Is The Keto Diet Safe? 10 Myth-busting Arguments For The Safety Of Ketosis
Is ketosis safe? The truth is that we can’t say for certain that it is 100% safe. Humans don’t understand everything under the branch of nutritional science and probably won’t for a very long time. As an individual, the only thing you can do is take a look at the research yourself and form your own conclusion. Personally, through the reading I’ve done and the experience I’ve had with the Keto diet, I’ve formed my own conclusion that ketosis is safe. Could I be wrong? Absolutely. But I could also be right. I’m willing to take that risk in order to follow a diet which could maximize longevity, well being and function. My personal conclusion shouldn’t matter to you though. You need to do your own research and come to your own conclusion. I’ve put together this post to organize all of the issues surrounding the safety of ketosis so that you can make your own decision. In trying to prove something to be safe there are two ways to go about it. Disprove the claims of danger Show evidence which may be correlated with safety This article will dispel the top 10 claims people make in an argument to label ketosis as dangerous. Like I said, the science on ketosis is still quite immature. The following data is not meant to 100% prove or disprove the safety of ketosis. It’s merely the information we have available today which can help us form a nutritional strategy we feel is best for ourselves. I’m not a doctor or a researcher. The following information is material I’ve collected in my attempt to feel confident following a Keto diet indefinitely. Most of it is sourced from doctors or authors although I have also included anecdotal accounts from experiences posted on message boards and Reddit. I know, much of the information here isn’t sourced directly from s Continue reading >>
Water Fasting Ketosis Is Where The Fat Burn Heaven Begins
In this guide, you will learn everything you need to know about water fasting ketosis. I'll explain how water fasting can help you reach your absolute highest possible fat burn rates, which is easily the single biggest benefit of ketosis. You'll also see the science on how long it actually takes before you can enter ketosis during a water fast. You'll also learn about one of the most dangerous problems of water fasting ketosis. I'll also tell you why it is a very good idea to avoid one of the most common mistakes people make once they already reach ketosis during a water fast. Now that you know what you're getting yourself into, here's a quick overview of everything that's covered in this guide: The single biggest benefit of water fasting ketosis Simply put, ketosis is a state where you get to enjoy your absolutely highest possible fat burn rates. If you're on your regular diet, your body can draw energy from a couple of different sources (so not just from your body fat reserves). Those other, non-fat energy sources are the main reason why your fat burn rates stay on the low end, even if you start eating less food. But during a water fast, because you're eating no food at all, those other energy sources in your body will be completely wiped out after a while. Once that happens, your body will enter full ketosis, and in that state of full ketosis, your body will have no choice but to rely almost exclusively on your body fat reserves. With no other energy sources available, ketosis will trigger some pretty amazing fat burn rates in your body. Water fasting is one of the fastest ways to reach that state of super high fat burn. And a lot of people do a water fast just for this reason. There's only one problem with reaching ketosis through water fasting. PRO TIP: A different Continue reading >>
Why I Chose A Ketogenic Diet For Diabetes Management
Often people use the term “diet” to mean something that is temporary for a specific purpose, usually weight loss. For me, it is a permanent way of eating now. I am a retired physician living with Type 1 diabetes since 1998. I started to exercise regularly in 2007 to help ward off complications, particularly cardiovascular disease. I was unaware at the time that aerobic exercise alone would have little impact on the development of cardiovascular disease. It wasn’t until 2011 when I contemplated doing an ironman distance triathlon, that I discovered diet is the most important determinate in the development of most chronic diseases, including cardiovascular disease. My research led me to begin a very low carbohydrate, ketogenic diet in February 2012. Why I Chose a Low Carb Ketogenic Diet for Diabetes Management Carbohydrate is the macronutrient that