What is Ketogenic

Under normal human metabolism, our body provides energy in the order of breaking down carbohydrates → fats → proteins.

Carbohydrates turn into carbon dioxide and water after functioning and are metabolized out of the body, while fat, because of its fatty acids, produces a lot of acidic residue – ketones (ketone bodies) – when it provides energy to the body, so ketogenic is the process by which the body consumes fat.

Ketogenic diet is what diet

So what exactly is the fiery ketogenic diet?
The ketogenic dietary approach was originally developed to treat epilepsy, and in 1921 Wilder reported treating epilepsy with a ketogenic diet. During starvation, body fat decomposition becomes the main source of energy, and the intermediate products of fat decomposition metabolism, ketone bodies (acetone, acetoacetic acid and β-hydroxybutyric acid), have an inhibitory effect on epileptic seizures. Ketogenic diet (KD) is a dietary treatment that mimics the body’s response to starvation by producing ketone bodies in a diet that contains a high proportion of fat and a low proportion of protein and carbohydrates to treat epilepsy.

The basic requirements of the ketogenic diet are low-carbohydrate, high-fat, and moderate protein.

Specifically, it is 70~80% fat + 10~20% protein + 5~10% carbohydrates, while controlling the total daily calorie intake at around 2,000 calories.

About applying the ketogenic diet for weight loss

Many people think that it is better to choose a low-fat diet because they want to limit the fat content in food when losing weight, but this view is actually one-sided. Fat has a higher calorie content, about twice as much as sugar or protein. Generally speaking, the more low-fat diets people consume while controlling the total amount of food they eat, the fewer calories they produce and the more weight they may lose. In fact, people who consume more of a low-fat diet tend to be more hungry and eat more, which can lead to weight gain. In addition, low-fat diets are digested and absorbed more quickly, which tends to raise blood sugar. Excessive blood sugar can also be converted into fat and stored in the body.

Unlike traditional low-fat diets, ketogenic diets supply energy by reducing the intake of carbon compounds and targeting fat consumption. When combined with plenty of exercise, the weight loss effect is even more dramatic.

But ketogenic diets can be harmful to your health
The ketogenic diet is best implemented under the supervision of a doctor and a dietitian, as it is necessary to ensure the normal intake of other nutrients while restricting the intake of carbohydrates.
Moreover, too little carbohydrate intake is not a healthy eating pattern in itself and can be harmful to your health. The ketogenic diet may following body reactions.

Hypoglycemic reaction
Restriction of carbohydrate intake for 4 to 7 days, some patients will experience weakness, panic palpitations, cold sweats and other hypoglycemic phenomena.

Hunger
It is normal to experience hunger during the conversion of the body to ketone bodies as the main source of energy.

Flushing and increased heart rate
During the first week of ketogenesis, a few fat losers may experience flushing and increased heart rate, probably due to hypoglycemia and ketone production, which is a sign of mild acidosis.

Itchy Skin and Rubella
The respiratory, cutaneous, and urinary tracts are the three most important routes of ketone body excretion. A small number of sensitive individuals with fat loss have skin sensitization to excretory ketone bodies, resulting in allergies such as itching and urticaria.

Constipation
Constipation is a common clinical symptom of the low-fiber, low-sludge diet of ketogenic therapy. Constipation can also be associated with magnesium deficiency, side effects of analgesic medications, and/or dehydration. We hope that you will choose to lose weight in a healthy way, through sensible meals and moderate exercise.