A ketogenic diet has been popularized in fitness literature and on social media. Many celebrities promoted a keto diet as an efficient way to manage weight. But what is a keto diet? Is it healthy? And what’s the difference between a common plant-based diet vs. keto?
We will answer all your questions. 🙂
What Is A Keto Diet
A keto diet is a low-carb, high-fat diet. Keto is actually short for ketogenic, another term used to describe this diet. The main purpose of this diet is to reduce your intake of carbohydrates or carbs. Instead, the main source of your calories would be healthy fats and proteins.
A keto diet forces your body into a state of ketosis. If you were wondering, this is where the diet gets its name from. When your body starts absorbing fats, it creates chemicals known as ketones. These chemicals are byproducts of the fatty acids that are broken down.
Through this process your body produces energy and fuels all of your bodily processes. It also burns a lot of fat, which is why a keto diet helps you lose weight. Usually, your body gets energy by absorbing glucose, which is a type of sugar carbohydrates are made out of.
Since a keto diet is low in carbs, ketosis occurs when glucose levels are decreased. Instead of carbs and glucose, your body breaks down fats for energy. Ketosis is like a fasting state for your body. It also occurs when the person is starving or when a woman is pregnant.
Thus, the basic idea is to deprive your body of glucose and force it to start breaking down fats. This helps you lose weight and even enhances mental abilities.
History Break
Originally, a ketogenic diet was brought into the world as a possible treatment for epilepsy. Around 1911, researchers in France found that patients struggling with epilepsy experienced fewer seizures when they were on a low-carb diet.
At the same time, scientists in the US advocated for the same measures. A physician Hugh Conklin promoted fasting methods to his epileptic patients. He had successful results, as 50 of adults and 90 of children were fully or partially treated from epilepsy.
However, fasting was a rather extreme measure and could only be practiced for small periods. Thus, doctors wanted to have a sustainable long-term method of treating seizures. As a result, a keto diet was born. Dr. Wilder, who worked at a Mayo Clinic, is the father of a ketogenic diet.
Keto-Friendly Foods
A keto diet mainly consists of animal-based products, as well as some low-carb vegetables and nuts. Eggs and meat have almost no carbs, which makes them favourable for keto lovers. Thus, a ketogenic diet usually includes meat, eggs, dairy, oils, and nuts.
Is Keto Diet Healthy
It is difficult to say. Though a keto diet works well for some people, it also has some substantial risks. While it does prevent seizures and help with weight management, there are very few studies done on the long-term effects of the diet.
As you are usually advised to eat a lot of meat, the long-term effects of this diet can be detrimental. Meat has been consistently linked to many diseases, including cancer, cardiovascular diseases, and diabetes.
Keto Weight Loss
As I mentioned earlier, many love the keto diet because of its wonders when it comes to weight loss.
In a state of ketosis, your body essentially burns fat for energy. Yes, it is as simple as it sounds.
A ketogenic diet also lowers the levels of ghrelin, the hunger hormone in your body.
This helps you consume fewer calories throughout the day and ultimately makes you lose weight.
Moreover, carbs are the nutrients that store water. As you eat fewer carbs, you will lose water weight as well.
Is Keto Gluten Free?
A ketogenic diet is not necessarily gluten-free. Though foods that contain gluten are typically rich in carbs, which keto advocates against, you can still consume gluten. Though a keto diet contains very small amounts of gluten, it is ultimately up to you.
If you have a gluten intolerance, you can successfully transition to a keto diet and avoid wheat foods. Just keep an eye out for those labels!
Is Keto Bad For You?
Though a keto diet is not necessarily bad, it does have a fair amount of risks.
Kidney Stones
Some medical journals suggest that a keto diet can cause kidney stones and other kidney-related concerns. Kidney stones are a proven side effect of a ketogenic diet. You can be susceptible to developing kidney stones because the high consumption of animal proteins makes your urine more acidic.
Though a keto diet is not guaranteed to cause kidney stones, you should consult your health professional. Those with a history of kidney-related issues should stay away from diets like keto.
Muscle Loss
Another negative effect of a ketogenic diet is significant muscle loss. This one is often debated in fitness circles. Though many athletes praise keto diet for their better performance, most doctors remain skeptical.
The best way to gain muscle mass is by consuming both carbs and proteins when exercising.
A keto diet, however, doesn’t let you eat foods with carbs. While you are guaranteed to lose weight, you may also lose muscle mass.
Nutrient Deficiencies
Just like other popular diets, following keto makes you more likely to develop deficiencies. This shouldn’t be surprising because keto limits your intake of fruits, starchy vegetables, and whole grains. All of these foods contain important nutrients, particularly fibre and potassium.
Is Keto Bad For Your Heart?
It’s tricky to say whether a keto diet improves your heart function because it ultimately depends on your choice of fats.
Losing weight, for example, is generally good for your heart as it stabilizes your blood pressure and cholesterol levels. On the other hand, if you choose to eat foods that contain many saturated or even trans fats, it is guaranteed to worsen your heart condition.
Thus, like with any diet, you should be careful and do at least minimal research beforehand. The truth is, no diet is perfect. Most diets are difficult to stick to since most of us would rather eat intuitively. If you want to be healthy long-term, be thoughtful and consult your doctor.
Is Keto Safe Long Term?
A ketogenic diet shouldn’t be your long-term goal. It is relatively safe for most people as a short-term weight management strategy. Nevertheless, you will be better off following a whole-foods plant-based diet for longer periods of time vs. keto. More on this later.
What Is A Plant-Based Diet?
A plant-based diet is a diet that focuses on eating plant-based foods as much as possible.
