What is ketosis?
What is ketosis?
What Is Ketosis?
Ketosis is a process that happens when your body doesn’t have enough carbohydrates to burn for energy. Instead, it burns fat and makes things called ketones, which it can use for fuel. Ketosis is a word you’ll probably see when you’re looking for information on diabetes or weight loss. Is it a good thing or a bad thing? That depends.
Ketosis and the Keto Diet...
Ketosis is a popular low-carb weight loss program. In addition to helping you burn fat, ketosis can make you feel less hungry. It also helps you keep muscle. For healthy people who don’t have diabetes and aren’t pregnant, ketosis usually kicks in after 3 or 4 days of eating fewer than 50 grams of carbohydrates per day. That’s about three slices of bread, a cup of low-fat fruit yogurt, or two small bananas. You can start ketosis by fasting, too. A diet high in fat and protein but very low in carbs is called a ketogenic or “Keto” diet.
Ketosis Health Benefits...
Ketosis can have some benefits beyond weight loss. Doctors may put children who have epilepsy on a Keto diet because it can help prevent seizures. Adults who have epilepsy sometimes eat modified Atkins diets.
Some research suggests that ketogenic diets might help lower your risk of heart disease. Other studies show that specific diets very low in carbs help people who have diseases such as: Metabolic syndrome, Insulin resistance, Type 2 diabetes
Researchers are also studying the effects of these diets on conditions including: Acne, Cancer, Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), Nervous system diseases like Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, and Lou Gehrig’s disease
Ketosis Symptoms and Side Effects: During the first week of a Keto diet, you might start to feel bad. Some people call this the “Keto flu,” but it isn’t an official medical condition. Some doctors think this is due to sugar and carbohydrate withdrawal. Or it could be because of changes to your gut bacteria or an immune system reaction. You might notice temporary side effects such as:
Headache
Fatigue
Brain fog
Irritability
Constipation
Trouble sleeping
Nausea
Stomachache
Dizziness
Sugar cravings
Cramps
Sore muscles
Bad breath, ketosis breath
Drinking plenty of water can ease or prevent some of these symptoms. About 1 in 20 children who have epilepsy and are on the Keto diet get kidney stones. A supplement called potassium citrate can help prevent them. Talk to your doctor about the kidney stone risk if your child is on the Keto diet. If you’re a new mom and don’t get enough calories or fluids, it could affect your breast milk supply. Doctors generally recommend that you wait until you’re done breastfeeding if you want to start the Keto diet.
