent a reverse effect. Generally speaking, someone who is interested in starting keto should avoid high-carb foods such as sugar, grains, and legumes. Low-fat foods such as lean meat, skimmed milk, vegetables and fruits should also be avoided.


A keto diet is made up of primarily low-carb and high-fat foods such as:

  1. Fatty meat and fish.
  2. Eggs.
  3. Full cream milk.
  4. Fatty and healthy oil like coconut oil and Argan oil.
  5. Butter, cream, almonds, sesame seeds, tomatoes, pepper, herbs, and spices.

The list above serves as a simple reference for keto diet. It does not however, cover all the list of edibles that make up the culinary requirements for keto diet. As a side note, you should be looking out for foods that are low in carb and high in fat while avoiding foods that are high in carbs and low in fat.


As humans, we have a propensity to fall apart with things we don’t enjoy or find pleasurable. So, as a guideline, if you are seeking to maintain this diet, you have to pick the list of keto foods you enjoy and consume them more regularly. It’s okay to drop those foods you don’t enjoy. I would even recommend consuming non-keto foods occasionally. Overall, study your body and strike a balance between what your body needs and what you enjoy.

Disease Research

Keto diet should not be seen as a swiss knife for all weight loss situations. Different factors account for why our body reacts differently to certain foods or food combinations. This is owing to factors like genetics, geographical or environmental differences, health issues, etc. There is a variable range of health risks that may result from switching to a keto diet.


Hypoglycemia: The primary source of energy for the body is glucose. Non-keto foods are the majority of food containing glucose. A condition in which the level of blood sugar (glucose) within the body is lower than usual is known as hypoglycemia. Research has found a relationship between a strict keto diet adherence and hypoglycemia (Yue et al., 2020). It is however worth mentioning, that keto diet has proven effective in helping people with diabetics (Allen et al., 2014; Ammon, 2019; Harvey, Schofield,Zinn, & Thornley, 2019; Kirkpatrick et al., 2019; Klement, 2019; O’Neill& Raggi, 2020). When the amount of reduce in blood sugar level is kept within acceptable numbers, this turns out to be a desired effect of a keto diet.

Digestion Issues

A digestive issue sometimes associated with keto diet is constipation. Keto diets contain a very low amount of dietary fiber. Dietary fiber is needed to keep the digestive system healthy and functional. Dietary fiber is usually found in high-carb foods such as grains. This results in the production of an alternative fuel called ketones. The normal fuel or source of energy needed by the body is glucose. A change in body fuel has a consequent effect on the gastrointestinal tract and in turn, the gut microbiota. This draws a path of relationship between keto diet and gastrointestinal diseases (Caroline, J.T., & Heidi M.S.2019).

Carbohydrates

A normal intake of foods such as rice, beans, and vegetables provide the body with approximately 150–250g of carbohydrate per day. A keto diet however reduces carbohydrate intake to about 20–50g per day. Keto diet is known to be a low-carb diet. The goal is to replace the glucose in carbohydrate with ketones from fat as a source of body energy. Below is a breakdown of what a 3-days meal representation for a keto diet looks like:

Day 1:

  1. Breakfast: Baked avocado egg boats.
  2. Lunch: Tuna salad topped with celery, tomato, and onions.
  3. Dinner: Meatball served with Cheese.

Day 2:

  1. Breakfast: 2–3 eggs fried in butter.
  2. Lunch: Salad with fatty chicken.
  3. Dinner: Coconut chicken curry.

Day 3:

  1. Breakfast: Mushroom and full-fat yoghurt.
  2. Lunch: Salad, boiled eggs, and fatty beef.
  3. Dinner: Fatty fish (preferably tuna) with cauliflower rice with grated coconut.

Overall, you can replace any food combination you are not comfortable eating with any food of your choice. The general guideline is to avoid high-carb foods and embrace high-fat foods. Usually, frying should be done with either butter or coconut oil.

lipids

Fatty acid found in keto foods are converted into ketones through a process called ketogenesis. Lipids are essential for healthy and functioning cell membranes. A study has shown that, keto diet contains a larger amount of lipids when compared to Mediterranean diet (O’Neill & Raggi, 2020). Lipid is commonly found in cheese, butter, full-cream milk, fatty meat, avocado, and coconut oil. Ketogenic diet which are high in lipid have been proven to help in the treatment of inflammatory bowel disease (Norwitz & Loh, 2020). As a remark, keto diet will prove very helpful for people with low lipid deficiency.

