Keto
A keto or ketogenic diet is a low-carb, moderate protein, higher-fat diet that can help you burn fat more effectively. It has many benefits for weight loss, health, and performance, as shown in over 50 studies. That’s why it’s recommended by a growing number of doctors and healthcare practitioners.
A keto diet is especially useful for losing excess body fat, reducing hunger, and improving type 2 diabetes or metabolic syndrome.3
What is a keto diet?
The keto diet is a very low-carb, higher-fat diet.
While you eat far fewer carbohydrates on a keto diet, you maintain moderate protein consumption and may increase your intake of fat. The reduction in carb intake puts your body in a metabolic state called ketosis, where fat from your diet and from your body, is burned for energy.
Keeping carbs below 100g per day is considered low carb by some, under 50g is very low carb and under 20g per day is ketogenic for most people.
Scientific studies consistently show that compared to other diets, low-carb or keto diets are often more effective for weight loss, and for improving certain health markers.
This has been demonstrated in several meta-analyses of high-quality studies, for example this one:
The British Journal of Nutrition 2016: Effects of low-carbohydrate diets v. low-fat diets on body weight and cardiovascular risk factors: a meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials
What “keto” means
A “keto” or “ketogenic” diet is so named because it causes your body to produce small fuel molecules called “ketones.”
This is an alternative fuel source for your body that can be used when blood sugar (glucose) is in short supply.
When you eat very few carbs or very few calories, your liver produces ketones from fat. These ketones then serve as a fuel source throughout the body, especially for the brain.
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The brain is a hungry organ that consumes lots of energy every day, and it can’t run on fat directly. It can only run on glucose – or ketones.
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On a ketogenic diet, your entire body switches its fuel supply to run mostly on fat, burning fat all day long. When insulin levels drop very low, fat burning can increase dramatically. It becomes easier to access your fat stores to burn them off.
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This is great if you’re trying to lose weight, but there can also be other benefits, such as less hunger and a steady supply of energy — without the sugar peaks and valleys that often occur when eating high-carb meals. This may help keep you alert and focused.
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When the body produces ketones, it enters a metabolic state called ketosis. The fastest way to get there is by fasting – not eating anything – but nobody can consistently fast forever.
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A keto diet, on the other hand, also results in ketosis and can be eaten indefinitely. It has many of the benefits of fasting – including weight loss – without having to fast long term
Hundreds of medical doctors recommending a ketogenic or low-carb diet
You can locate a practitioner experienced with low-carb and keto diets on our interactive map.
Reduce snacking
Low-carb diets are highly effective when it comes to weight loss:
The British Journal of Nutrition 2016: Effects of low-carbohydrate diets v. low-fat diets on body weight and cardiovascular risk factors: a meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials [strong evidence]
A keto diet tends to reduce appetite:
Obesity Reviews 2014: Do ketogenic diets really suppress appetite? A systematic review and meta-analysis [strong evidence]
Low Carbs Swaps For Common Foods, Such as Rice