This approach shifts the attention from meat to fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes, and other plant foods. It promotes the health benefits of plant-based products.
As a result, many people who follow a plant-based diet don’t eat meat. It is worth noting that a plant-based diet is different from vegetarian diet and vs. keto. While it’s natural for you to not eat meat on a plant-based diet, it doesn’t strongly advocate for it. Some people continue to consume small amounts of animal-based foods.
Whole-Foods Plant-Based (WFPB)
A whole-foods diet in particular is a little bit different from a simple plant-based diet. As you can guess from its name, it emphasizes the importance of foods that are minimally processed. It preaches the health benefits of whole plant-based foods.
This diet has additional benefits that many diets lack. For example, vegetarian diets don’t allow the consumption of meat, or other animal products. However, these diets say nothing about refined foods that are very dangerous for your health.
On a whole-foods plant-based diet, you can eat:
- Fruits, vegetables, and starchy vegetables
- Whole Grains: oats, brown pasta and rice, quinoa, oats, etc.
- Legumes: beans, lentils, chickpeas, etc.
- Seeds and Nuts: almonds, peanuts, cashews, etc.
- Plant-Based proteins: tofu, tempeh, seitan, edamame, soy milk, nuts, etc.
You can spice up your meals with organic seasonings, herbs, and condiments.
To maximize the health benefits, you should avoid:
- Refined sweets: sugar, pastries, soda, cereals, candy, etc.
- Refined grains: white rice, white bread, white pasta… anything bleached, you get it.
- Fast food
- Animal-based foods: meat, dairy, eggs, animal by-products.
- Processed foods
Plant-Based Diet Health Benefits
A plant-based diet, especially a whole-foods one, has endless health benefits vs. keto. It helps your heart, stomach, and brain function better and longer. It can also aid with weight management and reduce the risks of many diseases, including some types of cancer.
Cardiovascular Health
A plant-based diet can lower your blood pressure. High blood pressure, a condition is known as hypertension, can be very dangerous and increase the risks of heart disease. This condition is prevalent among many adults in the United States and around the world.
Luckily, a plant-based diet can help stabilize your blood pressure. A study released in 2016 stated that people who avoid animal products had a 34 percent lower risk of having hypertension.
According to the American Heart Association, avoiding meat can decrease the risks of stroke and high cholesterol. Increased levels of ‘bad’ cholesterol block your arteries and cause dangerous heart diseases, such as heart attacks.
Cancer
Consumption of meat has been repeatedly linked to cancer. Processed meat has been classified as a carcinogen, which means that there is strong evidence to suggest that meat causes cancer. Since a whole-foods plant-based diet avoids processed meats, it’s a great benefit.
Many studies also offer evidence that red meat increases the chances of colon and stomach cancers. Regardless of which diet you choose, limiting your meat consumption to a minimum should be your priority.
Immune System
Plants have essential vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants that are hard to find in animal foods. Following a plant-based diet can and will enhance your immune system and will ultimately make you less susceptible to diseases.
It’s true that vegetarianism, which is overall similar to a plant-based diet, is often criticized for hindering your immune system. However, this usually happens when a person struggles with ensuring a sufficient intake of all the nutrients. It can be tricky to balance your diet.
Many vegetarians have various deficiencies, especially in B12, omega-3, zinc, and iron. However, this can be prevented if you carefully plan your diet. Just so we are clear, all these nutrients are present in plant-based foods.
Though plants may have a lesser overall amount of some nutrients, it is still possible to get the right amount. If you strongly dislike some foods that are rich in important nutrients, feel free to consult your physician or a nutritionist.
They could recommend supplements so you don’t jeopardize your health while achieving your long-term goals.
Weight Loss
When it comes to comparing a plant-based diet vs. keto diet, one thing is clear. Both of them can definitely help you lose weight.
Studies show that on average, people who follow a plant-based diet have lower body mass index. Furthermore, rates of obesity and heart disease, which are interconnected, are also lower amongst those who primarily eat plant-based foods.
A study conducted in 2018 found a plant-based diet was a good approach for treating obesity. Over the course of four months, the group which followed a vegan diet, similar to WFPB, lost almost 7 kg.
Individuals that continued eating meat and other animal products saw no difference in their fat mass or weight.
Diabetes
Eating mostly plant-based foods may prevent the development of diabetes. Some case studies even suggest that a plant-based diet can reverse type-1 and type-2 diabetes. As a result of a plant-based diet, doctors were “successfully able to eliminate her medication and insulin dependency”.
If you want to be healthy and lower your risk of diabetes, try a plant-based diet! It’s not only good for your health and the planet but is also very tasty 🙂
Plant-Based Diet vs. Keto
Comparing the plant-based diet vs. keto diet is fairly easy. The differences are quite obvious.
Foods
A ketogenic diet relies heavily on animal-based foods, in particular meat. A plant-based diet emphasizes plant foods – vegetables, fruits, grains, legumes, and nuts. As a result, usually the consumption of meat on a plant-based diet is minimal if present at all.
Purpose
The main purpose of a ketogenic diet today is weight loss. A plant-based diet promotes a generally healthy diet and provides many health benefits besides weight management.
Sustainability
This is one of the main differences in the plant-based diet vs. a keto diet. A plant-based diet can be adopted for life. If carefully managed, it is a good long-term approach to your health. A keto diet, however, is a quick fix. Doctors warn against long-term ket dieting.
Conclusions
If you are looking to experiment and lose some lbs, a ketogenic might be a good solution! Remember to consult your doctor about your health history and the possible side effects of keto.
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