Abstract
Diets have been the subject of intense discussions for years, and many statements, frequently supported by minimal data, have been presented in favor of one side or the other. Frequently, to promote weight loss and wellness, emphasis has been placed on a single new element that prior diets had neglected. The ketogenic diet (KD) results in rapid and healthy weight loss and positive changes in biomarkers. With its severe carbohydrate decrease, the diet is now a well-liked weight loss regimen. Ketone bodies have lately been hypothesized as efficient modulators of inflammation and fibrosis, and KDs have also been associated with favourable effects on various pathologies. However, health concerns must be analyzed to create an entire understanding of the process.
Introduction
In recent years, high-fat, ketogenic diets to enhance physical performance have become more widespread. The effects on physical wellness are still debatable, even though these diets increase fat and decrease glucose oxidation during exercise. Contrarily, a growing body of research indicates that plant-based diets are linked to a decreased risk of cardiovascular and oncological diseases and a lengthened lifespan. There is significant concern about the potential long-term effects of a mass acceptance of this approach by society, given the popularity of the keto diet, even to those who do not need to lose weight.
The Diet is Safer and More Effective than Others
High-fat products, including butter, eggs, cheese, salmon, mayonnaise, and cream, are included in the ketogenic diet, along with moderate amounts of protein and minimal carbohydrates. It eliminates meals heavy in carbohydrates, including bread and starchy meals like vegetables, sugar, and wheat. This leads to decreased protein and carbohydrate metabolism and enhanced high-fat metabolism (Khodabakhshi et al., 2020). As a result, the blood glucose level is lower, and more ketone bodies are made from fat, which changes how your body uses energy. Despite holding fast to the myth that saturated fat is unhealthy, that total cholesterol is linked to mortality, and despite developing incredibly effective therapies to lower cholesterol, people proceed to witness an expanding epidemic of obesity, diabetes, and rising rates of coronary heart disease (O’Neill and Raggi, 2019). The application of KD as a solution can address the problem.
According to data, calorie restriction and the distribution of macronutrients may each play a cumulative or synergistic function. An experiment recently invalidated the widely held belief that increasing dietary fat intake always results in fatty liver and prevents fat mass loss by demonstrating how a norm caloric HFKD prevents de Novo lipogenesis and stimulates FA oxidation, which results in weight loss and decreases hepatic fat content (Kayode et al., 2020). Additionally, because KDs may affect the metabolism of cancer cells, they have recently attracted the interest of researchers studying the disease (Watanabe et al., 2020). Cancer-related fatigue is thought to affect 25–99% of individuals receiving cancer treatment (Murphy et al., 2021, p. 227). According to earlier research, KD may enhance both physical and mental health. Healthy overweight and obese people who follow low-glycemic diets report feeling less tired than those who follow high-glycemic diets.
Lack of Evidence
Despite claiming that paradigm is widespread in mainstream medicine, proponents of keto appear to take a critical approach to their claims without a firm foundation. One common defense of proponents of the keto diet is that societies have been educated with false ideas of healthy weight loss for many years, but the research does not support the claims (Khodabakhshi et al., 2020). The studies that have been finished up to this point have been relatively brief and have not persuaded me that the ketogenic diet is more maintainable and its effects are more long-lasting than those of other diets.
Conclusion
Therefore, the KD presents the potential weight loss solution in several situations requiring safe results and can be achieved easily. However, the benefits measured beyond the specific disease treatment are controversial due to the lack of evidence. The transition from a ketogenic diet to a conventional diet should be managed and gradual, and it is essential to monitor organ functioning while on a diet closely.
Reference List
Kayode, O. T, Rotimi, D. E, Afolayan, O. A, Kayode, A. A. (2020). Ketogenic diet: A nutritional remedy for some metabolic disorders, Journal of Education, Health and Sport, 10(8).
Khodabakhshi, A., Seyfried, T.N., Kalamian, M. (2020). Does a ketogenic diet have beneficial effects on quality of life, physical activity or biomarkers in patients with breast cancer: a randomized controlled clinical trial. Nutrition Journal, 19(87). Web.
Murphy, N. E., Carrigan, C. T., Margolis, L. M. (2021). High-fat ketogenic diets and physical performance: A systematic review, Advances in Nutrition, 12(1), pp. 223–233, Web.
O’Neill, B., Raggi, P. (2019). The ketogenic diet: Pros and cons. Atherosclerosis, 292 pp. 119-126. Web.
Watanabe, M, Tozzi, R, Risi, R (2020). Beneficial effects of the ketogenic diet on nonalcoholic fatty liver disease: A comprehensive review of the literature. Obesity Reviews, 21. Web.