Keto basics

The ketogenic diet is a very low carb, high fat diet that shares many similarities with the Atkins and low carb diets.

It involves drastically reducing carbohydrate intake and replacing it with fat. This reduction in carbs puts your body into a metabolic state called ketosis.

When this happens, your body becomes incredibly efficient at burning fat for energy. It also turns fat into ketones in the liver, which can supply energy for the brain.

Ketogenic diets can cause significant reductions in blood sugar and insulin levels. This, along with the increased ketones, has some health benefits.

Ketogenic diets can help you lose weight

A ketogenic diet is an effective way to lose weight and lower risk factors for disease

In fact, research shows that the ketogenic diet may be as effective for weight loss as a low fat diet

What’s more, the diet is so filling that you can lose weight without counting calories or tracking your food intake

One review of 13 studies found that following a very low carb, ketogenic diet was slightly more effective for long-term weight loss than a low fat diet. People who followed the keto diet lost an average of 2 pounds (0.9 kg) more than the group that followed a low fat diet

What’s more, it also led to reductions in diastolic blood pressure and triglyceride level

Another study in 34 older adults found that those who followed a ketogenic diet for 8 weeks lost nearly five times as much total body fat as those who followed a low fat diet

The increased ketones, lower blood sugar levels, and improved insulin sensitivity may also play a key role (18

For more details on the weight loss effects of a ketogenic diet, read this article.

SUMMARY

A ketogenic diet can help you lose slightly more weight than a low fat diet. This often happens with less hunger.