Ketosis diets are sometimes referred to as ketogenic diets or very low-carb diets. Ketosis is a biochemical phenomenon that occurs with starvation or extreme carbohydrate restriction, but the word shouldn’t be confused with ketoacidosis, which happens in diabetics when their blood sugar gets out of control.
Ketoacidosis is dangerous, but it only occurs in diabetics. Ketosis is a natural phenomenon that is in no way dangerous and has some wondrous health benefits. Some people like to think that ketosis is in some way harmful, but they confuse the two terms.
Ketosis diets have historically been used to control seizures in children who have not responded to any medication. These diets were commonly used for this purpose in the early 20th century. Interest in this diet plan has been re-established for diseases like brain tumors, obesity, diabetes and many, many more.
Ketosis Diets and Obesity
Low-carb ketogenic diets have been studied and well-documented in relation to obesity, and participants usually notice an appetite-suppressing effect. When researchers compare low-fat versus low-carb diets, they need to actively restrict calories in the low-fat group to get comparable results.
Low-carb diets are often high in saturated fat, but can still improve biomarkers like HDL cholesterol, insulin resistance, and triglyceride levels, and have a positive impact on LDL cholesterol patterns by changing it to a big, fluffy type (good) of instead small, dense type (poor).
It’s often claimed that ketogenic diets are restrictive, but in many studies, people who follow these diets have a higher chance of completing the studies than comparison groups (typically low-fat/high-carb diets).
Ketosis Diets and Epilepsy
Most research studies on the benefits of ketosis diets for epileptic seizures in children show a large improvement, which is particularly significant since these children typically did not respond to prior drug therapy. In one study, 38% of children on the ketosis diet had a greater than 50% reduction in seizure frequency, while 7% had a greater than 90% reduction. A modified Atkins diet, essentially an extended Atkins induction period, showed similar results.
Conclusion
There are many other diseases that can benefit massively from ketosis diets, and it’s strange that these types of diets aren’t more commonly used for therapeutic purposes. The side effects of medications, which are often not as effective, are certainly far worse than the mild side effects and minor nuances of a restricted diet.
Thanks to Kristjan Gunnarsson