raises blood glucose the most, so keeping consumption low is my primary goal. Of next importance is using whole foods that naturally have the necessary micronutrients and enough complete proteins to support my exercise. I had to add fat to my meals to replace calories from the omitted carbohydrates. My protein intake did not change after starting a ketogenic low carb high fat diet. This way of eating has resulted in a significant improvement in my blood glucose control and a 1.2% reduction in HbA1c. Most importantly, the diet supplies my body with the energy, substrates, and nutrients to enable daily resistance and aerobic/endurance exercise, with minimal need for sports nutrition (sugar), or development of hypoglycemia. I completed The Great Floridian Triathlon in October 2012 without any sugar, food, or hypoglycemia thanks to my low carbohydrate ketogenic lifestyle. Nutritional Ketosis My diet keeps me in a state of nut Continue reading >>
People Explains: Everything You Need To Know About The Keto Diet
Popular belief deems fat as the dietary enemy, but according to the ketogenic diet—keto for short—that may not be the case. The very low-carb, moderate protein and high-fat eating plan has been around for decades. Originally, it grew popular for treating patients with epilepsy and diabetes, but today it’s gained a following for success stories in weight loss. While it’s definitely fairly restrictive—dessert lovers keep moving—it’s doable in the office, you’ll find options when you eat out, and you can still enjoy some of your favorite cravings. 1. You don’t have to give up cheese or bacon. If you’ve ever done a fad diet, you know they often have you sacrificing your breakfast bacon and all things dairy. But this new eating fad encourages you to so-far-as put butter in your morning coffee. High amounts of ‘good’ fat, such as cream, butter, avocado, and nuts are all encouraged. Eating a high-fat diet curbs your hunger cravings, which means less snacking and less calories overall. 2. Celebrities like Halle Berry and Kourtney Kardashian have taken to the eating fad. On Live! with Kelly and Ryan, Berry claimed that the no sugar, no carb diet works for her as a diabetic. “I eat healthy fats all day long, avocado, oil, coconut oil and I use butter, but don’t have any sugar. So when your body gets trained to burn fats, it’s constantly on fat-burning mode—that’s the secret,” she said. If you follow the eldest Kardashian sister on social media, you know she takes her fitness regimen seriously, and her bikini body is a good proof of that. And according to a recent post on her app, she’s also super dedicated to her eating habits. The reality star says she has been detoxing her body “on and off for months now.” To stay in a state of ketosis, Continue reading >>
Keep Yourself In Ketosis
When talking about a Grain Brain lifestyle, and the very similar ketogenic diet, it’s frequently mentioned that we are aiming to keep our bodies in ketosis. However, if you’re new to my work, it may be that you’re not exactly sure what ketosis is, or why we should be worrying about getting our body into this state. Allow me to explain. Ketones are a special type of fat that can stimulate the pathways that enhance the growth of new neural networks in the brain. A ketogenic diet is one that is high in fats, and this diet has been a tool of researchers for years, used notably in a 2005 study on Parkinson’s patients finding an improvement in symptoms after just 28 days. The improvements were on par with those made possible via medication and brain surgery. Other research has shown the ketogenic diet to be remarkably effective in treating some forms of epilepsy, and even brain tumors. Ketones do more than just that though. They increase glutathione, a powerful, brain-protective antioxidant. Ketones facilitate the production of mitochondria, one of the most important actors in the coordinated production that is the human body. And that’s just the tip of the iceberg. Our bodies are said to enter ketosis at the point when blood sugar levels are low and liver glycogen are no longer available to produce glucose as a fuel for cellular energy production. At this point, not only is the body doing the natural thing, and burning off fat, it’s also powering up the brain with a super efficient fuel. We can jump start ourselves into ketosis with a brief fast, allowing our body to quickly burn through the carbs that are in our system, and turn to fat for fuel. A ketogenic diet is one that derives around 80% or more of of its calories from fat, and the rest from carbs and prote Continue reading >>
Ketosis And Alcohol
