7 Benefits of the Ketogenic Diet

• Understanding the Ketogenic Diet

The ketogenic diet encourages the body to derive its energy from fats that obstruct the flow of beneficial effects in your blood. The process of breaking down these fats produces compounds called ketone bodies. Ketone bodies are the body’s second-biggest source of energy, after carbohydrates. The ketogenic effect can be beneficial for people who have epilepsy, diabetes, and cancer. The long-term effects in adults aren’t fully known yet in scientific research. The diet isn’t widely popular because it can be challenging to follow.

• The Science Behind Ketosis

Glucose is stored as glycogen in the liver and muscles, with reserves lasting about 12 hours. Therefore, in the absence of carbohydrate intake or outside of 50g of glucose during 24 hours, as soon as the glucose reserves are exhausted, the body draws its energy from lipids, or fat, to produce ketone bodies. These ketone bodies break down to provide Acetyl CoA, an important source of energy for the brain and other organs needing sugar, such as muscles and the heart.

• Proven Benefits of the Ketogenic Diet

Unlike a typical diet, the ketogenic diet can be practiced for many weeks to several months depending on the desired results (Steatosis, or “adipose liver,” can be treated after three months by adhering to a pro-keto diet). Hypercholesterolemia and pre-diabetes are also easily reversible. The initial weight loss observed at the beginning of the treatment is primarily linked to the loss of water, as each gram of carbohydrate is associated with 3 to 4 grams of water. The subsequent fat loss follows significantly and is naturally accelerated by physical exercise.

• Anticipated Responses to the Diet

Following a pro-keto diet often leads to a drop in appetite, contributing to reduced food consumption. In the first few days, within 48 to 72 hours, this shift in the liver may cause nausea and fatigue. After 2 to 4 weeks, depending on the person’s liver condition, the excessive production of ketone bodies may be manifested by acetone breath that resembles the smell of nail polish.

The Importance of Liver Health

The liver is a vital organ, controlling multiple bodily functions. In all functional diseases—whether digestive, respiratory, circulatory, musculoskeletal, hormonal, or metabolic—the liver is involved. In osteopathy, its impact is also explained in a mechanical context due to its weight and volume. It weighs about 1.5 kg, contains about 15% of the total blood volume in the body during the day, and filters 1.5 liters of blood per minute. Suspended under the diaphragm, it can apply tensile forces on the surrounding tissues and compress the vessels carrying blood throughout the body.

• Challenges in Medical Diagnosis

In medicine, it is challenging to assess liver function because it lacks sensory nerve endings. Unlike the stomach or intestines, it cannot manifest pain as a symptom. A blood test can reveal liver dysfunction, such as hypercholesterolemia or elevated enzyme levels. However, in many cases, aside from characteristic treatments to lower cholesterol or anti-inflammatory medications—which can sometimes cause other diseases—medicine remains limited in its interventions.

• Evaluating Your Liver Function

The global and systemic approach of osteopathy helps establish links between different parts of the body and evaluate liver involvement. Internal pressure may provoke pain by stretching the capsule that surrounds the liver, as well as the ligaments that are innervated. One such remnant of the embryonic umbilical cord may explain pain upon palpation. Medical interventions may only detect liver fatty deposits once the liver is already affected, while earlier intervention is possible and beneficial.

• Key Benefits of the Pro-Keto Cure

1. Detoxification of the body
2. Reduced feelings of hunger
3. Preservation of good fats and proteins
4. Rapid weight loss
5. Reduction of fat in the blood (hypercholesterolemia)
6. Lowered sugar levels in the blood (hyperglycemia – diabetes)
7. Support in reversing liver fat accumulation (steatosis)

• Tips for Success on the Diet

At the beginning of the diet, consider following these tips:

• Take a complex of herbs and vitamins to support liver health.
• To prevent hypoglycemia, consume approximately 100g of berries every day.
• Drink at least 2 liters of water per day to prevent dehydration.
• Increase fiber intake to avoid constipation.