Proteins

Protein in keto diet is restricted to a moderate amount to propel rapid weight loss. Consumption of an excess amount of protein can hinder the effect of keto diet. Keto diet usually contains about 1.2–1.5 grams per kg per day (Kirkpatrick et al., 2019). This is a moderate amount of protein per day and raises no alarm. It is worth mentioning that keto diet is in fact a good source of a healthy amount of protein.

Supplements

Keto diet contains a good number of essential vitamins and minerals. Vegetables such as broccoli contains a good amount of Vitamin A, an essential vitamin needed by the immune system. Nuts, tuna, fatty meat, etc. all contain a good amount of vitamin B complex which is useful for brain function and metabolism. Cheese contains a high amount of calcium needed in building bones and blood clotting. Broccoli is also rich in chromium, a mineral that enhances lipid metabolism. The list goes on. Overall, a good number of essential minerals are present in keto compliant foods.

Summary

Keto diet is a low-carb, high-fat diet that provides the body with the energy it needs by replacing the supply of glucose with ketones. It is helpful for reducing blood sugar level, weight loss, treating diabetes, and increasing the amount of bodily lipid and insulin. It is also associated with hypoglycemia and gastrointestinal diseases. A short advice would be to treat keto diet like every good thing; do not be excessive.

References

Allen,B. G., Bhatia, S. K., Anderson, C. M., Eichenberger-Gilmore, J. M., Sibenaller,Z. A., Mapuskar, K. A., … Fath, M. A. (2014). Ketogenic diets as an adjuvantcancer therapy: History and potential mechanism. Redox Biology, 2(1),963–970. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.redox.2014.08.002


Ammon,H. P. T. (2019). Boswellic extracts and 11-keto-ß-boswellic acids prevent type1 and type 2 diabetes mellitus by suppressing the expression of proinflammatorycytokines. Phytomedicine, 63(December 2018), 153002. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.phymed.2019.153002


Caroline J Tuck, Heidi M Staudacher, (2019)THE KETO DIET AND THE GUT: CAUSE FOR CONCERN


The Lancet Gastroenterology &Hepatology, Volume 4, Issue 12, ISSN 2468–1253, https://doi.org/10.1016/S2468-1253(19)30353-X.


Harvey,C. J. d. C., Schofield, G. M., Zinn, C., & Thornley, S. (2019). Effects ofdiffering levels of carbohydrate restriction on mood achievement of nutritionalketosis, and symptoms of carbohydrate withdrawal in healthy adults: Arandomized clinical trial. Nutrition: X, 2.https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nutx.2019.100005


Kirkpatrick,C. F., Bolick, J. P., Kris-Etherton, P. M., Sikand, G., Aspry, K. E., Soffer,D. E., … Maki, K. C. (2019). Review of current evidence and clinicalrecommendations on the effects of low-carbohydrate and very-low-carbohydrate(including ketogenic) diets for the management of body weight and othercardiometabolic risk factors: A scientific statement from the National LipidAssociation Nutrition and Lifestyle Task Force. Journal of ClinicalLipidology, 13(5), 689–711.e1. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jacl.2019.08.003


Klement,R. J. (2019). Wilhelm Brünings’ forgotten contribution to the metabolictreatment of cancer utilizing hypoglycemia and a very low carbohydrate(ketogenic) diet. Journal of Traditional and Complementary Medicine, 9(3),192–200. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jtcme.2018.06.002


Norwitz,N. G., & Loh, V. (2020). A Standard Lipid Panel Is Insufficient for theCare of a Patient on a High-Fat, Low-Carbohydrate Ketogenic Diet. Frontiersin Medicine, 7(April), 1–7. https://doi.org/10.3389/fmed.2020.00097


O’Neill,B., & Raggi, P. (2020). The ketogenic diet: Pros and cons. Atherosclerosis,292(November 2019), 119–126.https://doi.org/10.1016/j.atherosclerosis.2019.11.021


Wheless,J. W. (2008). History of the ketogenic diet. Epilepsia, 49(SUPPL.8), 3–5. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1528-1167.2008.01821.x


Yue,X., Wu, J., Ruan, Z., Wolden, M. L., Li, L., & Lin, Y. (2020). The Burdenof Hypoglycemia in Patients With Insulin-Treated Diabetes Mellitus in China:Analysis of Electronic Medical Records From 4 Tertiary Hospitals. Value inHealth Regional Issues, 21, 17–21.https://doi.org/10.1016/j.vhri.2019.06.003