Weight Loss Is Not The Only Health Benefit Of Keto Diet

Most people who start on the Keto Diet do so for the purpose of losing weight. After all, the Keto Diet is proven to work well for weight loss and thousands of people will attest to that. Not only that, but these people have also been able to keep that weight off as well because the Keto Diet is really a lifestyle change rather than just a fad diet. However, weight loss is not the only health benefit of Keto Diet.

Many people now know the main benefit of the Keto Diet and other low carb diets for fast weight loss over other low-fat diets which tend to show much less success. However, what many people do not realize is that there are other health benefits to the Keto Diet other than just weight loss.

Once you realize what the other health benefits to Keto are, it will make it an even more attractive option over other low-fat diets.

Additional Health Benefits

Other health effects of low carb diets on the body were explained by The European Journal of Clinical Nutrition. One such effect is to reduce the symptoms of sufferers of epilepsy. Since the 1920s, they have been used by medical professionals for this purpose and in some cases were so successful that medication was no longer required.

There have also been studies that show that low-carb diets can be used for the treatment of a host of other health conditions. Lowering carbs reduces the risk of diabetes and cardiovascular disease as well as a number of different cancers. It also has been shown to improve cognitive function and reduce the risk of Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s. Another benefit is an improvement in skin health and a reduction in acne.

The study was conducted to see if doctors were intentionally not using the Keto Diet as a treatment for these conditions based on incorrect beliefs they held about Keto or simply not being aware of the health benefit of Keto diet.

The Mayo Clinic did a similar study to examine the other health effects of low carb diets and found many of the same benefits as The European Journal of Clinical Nutrition study. In addition, they found that low-carb diets help to reduce cholesterol levels and blood pressure.

What is considered a low carb diet?

The question which is often asked is what exactly constitutes a low-carb diet. There are a number of popular low-carb diets out there that differ in what they allow.

A diet is considered low carb when it allows anywhere from 20 to 150 grams of carbs a day. It should be noted though that on 150 grams a day the body will not start ketosis and burn fat. To achieve this the limit is 50 grams a day and ideally lower.

A study done by The American Diabetes Association came to the conclusion that a low fat, low carb diet can result in an improvement in both metabolism and weight. In this study, they used the Mediterranean diet as proof of this.

The Mediterranean Diet

This should not be surprising to most as it is well known that the people in countries around the Mediterranean tend to live longer. This does not mean that they do not eat carbs but their intake of carbs is a lot lower than most other Western countries.

The Mediterranean diet consists of mainly plant-based foods, legumes, nuts, and whole grains. They do not eat red meat very often choosing to more commonly consume white meats. They use Olive oils instead of butter and herbs and spices instead of salt. They tend to eat their meals over many hours with family and friends rather than rushed as many people tend to eat. Their average life expectancy is in the lower 80s.

Other Health Benefit of Keto Diet

Another health benefit of Keto diet which has been observed of low carb diets is appetite suppression. The conclusion by The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition who researched why this might be was that the high protein was the reason behind the reduced appetite.

Another similar study found that people on a low carb, high fat, and high protein diet did not suffer the same from food cravings as did people on low fat, low-calorie diets. The reason for this is that the reduction in carbs and the elimination of sugars lead to much better regulation of blood sugar. This naturally suppresses the appetite so that you do not suffer from nasty food cravings.

Conclusion

The evidence is clear that low-carb diets are not just the way to go if you want to lose weight. They are also beneficial to your overall health and can actually help to treat a wide variety of conditions.

There are a number of low-carb diets which you can choose from so the best is to choose the one which suits you the best. The Keto Diet is a good choice though as it allows you to eat many of the foods you are already used to while you get used to some of the foods you may not be so used to and also enjoying the health benefit of Keto diet.

The most important decision though is to start. Soon you will start to see and feel the benefits for yourself and then you can decide if the benefits are worth it!