What is keto diet?

Some information about the keto diet: 

The ketogenic diet is a diet that has high fat and low carb percentage in your food, the amount of protein is moderate and may be high. 

The ketogenic diet is used widely as it is proven to decrease your body weight, it is used also in medicine as some studies showed it may help to treat epilepsy people.(1)

A-  The body usually uses the carbohydrate as the major source, the brain major energy comes from carbohydrates. Eating Carbs make your body secretes insulin in order to make your body use the carbs taken and that is to avoid facing critical situations like falling into Diabetic ketoacidosis in which your body usually needs urgent insulin injection.

B- People are fed up being obese so they look to the easiest way to lose weight. A ketogenic diet high in Fat low in Carbs makes your body in a situation like where is the glucose? Despite the fact that your body now is deprived of carbs, your liver begins the synthesis of glucose through conversion of glycogen to glucose. The body uses it until there is no way the liver can produce glucose.

C- The body now begins using fat as the source of energy instead of carbs. so the person begins losing weight. Being on a keto diet is healthy and is trusted. But going for a keto diet for a long term may make you prone to GIT upset and causes problems with your liver. 

D- It is better to go for it for a specific time. It is also better to drink plenty of water and fluids so you prevent yourself from being dehydrated.(2)

Foods you should avoid in keto diet:

1- High sugar foods like ice cream, cookies. Fruit juice

2- Fruits. You have to avoid nearly all the fruits. try to change them with green vegetables

3- Saturated fat and I mean by this unhealthy fat present in oils. 

4- Get away from canned food. they usually have preservative materials and may contain a high sugar amount and saturated fat.

5- Alcohol should be removed from your list. as it causes severe health problems.

Benefits of Keto diet:

1- For people with heart disease as the body usually in the case of a ketogenic diet reduces its fat content and cholesterol and blood sugar. (3)

2- It is useful for patients suffering epilepsy as studies showed that it has the ability to reduce seizures in epileptic patients. (4)

3- In people with cancer. especially malignant brain cancer. Studies showed that a restricted ketogenic diet may help cure cancer.(5)

4- Anti-aging effect as studies showed it is neuroprotective and can help cure the CNS diseases. (6)

5- In Alzheimer's disease as studies showed that it is neuroprotective and has as an anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant effect.(7)

Is the keto diet restricted to people who are overweight only?

A- A ketogenic diet is healthy and is of more benefits to people who are overweight or diabetic, but actually it is not recommended for athletes and for people who play bodybuilding as they will find a hard time getting muscles and weight. To get the maximum effect you have to make a restricted keto diet for the long term to see that there are results Excess keto diet for a long term may have unfavorable side effects so try to talk with your nutritionist about  how many meals will you have and try to be strict with them carefully to have good results.