6 Benefits of Keto Diet: Everything You Need To Know

• The keto diet is a low-carb, high-fat diet often used to help lose weight quickly by placing the body in a state of ketosis.
• The diet allows minimal carbs and focuses on higher fat and moderate protein intake.
• The keto diet does have additional benefits, including better management of cholesterol levels, blood sugar control, and heart health.

The ketogenic diet—also called the keto diet—is a low-carbohydrate and high-fat diet that is designed to help you burn fat by training your body to enter a state of ketosis. Like other low-carb diets, ketogenic diets may help you lose weight and have some accompanying health benefits. However, there are also risks to consider.

Note: For more information on the Keto diet and if it’s safe for seniors, visit this source.

What is Ketosis?

To understand how the keto diet works, it’s important to understand ketosis. When your body needs energy, it prefers to burn carbs. Whenever carbs aren’t available, your body will begin burning fat instead. To do so, your liver turns fat into substances known as ketones, which in turn are burned by your body for energy—when your body burns fat this way, it’s in a state of ketosis.

It’s important to note that your body prefers to burn glucose (carbs) as an energy source, meaning that achieving ketosis may be difficult and require immense effort and consistency.

The keto diet has multiple potential health benefits, including but not limited to weight loss, better cholesterol levels, and lower blood pressure.

Helps with Weight Loss

Like other low-carb diets, the keto diet is mostly known for aiding in weight loss by keeping the body in a consistent state of ketosis. Since the body switches to burning fat for energy rather than carbs, weight loss is consistently seen as a benefit of the ketogenic diet. In fact, keto diets can be shown to yield faster results to lose weight than other diets due to the significantly lower carb intake. Additionally, many low-carb diets lead to a reduction in appetite, making it easier to eat fewer calories and not feel as hungry throughout the day.

However, it’s important to note that while rapid weight loss may occur in the short term, the results do seem to plateau over the longer term—and if a person reintroduces higher carb amounts back into their diet, weight may quickly return. Additionally, the keto diet may not be sustainable in the long term, which can be frustrating for those trying to achieve consistent weight loss that they then sustain.

Helps With Heart Health

Given the keto diet’s focus on burning fat for energy over glucose, the results can potentially lead to better overall heart health. The ketogenic diet can help reduce LDL (low-density lipoprotein) levels, known as ​“bad” cholesterol, which can help reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease and other heart conditions.

It’s important to note that the likelihood of reducing these risks is focused on the types of foods consumed—healthier fats and whole foods should be consumed over those with unhealthy or saturated fat, even if they qualify as keto-friendly.

Helps Reduce Blood Sugar Levels

For those who are diagnosed with diabetes and need to reduce blood sugar levels, keto diets can be extremely beneficial.

Low-carb diets are known to help lower glucose levels, which in turn can help with blood sugar control.

Note: If you take medication for your blood sugar levels, check with your primary care physician before significantly changing your diet.

May Lower Blood Pressure

The keto diet may potentially help lower blood pressure. For those with higher blood pressure levels, reducing carbs can help lower blood pressure compared to low-fat diets.

Lower blood pressure can help prevent heart disease or stroke.

Helps Increase HDL Cholesterol Levels

In terms of cholesterol, HDL (high-density lipoprotein) is referred to as ​“good cholesterol.” Having higher HDL levels can lead to a reduced risk of heart disease. One way to improve these levels is by eating higher amounts of fat, which keto diets are mostly centered around.

Could Help with Brain Conditions

While the keto diet may be more popularized now for its weight loss benefits, the diet was initially known as a way to help children diagnosed with epilepsy, particularly those who didn’t respond to drug treatment. The diet is thought to help reduce seizures due to the production of ketones that are burned due to less available glucose.

Currently, the keto diet is being studied to see its potential effects on other conditions, such as Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s disease, as it’s theorized that ketones may aid in neuroprotection against certain cellular injury.

While there are potential benefits to the keto diet, there are risks and side effects that should also be considered.

Keto Flu

The ​“keto flu” describes your body’s initial response to switching to a keto diet. As your body adjusts to ketosis, you could experience flu-like symptoms, such as

• Headache
• Nausea
• Dizziness
• Fatigue
• Constipation

These symptoms usually pass after a few weeks on the diet; however, it’s important to ensure you stay hydrated and have all your proper nutrients.

Kidney Stones/​Kidney Issues

Those who pursue a keto diet may be at a higher risk of developing kidney stones. This is due to the high amount of fatty, animal-based foods that make your urine more acidic and can lead to the creation of kidney stones.

Additionally, those who have kidney issues such as kidney disease are not advised to go on the keto diet. Since the kidneys are weakened, they may struggle to remove the acid buildup in the blood brought on by fatty, animal-based foods, which may worsen the disease.

Gut and Digestive Issues

With the low amount of carbs associated with the keto diet, getting the proper amount of fiber is often an issue. This can lead to digestive issues, notably constipation.

Since the diet eliminates most carbs and many starchy fruits and vegetables that contain high fiber, this can worsen digestive issues.

However, some keto-friendly foods still have high amounts of fiber, including chia and flaxseed, broccoli, and cauliflower.

Risk of Low Bood Sugar

While blood sugar control may be a goal for those with diabetes, the keto diet can put a person at risk for very low blood sugar, particularly if not monitored.

