There are numerous benefits that result from adopting a ketogenic lifestyle: from losing weight and increasing your energy levels, to medical and therapeutic applications. Almost anyone can benefit from adopting a low-carb, high-fat ketogenic diet. Below you will find a small list of the benefits you can receive.
Lose weight
The ketogenic diet essentially uses your body fat as a source of energy for your body – so the weight loss benefits are obvious. In ketosis, your insulin (the fat-storage hormone) levels drop dramatically, turning your body into a fat-burning machine.
Scientifically, the ketogenic diet has shown better results compared to low-fat, high-carbohydrate diets, even in the long term.
Many people incorporate MCT oil into their diet when drinking ketogenic coffee, which increases the levels of ketones produced and increases weight loss.
Blood Sugar Control
Ketosis naturally lowers your blood sugar levels as a result of the foods you eat. Studies have even shown that the ketogenic diet is more effective in managing and preventing diabetes compared to low-calorie diets.
If you are a pre-diabetic person or have type II diabetes, you should seriously consider a ketogenic diet. We have many readers and members of our community who have been successful in controlling their blood sugar with the ketogenic diet.
Mental Focus
Many people use the ketogenic diet specifically to increase their mental performance.
Ketones are an excellent source of energy for the brain. When you reduce your carbohydrate intake, you eliminate high blood sugar spikes. These two phenomena together can result in improved focus and greater concentration.
Studies have shown that increasing your intake of fatty acids can have dramatic benefits on brain function.
Increased Energy + Normalized Hunger
By giving your body a more reliable source of energy, you will feel more energized throughout the day. Fats are proven to be the most effective molecules to burn as an energy source.
In addition to this, fat is naturally more filling and ends up leaving us feeling full for longer.
Epilepsy
The ketogenic diet has been used since the 1900s as a successful treatment for epilepsy. It is still one of the most used therapies with children who have epilepsy uncontrolled.
One of the main benefits of the ketogenic diet and epilepsy is that it allows fewer medications to be used while maintaining efficient control.
In recent years, studies have also shown significant results in adults using the ketogenic diet as part of their treatment.
Cholesterol and Blood Pressure
The ketogenic diet has been shown to improve triglyceride and cholesterol levels that are most associated with arterial blockages. More specifically, diets that low carbohydrate and high-fat diets have been shown to generate an increase in HDL particles and a reduction in LDL levels compared to low-fat diets.
Many studies of low-carbohydrate diets have also shown more significant improvements in blood pressure than any other diet. Of course, there are blood pressure problems associated with excess weight, which presents a clear advantage of the ketogenic diet due to the weight loss it generates.
Insulin resistance
Insulin resistance can lead to type II diabetes when left untreated. There are a large number of studies showing that a low carb, a ketogenic diet can help lower insulin levels to healthy ranges.
Even if you are an athlete, you can benefit from insulin optimization on the ketogenic diet by eating foods rich in omega-3 fatty acids.
Acne
It is common for you to have improvements in your skin when you switch to a ketogenic diet. Here’s a study showing a decrease in skin lesions and inflammation when you switch to a low carb diet. Another study shows a probable connection between a high-carb diet and increased acne, so ketosis may help.
For acne, reducing or eliminating dairy intake and following a strict skin cleaning regimen can be of great benefit.
