The ketogenic diet is a nutritional therapy born in the early 1920s for the treatment of childhood epilepsy. Today it is widely applied in different fields of medicine: not only for slimming, but also in neurology, gynecology and even in oncology.
What are the benefits of Ketogenic Diet
1- ANTI-INFLAMMATORY EFFECT: the ketogenic diet is known for its anti-inflammatory effects. In fact, it seems that the main ketone, BHB can activate genes that improve mitochondrial function and decrease oxidative stress.
Furthermore, cellular inflammation is activated or inhibited by a protein complex called Nf-kB (Nuclear factor kappa-light-chain-enhancer of activated B cells) which controls DNA transcription, cytokine production and cell survival. Ketosis, by activating the AMPK pathway, helps regulate energy and inhibit the inflammatory pathways of Nf-kB.
2- DECREASE OF APPETITE: among the benefits, we must mention the beneficial effects of the ketogenic diet on the so-called hunger mediators such as ghrelin, cholecystokinin and the PYY hormone, which lead to a lower perception of appetite both during and after having stopped nutritional therapy.
3- IMPROVEMENT OF THE INTESTINAL MICROBIOTA: in a recent article published Cell Host Microbiome, specific changes of ketogenic diets on the intestinal microbiota linked to a reduction of proinflammatory Th17 cells were identified. Other studies show that VLCKDs based on whey or plant proteins produce a healthier microbiota composition than those containing animal proteins.
4- BODY FAT LOSS: Under conditions of low insulin levels and high glucagon levels, the activation of lipolysis and the state of ketosis provide fatty acids and ketone bodies as a preferred fuel source for most tissues. This means that if the diet is low-calorie, the deficit occurs in the adipose tissue.
5- MAINTENANCE OF MUSCLE TISSUE: as we have just mentioned, the body supplies itself with energy starting from the reserve fatty acids. The consequence is that the human body’s demands for glucose drop dramatically as the state of ketosis increases. And when glucose requirements are low, gluconeogenesis (the formation of glucose from substrates other than glucose itself) decreases. So it will not be necessary to catabolize muscle proteins.
6- INCREASED ADHERENCE TO THE DIET: there are several factors that affect the increase in compliance: the rapid initial weight loss combined with a lower perception of hunger tends to motivate the patient extremely and lead him towards the completion of the nutritional path to a greater extent than a when following a balanced low-calorie course.
7- METABOLIC ADVANTAGE: The use, for energy purposes, of substrates other than carbohydrates seems to be an “expensive” process for the body and can lead to a higher calorie consumption. The role of energy expenditure for gluconeogenesis added to the thermal effect of proteins has been confirmed by several authors and the cost of this process has been calculated around 400-600 Kcal per day.
