Carb Conundrum: Keto Or High Carb For Optimal Health?

The ketogenic (keto) diet and low-carb diets are two popular ways of eating that involve restricting your carb intake. While they share some similarities, there are also significant differences between the two.

A low-carb diet typically involves getting 10-30% of your calories from carbs, with the rest coming from protein and healthy fats. This can lead to weight loss and improved health outcomes, particularly for people with diabetes. However, a low-carb diet may not be suitable for everyone and can be difficult to stick to in the long term.

The keto diet, on the other hand, is a very low-carb, high-fat diet that typically involves getting less than 5% of your calories from carbs, 15-30% from protein, and 70-80% from fat. The keto diet was originally developed to treat epilepsy, but it has since become a popular weight loss diet. When following a keto diet, the goal is to reach a state of nutritional ketosis, where your body burns fat for energy instead of carbs.

Both diets can be effective for weight loss and have been shown to improve blood sugar control and reduce the risk of chronic diseases. However, the keto diet may be too restrictive for some people and can lead to side effects like keto flu, which includes symptoms such as headaches, fatigue, and irritability. Ultimately, the best diet for you will depend on your individual health status, lifestyle, and nutrition habits. It's always a good idea to consult with a healthcare professional before starting any new diet.

Keto is stricter than low-carb, with less than 5% of calories from carbs

The ketogenic diet is a very low-carb, high-fat diet that has gained popularity in recent years. The keto diet has several therapeutic properties, such as helping treat epilepsy. It may also help with weight loss and improving cholesterol and triglyceride levels.

The keto diet is stricter than a low-carb diet, with less than 5% of calories from carbs. This equates to consuming fewer than 50 grams of carbs per day while keeping protein intake moderate and increasing fat intake drastically.

On a keto diet, you need to be in a state of ketosis, which means your body is burning fatty acids (ketones) for energy instead of carbohydrate stores. This can be achieved by consuming fewer carbs and increasing your intake of healthy fats.

• It is a very low-carb, high-fat diet.
• It has therapeutic benefits, such as managing epilepsy.
• It may help with weight loss and improving cholesterol and triglyceride levels.
• You need to monitor your carb intake and ensure you are in a state of ketosis.
• It may be difficult to stick to in the long term due to its restrictive nature.

In summary, the keto diet is stricter than a low-carb diet, and it has some potential health benefits. However, it may be challenging to adhere to in the long term due to its restrictions. It is important to consult a healthcare professional before starting any new diet, including the keto diet, to ensure it is safe and suitable for your individual needs.

Low-carb diets are easier to follow long-term

Less Restrictive Than Keto

The keto diet is a very low-carb, high-fat diet that requires the body to enter a state of ketosis, where it burns fat for energy instead of carbohydrates. This state is challenging to maintain and often requires strict tracking of macronutrients. In contrast, low-carb diets are less restrictive, allowing for a broader range of food choices and more flexibility in terms of macronutrient ratios. This makes low-carb diets easier to follow, as they do not require the same level of precision and can accommodate a wider variety of food preferences and cultural traditions.

More Tailorable to Individual Needs

Low-carb diets can be easily adapted to suit individual needs and preferences. For example, those who are physically active may find they need to include more carbohydrates in their diet to support their activity levels. Similarly, those with certain medical conditions, such as type 2 diabetes, may benefit from a lower-carb approach to manage their blood sugar levels. By allowing for more flexibility, low-carb diets can be tailored to meet the specific needs of different individuals, making them more sustainable long-term.

Offer Similar Health Benefits

Both low-carb and keto diets have been associated with a range of health benefits, including weight loss, improved blood sugar control, and reduced risk factors for heart disease. However, the keto diet's restrictive nature may make it challenging to follow long-term, potentially limiting these benefits. In contrast, low-carb diets offer many of the same benefits without the same level of restriction. This means that individuals are more likely to stick with a low-carb diet over the long term, potentially leading to better health outcomes.

While both low-carb and keto diets have their proponents, low-carb diets are generally easier to follow long-term due to their flexibility and adaptability. They offer a balanced approach to carbohydrate restriction, allowing individuals to tailor their diet to their specific needs and preferences while still reaping the health benefits associated with reduced carbohydrate intake. As such, low-carb diets may be a more sustainable approach for those looking to improve their health and manage their weight over the long term.

Keto is better for weight loss as it suppresses appetite

The ketogenic (keto) diet is a very low-carb, high-fat diet that has gained popularity in recent years. The keto diet has several therapeutic properties, such as helping treat epilepsy and potentially impairing the growth of certain types of cancer. It is also used to help with weight loss.

When following a keto diet, the goal is to reach a state of nutritional ketosis. In this state, the body produces ketones from fat in the liver and uses fat as its main fuel source instead of carbohydrates. This is achieved by consuming fewer than 50 grams of carbohydrates per day while keeping protein intake moderate and increasing fat intake drastically.