Those with Type 1 diabetes are at a higher risk for this. If a person takes too much insulin without consuming enough carbs, it leads to hypoglycemic episodes (low blood sugar episodes). Hypoglycemia can lead to coma and can be fatal if left untreated.

Because of this risk, it’s always important to talk with your provider before beginning a diet to ensure it’s safe.

Can Damage Bone Health

While ketosis has its benefits, the process has been linked to a decrease in bone health and density. As your body adapts to ketosis, its bone mineral density score decreases. This potentially makes it not ideal for those who already have decreased bone strength or are at risk for conditions such as osteoporosis.

It’s important to note that more studies are needed to confirm the long-term effects of the keto diet on bone health.

Nutrient Deficiencies

Like other diets, the keto diet may run the risk of nutrient deficiencies if not adequately monitored.

Due to its parameters, the keto diet can be considered a restrictive diet. Its immense limit of carbs removes whole grains, certain fruits and vegetables, and legumes, which can result in insufficient nutrients.

Supplements and vitamins are recommended to help fill the gaps that may be missing in the keto diet. It’s also worth noting that how you approach the keto diet makes a difference. Eating more processed foods and meats can result in less nutrition than low-carb foods such as starchy vegetables and healthy fats.

Note: Before changing your diet, talk to your primary care physician to determine which diet or health plan is best for you, particularly if you have health conditions. Also, be sure to address any nutrient gaps that may arise when beginning the keto and ask your provider for supplement suggestions.

Keto diets often share similarities as they are primarily focused on low-carb, high-fat intake. However, as the popularity of the keto diet has emerged, there are specific types that have distinct preferences.

Standard Ketogenic Diet (SKD)

The standard ketogenic diet focuses on the traditional low-carb intake and high-fat foods alongside moderate protein sources. Roughly, it encourages a meal plan focused on 70% fat, 20% protein, and 10% carbs.

Cyclical Ketogenic Diet (CKD)

With the cyclical ketogenic diet, there is a rotation of ketogenic-focused eating and high-carb intake days. An example of this type of keto diet may involve five days of keto and two days of high carbs, then restarting the cycle again.

Targeted Ketogenic Diet (TKD)

In this version, the metrics of the keto diet are the same as the SKD. However, there is an admission to allow more carbohydrates surrounding workouts/​intense physical activity.

High Protein Ketogenic Diet (HPKD)

This version of the keto diet still focuses on high fat and low carb. However, protein intake is higher: the diet usually consists of around 60% fat, 35% protein, and 5% carbs.

Very Low-Calorie Ketogenic Diet (VLCD)

A very-low-calorie ketogenic diet places focus on low-calorie intake. This approach involves keeping calories under 800 kcal/​day, less than 50 grams/​day, and approximately 1–1.5 grams of protein per pound of targeted body weight.

Given the focus on a low-carb diet, options such as bread, pasta, and rice are severely limited. Instead, the focus is on foods with higher fat content and a substantial amount of protein. Some examples of keto-friendly foods include:

Fish

• Salmon
• Mackeral
• Trout
• Mussels
• Oysters
• Shrimp
• Tuna
• Scallops
• Squid
• Clams

Meat

• Beef
• Pork
• Lamb
• Goat
• Venison
• Sausages
• Chicken (and other poultry)
• Bacon

Vegetables

• Cauliflower
• Broccoli
• Broccolini
• Asparagus
• Cucumber
• Celery
• Green beans
• Radishes
• Lettuce (such as romaine and arugula)
• Asian greens (such as bok choy and napa cabbage)
• Dark leafy greens (such as kale, spinach, and collard greens)
• Zucchini
• Eggplant
• Tomatoes
• Mushrooms
• Peppers
• Kohlrabi
• Leek
• Garlic
• Jalapeños
• Onion
• Rutabaga
• Yellow squash
• Spaghetti squash
• Bean sprouts
• Celeriac
• Cabbage
• Brussels sprouts
• Jicama
• Artichokes

Fruits

It should be noted that fruit in a keto diet should be limited to avoid too many carbs. One serving per day is recommended.

• Avocados
• Raspberries
• Blueberries
• Strawberries
• Blackberries
• Kiwi fruit
• Olives
• Rhubarb
• Acai berries

Dairy

• Hard cheeses (such as Parmesan, cheddar, and gouda)
• Soft cheeses (such as cream cheese, mascarpone, and brie)
• Heavy cream
• Cottage cheese
• Sour cream
• Greek yogurt
• Kefir

Beverages

• Low-sugar probiotic drinks
• Bone broth
• Miso soup
• Nut milk
• Herbal tea
• Iced tea
• Soda water
• Sparkling water
• Sugar-free syrups
• Coffee
• Dry red wine
• Dry white wine
• Vodka
• Gin
• Whiskey
• Rum
• Scotch
• Tequila

Who benefits most from a keto diet?

Most notably, those who are diagnosed with epilepsy benefit the most from a keto diet. It is also very beneficial for those who need to lose weight quickly, such as bodybuilders or endurance athletes.

What are the advantages and disadvantages of keto?

Some advantages to the keto diet include weight loss, helping decrease bad cholesterol, and helping monitor blood sugar. Some disadvantages include a higher risk of kidney stones, potential bone density deficiencies, and risk of extremely low blood sugar for those with Type 1 diabetes.

How long should I stay on a ketogenic diet to see results?

To give your body time to adapt to ketosis, it's advised to stay consistently on the diet for at least three months to see results.