When it comes to the ketogenic lifestyle, there are lots of confusing and conflicting opinions floating around, and they can lead to all kinds of mistakes. One of those confusing areas is how alcohol fits into a ketogenic lifestyle. Hopefully, after you read this, you’ll have a pretty good understanding and some tools to use to make informed decisions along the way. First off, not all alcoholic beverages are the same. Alcohol is the same across the board; it’s a macronutrient with seven calories per gram, so that’s the starting point. It’s a byproduct of fermentation. Essentially, a sugar compound is acted upon by yeast and the yeast produces alcohol and carbon dioxide. Depending on the type of sugar compound, you get different kinds of alcoholic beverages. Hard liquor, or spirits, takes the process a little further and adds distillation. That is, essentially, the process of “boiling off” the alcohol and then re-condensing (as it cools) it into more a more concentrated form. When you something marketed as “Distilled 9 times”, that just means they went through the boiling and condensing process nine times. Okay, so that’s where alcohol comes from, but that’s not all there is to it. Like said, the type of sugar compound determines the type of alcohol. For example, beer is made with, basically four ingredients. Barley, hops, water, and yeast. Barley is the primary ingredient, it’s where the sugar (maltose) comes from for the yeast. It’s also very similar to wheat. It’s a very bad carb. And it’s the reason that some people call beer “liquid bread”. It is far too rich in carbohydrates, not just the sugars, but the other “glutenous carbs”. So it’s a definite no for Ketovangelists. Beer does not fit into a ketogenic lifestyle. (Sidenote: A Continue reading >>
How Long Does It Take To Get Into Ketosis?
A question a lot of people who start a Ketogenic Diet want to know is, how long does it take to get into ketosis? After all, it is being in a state of ketosis that makes the diet, “ketogenic” in the first place. Being in Ketosis not only supercharges your body to be in an optimal fat-burning zone. It also gives you a longer, sustained energy, enhanced cognition, improved focus and other neuroprotective benefits. The Advantages of Ketosis don’t end there Being on a Ketogenic Diet and having your body rely on fats as its fuel comes with cardiovascular benefits as well. It has been shown that ketosis lowers bad LDL cholesterol while increasing good HDL cholesterol, decreasing a person’s risk of heart disease as well as improving insulin resistance amongst others. There are also studies into the ketogenic diet’s effects on Alzheimers Disease, Bipolar Disorder among others that have shown promising results. The Ketogenic Diet itself was used in the early 1900’s to control epileptic seizures and is still used today for those resistant to seizure medication. But we won’t dive deeply into all of that today. Today we’re going to answer the question, how long does it take to get into ketosis? So, how long does it take to get into Ketosis? Nobody can tell you accurately how long it will take to get into ketosis as the time it takes for your body to start creating ketone bodies varies between individuals. We all have unique metabolisms, varying resistance to insulin, previous diet, and other biological factors that differentiate us from one another. If one were to give a timeframe, it would be safe to say that typically you can expect your body to get into ketosis within a period of 2-10 days if you stick to the recommended macro nutrients. (use our keto calculator Continue reading >>
How Ketosis Helps You Lose Weight Through Suppressed Appetite
One of the reasons The Bulletproof Diet with Bulletproof Coffee works so well for people looking to lose weight is that Bulletproof Intermittent Fasting helps your body to more easily enter a state called cyclical ketosis, which is great for a whole bunch of reasons. Ketosis is a cornerstone of becoming Bulletproof; listen to these recent Bulletproof Radio episodes with ketosis experts Jimmy Moore and Dominic D’Agostino to get the scoop on how and why it works. It’s what happens when your body switches to burning fat instead of sugar for energy, and it only happens when you eat almost no carbohydrates, or when you hack it using certain kinds of oils. Many people first stumble upon the idea of ketosis while looking for a weight loss strategy. That can be a major part of it for so many people out there who have tried just about every other diet out there but haven’t seen the results they’d hoped for. But when people experience the mental clarity and focus that ketosis