A keto (Low Carb High Fat (LCHF)) or ketogenic diet enables the body to obtain the energy it needs to function from a source other than carbohydrates. With a very limited intake of carbohydrates and plenty of fats, it produces ketones, the body's alternative fuel.
The belief that it's fat that makes you fat is a long-standing one, as is the belief that all calories are equal. But new scientific studies are challenging these beliefs. The latest example is a meta-analysis in which researchers investigated whether a low-carbohydrate diet alters basal metabolic rate.
The study
In this study published in The Journal of Nutrition, researchers gathered together 28 clinical trials and collected the results of 617 participants who had followed a low-carb diet for varying lengths of time.
Results: the effects on basal metabolism of the low-carbohydrate diet in the short and long trials were -14.5 kcal/d and -50.4 kcal/d respectively. The researchers explain the higher increase for the longer studies by better keto-adaptation (i.e., better use by the body of fat as an energy source). For trials longer than 2.5 weeks, the low-carb diet significantly increased basal metabolic rate by around 50 kcal/d for every 10% reduction in carbohydrates.
The tips
To reduce the carbohydrates in your diet, you need to cut back drastically on cereals (or even eliminate them), as well as legumes (at least if they are sprouted), and give preference to fruits such as lemons, forest fruits, mandarins and kiwis .
Unsaturated fatty acids are the best sources of lipids for your ketogenic diet: avocado, oily fish, nuts... Whereas saturated fatty acids provide no long-term nutritional value (sausage, butter, cheese...), and can increase your risk of diabetes or cardiovascular disease.
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