The ketogenic diet has been a hot topic of late. Depending on who you talk to, it is praised for its incredible weight loss results, criticized for being too restrictive, or condemned as dangerous, especially without medical supervision.
What is a ketogenic diet?
A ketogenic eating pattern is very low in carbohydrates and moderates in protein, meaning a high percentage of total energy intake comes from fat found in dairy products and meat.
“A true ketogenic is one where carbohydrate intake is extremely low — usually less than 10 percent of your total energy intake,” Collins told HuffPost Australia.
How does a ketogenic diet work?
During times of severe energy restriction (such as during fasting or starvation), prolonged intense exercise, or when carbohydrate intake is reduced to around 50 grams per day or less, the body can enter ketosis.
This means that, rather than the body burning its primary fuel source, glycogen (a “complex carbohydrate, which in the human body is like petrol for a car”), the body must break down fats as its main source of fuel.
Read the full article at Huffingtonpost.com