Low-carb and keto diets have multiple health benefits. They are known to result in weight loss and are both instrumental in diabetes management. Both are also helpful with certain brain disorders. Both diets also share differences which will be discussed later.
What is the keto diet?
The keto diet is also known as the ketosis diet. It is also referred to as keto. It’s the manner of eating that mimics fasting. This is a diet that requires a high amount of fats, moderate protein, and a low amount of carbs. This prompts the body to use fat for fuel to the brain instead of carbs. Keto has shown major effects on both the sick and healthy individuals. The diet has also indicated positive effects on improving or reversing neurological conditions and metabolic problems. The diet can help the healthy in preventing chronic diseases. It also helps to optimize body and cognition composition.
How long should the diet be?
Diet experts recommend a commitment of three months to the diet. This will allow the body to get used to the new source of fuel which is fat. This period is the time for the body to become adapted to fat, being able to use dietary fat efficiently and more effectively. The diet’s flexibility is one of the major reasons why it can be adapted as a tool that promotes health for life.
Are there different types of keto diet?
Several types of diets will allow you to undergo ketosis. The factor that differentiates them is the amount of calories from fat, protein, and carbs. These are known as macronutrients. These macronutrients vary based on their caloric values and how they are used by the body. Fat is the densest calorically which is at 9 calories per gram and 4 calories per gram for protein and carbs. For energy supply to the brain, the body uses fat and carbs while protein is used to rebuild body cells. The following are the various types of keto diet: Classic Ketogenic Diet, Modified Ketogenic Diet, Modified Atkins, MCT Oil Diet, Low Glycemic Index Diet (LGIT), and Intermittent Fasting.
Differences between a low-carb diet and a keto diet
Low-carb diets often restrict carb intake to around 50 to 130 grams every day. Protein is often not restricted. Ketones, on the other hand, may increase or not in the blood. These are molecules that replace carbs partly in their function as a source of energy for the brain.
On the other hand, in the keto diet, the carb intake is restricted to 20 to 50 grams daily. Protein is also usually restricted. The main goal of the diet is to increase ketone blood levels.
On a low-carb diet, the brain still mainly relies on glucose for fuel or energy. But the brain tends to burn more ketones compared to a regular diet. On a keto diet, the ketones are the primary source of fuel for the brain. When the carb intake is greatly reduced, the liver automatically creates ketones to fuel the brain.
How a low-carb diet and a keto diet supply fuel to the brain
There are two processes that the low-carb diet allows for fuel to be supplied to the brain. These are ketogenesis and gluconeogenesis.
Ketogenesis allows the brain to use ketones, which the liver creates from fatty acids. This occurs when the body’s glucose and insulin levels are low. Ketones are produced in small increments when you go without food for hours. The liver produces even more ketones during fasting or when the carb intake gets lower than 50 grams per day. With carbs reduced, ketones can supply up to 75 percent of the brain’s energy level.
Gluconeogenesis is the process in the body that creates new glucose. In this process, the liver creates glucose that will be used by the brain. The liver uses amino acids in creating glucose. Amino acids are building blocks of protein. It is also possible for the liver to create glucose from glycerol, which links triglycerides and fatty acids. It’s because of gluconeogenesis that the brain still gets a stable supply of glucose even when carb consumption is very low.
Low-carb and keto diets against epilepsy
There’s a type of epilepsy that resists medication. This is called refractory epilepsy. The keto diet was developed in the 1920s to treat this medication-resistant epilepsy experienced by children. The diet gets 90 percent of its calories from fat. This has shown mimicking capabilities of the beneficial effects of starvation on epilepsy.
Low-carb and keto diets against Alzheimer’s disease
Formal studies have shown that low-carb and keto diets may help those who have Alzheimer’s disease, which is the most common form of dementia. In a study done on 152 people in 1992, it was observed that those who received MCT supplements for 90 days had more ketones and were seen with improved cognitive functions than those in the control group.
In another small study in 2018 which lasted for a month, individuals with Alzheimer’s disease who took 30 grams of MCT supplement daily exhibited a significant increase in brain ketone consumption. This means that their brains used twice the amount of ketones they used before the study was conducted. Animal studies also suggested that a keto diet may be an effective way to provide fuel to the brain which is affected by Alzheimer’s disease.
Just like its effects on epilepsy, it is not also certain what mechanism ketones have that makes them a potential treatment for Alzheimer’s disease. One theory is that ketones protect the brain cells as they reduce reactive oxygen species, which are metabolism products that can cause inflammation. Another theory is that a high-fat diet that includes even saturated fats can reduce the number of harmful proteins that tend to collect in the brains of those who have Alzheimer’s disease.
The keto diet has shown other benefits to the cognitive functions of humans. These include improved memory, brain functions, migraine relief, Parkinson’s disease treatment, and treatment for congenital hyperinsulinism.