brings, the game changes! This post walks you through one of the most important yet underrated mechanisms that makes ketosis so effective for people who have tried everything else to lose weight and failed to keep it off: appetite suppression. Ketosis works for weight loss in the short term, but that’s not why it’s so amazing. Short term weight loss is easy (I’ve lost at least 200 pounds of short term weight…because it always roared back on with a vengeance so I could lose it again!) When you look at keeping your weight off forever, ketosis provides a level of appetite suppression that is actually liberating. Ketosis helps you literally stop thinking about food all the time. Why Calorie Counting Is So Ineffective One of the reasons old-fashioned, calorie-restricted diets tend to fail is becau Continue reading >>
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Ketosis In Perspective: Thinking Twice About The Keto Diet Fad
Fad diets come in cycles, fluctuating to match popular prevailing attitudes toward nutrition. Fear of dietary fat spurred the creation of dozens of “fat free” processed snacks, but it wasn’t long before carbohydrates took center stage as dietary villains. Fast on the heels of the low-carb trend, the media declared fat to be vindicated and put butter back on the menu. Table of contents What is Ketosis? As if this game of nutritional ping pong wasn’t already enough to make your head spin, each major shift in dietary advice has spawned several conflicting programs and protocols. From Atkins and Paleo to “high-carb, low-fat” and 80/10/10, it seems as though everyone is claiming to hold the key to weight loss, longevity and freedom from every imaginable disease. The latest of these fads piggybacks on the removal of the “bad guy” label from dietary fat and takes the idea of low-carb diets to an extreme level. Known as the ketogenic, or “keto,” diet, it’s a dietary pattern based on nearly eliminating carbohydrates and increasing dietary fat to put the body in a state known as ketosis. Proponents of “going keto” claim it improves heart health, reduces problems associated with diabetes, gives you more energy and is preferable to low-fat diets for weight loss. If such success stories have made you wonder whether a ketogenic diet is worth trying, it’s important to note the known side effects, documented adverse reactions and potential risks of undertaking such a restrictive regimen. What is Ketosis? In a normal state, your body uses glucose obtained from carbohydrates to make energy. When carbohydrates are broken down, the resulting simple sugar can be used as a convenient fuel source. Extra glucose is stored in your liver and muscles as glycogen and is Continue reading >>
Ketogenic Diet: How To Become Fat Adapted
Becoming Fat Adapted: Ketones and Fat Intake The obvious first step to being fat adapted is to cut out sugar, and when I say sugar, I also mean starch. Complex carbohydrates are just glucose molecules hooked together in a long chain. The digestive tract breaks them down into glucose, AKA sugar. Therefore, a diet filled with “safe starches” like sweet potatoes is still considered a sugary diet. To become fat adapted, you need to start using ketones for energy instead of glucose. When you do this, you will become a fat burning machine! So, what are ketones? Ketones are a byproduct of fat oxidation that are basically super-fuel for your body. They are the fuel your body uses when you are fat adapted. Sounds great, right? Ketones are created in the liver during beta-oxidation. Fatty acids are broken down into acetyl-CoA, which is then oxidized, and its energy is used for the production of ATP, the coenzyme used as an energy carrier in the cells of all known organisms — the body’s energy source. If excess acetyl-CoA is produced or inadequate quantities of a required precursor called oxaloacetate are present, the extra acetyl-CoA is transformed into ketone bodies. When are you are fat adapted, you can actually produce ketones and oxidize fat for ATP at the same time. Fun fact: we all naturally go through a mild ketosis (keto-adapted) after fasting during a long night of sleep, if you don’t eat right before bed and after you’ve woken up. You need to not eat for over ten hours to be in mild ketosis. How can I become fat adapted and start producing ketones? To start producing ketones, my first suggestion is to start with a diet of less than 10 grams of carbohydrates a day. This may seem like an awful battle that you can’t win, but it really isn’t that hard to do. Continue reading >>
The Ketogenic Diet Might Be The Next Big Weight Loss Trend, But Should You Try It?