The keto diet may be too restrictive for some people, leading to poor long-term adherence. It is also associated with some unwanted side effects, such as constipation and the "keto flu", which may include headaches, fatigue, brain fog, irritability, and lack of motivation.

However, one of the benefits of the keto diet is that it can suppress appetite. Studies have shown that ketogenic diets can prevent an increase in ghrelin secretion, otherwise seen with weight loss, as well as reduce hunger and/or prevent hunger. This means that individuals may feel slightly less hungry (or more full or satisfied) while adhering to a keto diet. This can help with weight loss, as it may lead to a reduction in overall calorie intake.

In addition to suppressing appetite, the keto diet has been shown to be effective for weight loss. A 2017 study in overweight adults with type 2 diabetes found that after one year, those who followed a ketogenic diet lost more weight and had lower A1Cs than those following a low-fat diet.

Therefore, while the keto diet may be more restrictive and challenging to adhere to in the long term, it can be an effective tool for weight loss due to its appetite-suppressing effects and ability to promote fat burning.

Keto is better for blood sugar control

The ketogenic (keto) diet is a very low-carb, high-fat diet that has gained popularity in recent years. It is proven to be effective in helping people with type 2 diabetes better control their blood glucose levels.

Keto is a high-fat, moderate protein, very low-carb diet with less than 5% of calories coming from carbohydrates. When you eat carbohydrates, the hormone insulin is released to take glucose to your cells for energy. Extra glucose is stored as glycogen but if there's glucose leftover after that, insulin stores the rest as fat. When you cut carbs, not as much insulin is released so the body can be in fat-burning mode instead of fat-storing mode.

On keto, your body converts fat, instead of sugar, into energy. The diet was created in the 1920s as a treatment for epilepsy, but the effects of this eating pattern are also being studied for type 2 diabetes.

Keto vs low-carb

The main difference between keto and low-carb is the macronutrients. When people follow the keto diet, they track how many grams of carbs, protein, and fat they eat so they stay in ketosis. In order to follow a ketogenic diet, you need to be in a state of ketosis. This means that your body is burning fatty acids (ketones) for energy instead of carbohydrate stores (glycogen in the liver and glucose in the blood).

Benefits of keto for blood sugar control

The keto diet may improve blood glucose (sugar) levels while also reducing the need for insulin. It has the potential to decrease blood glucose levels and can lead to more significant improvements in blood sugar control, A1C, weight loss, and discontinued insulin requirements than other diets.

A review of eight studies found that the keto diet showed a significant improvement in glycemic control in all studies included in this review and demonstrated a significantly improved lipid profile, including an increase in high-density lipoprotein as compared to control.

Downsides of keto

You may have heard of the "keto flu," a nasty side effect of the ketogenic diet that causes dizziness, nausea, and fatigue due to losing fluid and sodium quickly after cutting carbs. Another downside is the difficulty of following the keto diet. Many people eating keto might not actually be in a state of ketosis. It's recommended to follow keto under the supervision of a doctor or dietitian.

Keto may be better for mental health and cognitive protection

The ketogenic diet has been found to be effective in treating epilepsy, and emerging research indicates that it may also benefit people with neurological disorders. The diet has been linked to improvements in mental health and cognitive function, suggesting that it could be a valuable tool in the treatment of mental illness.

The Impact of Keto on Mental Health

A growing number of patients and doctors are reporting success in using the keto diet to manage mental health conditions such as bipolar disorder, depression, and schizophrenia. Research in this area is still ongoing, but initial findings suggest that the diet may have a positive impact on mental health.

Iain Campbell, a researcher in Scotland who has lived with bipolar disorder for most of his life, is one such example. After trying the ketogenic diet and experiencing profound improvements in his symptoms, he decided to pursue a Ph.D. in mental health to study the diet's effects further.

The Potential Benefits of Keto for Cognitive Protection

The ketogenic diet has been shown to reduce excitability in neurons, which may help to improve neurological disorders. Additionally, the diet improves insulin sensitivity and provides an alternative fuel source for the brain, which could enhance cognitive function.

A pilot study led by Stanford Medicine researchers found that a ketogenic diet not only restored metabolic health in patients with serious mental illness but also improved their psychiatric conditions. The study suggested that a dietary intervention could be a powerful tool in treating mental illness.

The Future of Keto in Mental Health Treatment

While the ketogenic diet has shown promise in treating mental health conditions, more research is needed to fully understand its effects. The diet can be challenging to adhere to, and it may not work for everyone. However, with growing interest from the medical community and an increasing number of clinical trials underway, the potential benefits of keto for mental health and cognitive protection are worth exploring further.

Frequently asked questions