The ketogenic diet reduces body weight and increases well-being, say advocates. Is that true, or is no-carb just a fad?
Ketogenic diet: the principle of the diet
If the body does not get enough sugar from food, it has to produce a substitute: ketones. The ketogenic diet eliminates carbohydrates almost entirely to keep blood sugar levels low and boost ketone production.
This can be helpful when losing weight, because in this state the body does not release as much insulin, which replenishes the fat stores. Therefore, the ketogenic diet should lead to rapid and sustainable weight loss. In addition, less insulin in the blood also leads to fewer food cravings.
Alternatives to the ketogenic diet
The ketogenic diet is an extreme form of the low-carb diet. But there are many other variants of such diets.
The Paleo diet, for example, is related to the ketogenic diet. The so-called Stone Age diet mainly consists of fruit, vegetables, nuts, meat and fish.
The Atkins diet is also a low-carb diet – carbohydrates are almost completely avoided here. To compensate for this, one should take vitamin and mineral supplements.
The Glyx diet only allows carbohydrates that are slowly broken down by the body. This is to keep the blood sugar level stable.
Health pros and cons of a ketogenic diet
Medical studies mention the benefits of the ketogenic diet in childhood epilepsy. Alzheimer’s patients should also benefit from the diet. But there are also risks associated with the change in diet. Especially in the first few weeks you have to reckon with temporary side effects. According to a study by Australian scientists, these often resemble symptoms of a cold or flu, such as:
headache
nausea
Fatigue
dizziness
irregular heartbeat
In addition, the no-carb diet could overload the kidneys and increase the risk of cardiovascular disease because you eat more animal protein and saturated fat. So there are several reasons why you should not change your diet too lightly.
No-carb diets often pollute the environment
On a ketogenic diet, you often consume a lot of meat and other animal products. This puts a strain on the climate and the environment. If you decide to go on a no-carb diet, you should definitely make sure that all products are organic and regional. This is especially true for meat, fish and eggs.
A ketogenic diet can be bad for the climate
According to the DGE, eating carbohydrates is not related to various diseases such as diabetes, obesity or cancer. On the other hand, a no-carb diet may be suitable for losing weight. On the other hand, the ketogenic diet also poses health risks. In addition, the many animal products pollute the environment significantly more than, for example, a vegetarian or vegan diet.
If you absolutely want to follow such a diet, it doesn’t have to be the extreme ketogenic diet. To get you started on an environmentally friendly, low-carbohydrate diet, we reveal delicious low-carb recipes made from regional ingredients.