Here's what you need to know about the high-fat, low-carb diet everyone's talking about. Google has released the top search terms of 2016, and when it comes to weight loss, it turns out folks were especially drawn to the ketogenic diet. It was one of the 10 most-searched diets this year, landing halfway down the list (just a few notches below the taco cleanse!). But if you weren't among the keto-curious in the last 12 months, you're probably wondering now, Is this something I should try? (And what does ketogenic mean again?) Read on for a quick primer on the plan, and my bottom-line advice. What is the ketogenic diet? In a nutshell, it's a high-fat, low- to moderate-protein, low-carb eating plan. On a ketogenic diet, roughly 75% to 90% of daily calories come from fat; 6% to 20% come from protein; and 2% to 5% come from carbohydrates. It was originally devised as a tool for controlling epileptic seizures (though doctors aren't exactly sure how it works) before there were drugs to treat seizures. In the past few decades, it has reemerged as patients and parents seek alternatives to pharmaceuticals. But the ketogenic diet has also been adopted as a weight loss plan. The goal of the diet is to achieve ketosis, a state in which the body is using fat as its primary fuel, rather than carbs. After three to four days on a ketogenic diet, back-up stores of carbohydrates, called glycogen, become depleted and ketosis kicks in, triggering some weight loss and the appearance of a leaner physique. But in terms of dropping pounds, the primary advantage of a ketogenic diet is that it doesn't leave you hungry, since it involves eating a good deal of satiating fats, and the state of ketosis has been shown to reduce appetite. What does the research say? A recent Spanish study tracked 20 ob Continue reading >>
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The Fat-fueled Brain: Unnatural Or Advantageous?
Disclaimer: First things first. Please note that I am in no way endorsing nutritional ketosis as a supplement to, or a replacement for medication. As you’ll see below, data exploring the potential neuroprotective effects of ketosis are still scarce, and we don’t yet know the side effects of a long-term ketogenic diet. This post talks about the SCIENCE behind ketosis, and is not meant in any way as medical advice. The ketogenic diet is a nutritionist’s nightmare. High in saturated fat and VERY low in carbohydrates, “keto” is adopted by a growing population to paradoxically promote weight loss and mental well-being. Drinking coffee with butter? Eating a block of cream cheese? Little to no fruit? To the uninitiated, keto defies all common sense, inviting skeptics to wave it off as an unnatural “bacon-and-steak” fad diet. Yet versions of the ketogenic diet have been used to successfully treat drug-resistant epilepsy in children since the 1920s – potentially even back in the biblical ages. Emerging evidence from animal models and clinical trials suggest keto may be therapeutically used in many other neurological disorders, including head ache, neurodegenerative diseases, sleep disorders, bipolar disorder, autism and brain cancer. With no apparent side effects. Sound too good to be true? I feel ya! Where are these neuroprotective effects coming from? What’s going on in the brain on a ketogenic diet? Ketosis in a nutshell In essence, a ketogenic diet mimics starvation, allowing the body to go into a metabolic state called ketosis (key-tow-sis). Normally, human bodies are sugar-driven machines: ingested carbohydrates are broken down into glucose, which is mainly transported and used as energy or stored as glycogen in liver and muscle tissue. When deprived of d Continue reading >>
Long-term Effects Of A Ketogenic Diet In Obese Patients
Go to: Abstract Although various studies have examined the short-term effects of a ketogenic diet in reducing weight in obese patients, its long-term effects on various physical and biochemical parameters are not known. To determine the effects of a 24-week ketogenic diet (consisting of 30 g carbohydrate, 1 g/kg body weight protein, 20% saturated fat, and 80% polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fat) in obese patients. In the present study, 83 obese patients (39 men and 44 women) with a body mass index greater than 35 kg/m2, and high glucose and cholesterol levels were selected. The body weight, body mass index, total cholesterol, low density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, high density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, triglycerides, fasting blood sugar, urea and creatinine levels were determined before and after the administration of the ketogenic diet. Changes in these parameters were monitored after eight, 16 and 24 weeks of treatment. The weight and body mass index of the patients decreased significantly (P<0.0001). The level of total cholesterol decreased from week 1 to week 24. HDL cholesterol levels significantly increased, whereas LDL cholesterol levels significantly decreased after treatment. The level of triglycerides decreased significantly following 24 weeks of treatment. The level of blood glucose significantly decreased. The changes in the level of urea and creatinine were not statistically significant. The present study shows the beneficial effects of a long-term ketogenic diet. It significantly reduced the body weight and body mass index of the patients. Furthermore, it decreased the level of triglycerides, LDL cholesterol and blood glucose, and increased the level of HDL cholesterol. Administering a ketogenic diet for a relatively longer period of time did Continue reading >>
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what Is The Ketogenic Diet And Is It Safe?
