These days, it seems like everyone is talking about the ketogenic (in short, keto) diet - the very low-carbohydrate, moderate
protein, high-fat eating plan that transforms your body into a fat-burning machine. Hollywood stars and professional athletes
have publicly touted this diet's benefits, from losing weight, lowering blood sugar, fighting inflammation, reducing cancer
risk, increasing energy, to slowing down aging.
So is keto something that you should consider taking on? The following will
explain what this diet is all about, the pros and cons, as well as the problems to look out for.
What Is Keto?
Normally, the body uses glucose as the main source of fuel for energy. When you are on a keto diet and you are eating very
few carbs with only moderate amounts of protein (excess protein can be converted to carbs), your body switches its fuel
supply to run mostly on fat.
The liver produces ketones (a type of fatty acid) from fat. These ketones become a fuel source
for the body, especially the brain which consumes plenty of energy and can run on either glucose or ketones.
When the body produces ketones, it enters a metabolic state called ketosis. Fasting is the easiest way to achieve ketosis.