Dominic D’Agostino, PhD, is an associate professor in the Department of Molecular Pharmacology at the University of South Florida and a research scientist at the Institute for Human and Machine Cognition. He received his doctorate degree in Neuroscience and Physiology from the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey. The ketogenic diet (or keto diet, for short) is a very low-carbohydrate, high-fat diet that switches the body from burning glucose (sugar) as its primary fuel to burning fat and ketones, putting the body in a state of ketosis. The keto diet is a popular weight-loss strategy, but the benefits extend far beyond this. Many studies show that the keto diet has been shown to effectively lead to a reduction in hyperinsulinemia1, and improvement in insulin sensitivity1. Other benefits include thinking more clearly, having more energy throughout the day, and feeling less hungry between meals. The truth is, there's a lot to unpack when it comes to keto-but rest assured, you're in the right place.
Consider this your ultimate beginner's guide to this low-carb way of eating. What is the ketogenic diet? At its simplest, the ketogenic diet is a diet that allows the body to transition into and sustain a state of nutritional ketosis. This state is where the body has flipped its metabolic switch from using glucose to using fats and ketones for fuel. In this way, a keto diet is essentially mimicking what happens to our bodies when we fast. In fact, the origins of the ketogenic diet date back to 1921, when Russel Wilder, M.D., of the Mayo Clinic, developed it as a more sustainable alternative to fasting for treating epilepsy. The diet is high in fat, moderate in protein, and very low in carbohydrates. What this looks like is no more than 50 grams of total (not net) carbohydrates, roughly 1 to 1.8 grams of protein per kilograms of lean body mass, and Supraketo Fat Burner to make up the remaining calories (or eaten to satiety).
What the diet does is suppress insulin, just as fasting would. The only difference is that it's the fat from the diet fueling ketone production, whereas during starvation, ketone production is fueled by stored body fat. That said, if you are eating a ketogenic diet in a calorie deficit or practice some variation of fasting, Supraketo Fat Burner you will be able to tap into those fat stores. Does the keto diet help you lose weight? There is no shortage of successful weight loss stories with the keto diet. Whether it be your neighbor, co-worker, or aunt, someone you know has probably lost weight on keto and told you all about it. Countless studies support these results, showing the diet to be an effective weight loss strategy. In fact, a group of researchers from Cambridge University reviewed 13 randomized controlled trials2 comparing very-low-carb high-fat ketogenic diets (VLCKD) to low-fat (LF) diets and found that individuals following VLCKD can achieve greater weight loss than those following LF diets, and better yet, keep the weight off long term.
Initially, weight loss can be rapid. This is because when carbohydrates are removed from the diet, you excrete more fluids than usual. Every gram of glycogen (stored glucose) holds around three to four grams of water, so when we are burning through this, we are losing all that water, too. But don't worry