The ketogenic diet is all the rage in the low-carbohydrate dieting world. It’s so low-carb in fact that many people wonder if it’s a safe long-term diet. How is the keto diet (short for “ketogenic”) diet different than the Atkins diet plan? Is it an effective and healthy means of weight loss? Is it safe??? These are just some of the many questions that we hear surrounding the keto diet in the health and fitness community. While any diet that requires sacrifice and adjustments to your daily routine (and this diet requires more of that than most, with the exception of veganism) will take some effort to maintain, the overall benefits may be worth the commitment. A variety of celebrities, fitness personalities, and doctors endorse the ketogenic eating plan and its philosophies for overall health improvement and quick weight loss. According to advocates of the ketogenic diet, forcing your body into ketosis could be the answer to long-term fat loss and better health. For years, we’ve heard about the benefits of low-carb eating and consuming healthy fats. We absolutely agree with the low-carb approach for weight loss, because it is the main principle in our 21-Day Fat Loss Challenge. Below, we will explore what the ketogenic diet entails, including the change in lifestyle, and discuss its safety. The Ketogenic Diet What is the keto diet? You might already know that the keto diet is a low-carb diet plan. You might not know that it was originally designed for patients with epilepsy, as Dr. Axe discusses in his post on the subject. Researchers at Johns Hopkins Medical center initially found that fasting helped treat seizures in patients with epilepsy. How did this turn into what we know as the keto diet today? Since fasting wasn’t a healthy long-term option for elimin Continue reading >>
Ketosis: What Is Ketosis?
Ketosis is a normal metabolic process. When the body does not have enough glucose for energy, it burns stored fats instead; this results in a build-up of acids called ketones within the body. Some people encourage ketosis by following a diet called the ketogenic or low-carb diet. The aim of the diet is to try and burn unwanted fat by forcing the body to rely on fat for energy, rather than carbohydrates. Ketosis is also commonly observed in patients with diabetes, as the process can occur if the body does not have enough insulin or is not using insulin correctly. Problems associated with extreme levels of ketosis are more likely to develop in patients with type 1 diabetes compared with type 2 diabetes patients. Ketosis occurs when the body does not have sufficient access to its primary fuel source, glucose. Ketosis describes a condition where fat stores are broken down to produce energy, which also produces ketones, a type of acid. As ketone levels rise, the acidity of the blood also increases, leading to ketoacidosis, a serious condition that can prove fatal. People with type 1 diabetes are more likely to develop ketoacidosis, for which emergency medical treatment is required to avoid or treat diabetic coma. Some people follow a ketogenic (low-carb) diet to try to lose weight by forcing the body to burn fat stores. What is ketosis? In normal circumstances, the body's cells use glucose as their primary form of energy. Glucose is typically derived from dietary carbohydrates, including: sugar - such as fruits and milk or yogurt starchy foods - such as bread and pasta The body breaks these down into simple sugars. Glucose can either be used to fuel the body or be stored in the liver and muscles as glycogen. If there is not enough glucose available to meet energy demands, th Continue reading >>
