Expert says controversial eating plan leads to 'superior' weight loss and there is 'no evidence it is damaging to the body'
- The dieting world can be a tricky one with people not knowing what works
- Australian nutritionist Susie Burrell said that a low carb diet may work for some
- Known as a 'ketogenic diet' it involves limiting your carbohydrate intake
- If done properly all diets work, you just have to find what works for you, she said
Many people struggle with weight loss, often trying out a variety of diets to see which will have the best results for them. Now
Australian nutritionist and dietitian Susie Burrell has said that the
controversial ketogenic diet has helped people with epilepsy and
seizures and can result in rapid weight loss. 'There is no evidence to show that keto diets are damaging to the body,' Susie Burrell wrote for news.com.
'In
fact, with their superior weight loss and associated reductions in
inflammation in the body, there are a number of benefits, particularly
for individuals with high blood glucose levels, fatty liver and
significant amounts of weight to lose.'
The ketogenic diet has helped people with epilepsy and seizures over the years and has resulted in rapid weight loss
A keto diet is rich with foods that
contain a high amount of healthy fats such as nuts, avocado, oils and
fish and the focus is on these good fats rather than bad, like milk,
butter and cream.
Ketogenic diets are
ones that are low in carbohydrates and are made up of 5-20 per cent of
carbohydrates, whereas a standard diet has 30-50 per cent.
If
your diet is low in carbohydrates your body is shifted into 'ketosis',
which is when fat stores in the body are broken down into ketones, which
fuel the muscles and the brain. This then results in enhanced fat burning and relatively quick weight loss.
'The
primary issue with keto diets is that the total amount of carbohydrate
consumed needs to be kept very low, or the body will quickly come out of
ketosis,' Ms Burrell said.
A keto diet is rich with foods that contain a high amount of healthy fats such as nuts, avocado, oils and fish.
If
you have been following the diet religiously but then finish the day
with a food that has a high amount of carbohydrates it will mean that
you may not see the potential benefits from the diet.
While
Ms Burrell believes that a keto diet can work for some people, she does
warn that if you go back to a high carb diet afterwards you will gain
weight back quickly.
'Any diet —
including a keto approach — will work if people stick to it. but in the
case of keto diets, unless you are prepared to eat no grains, bread,
cereals, fruit, starchy vegetables or sugars for long periods of time,
it probably is not for you.'
She also
stated that the next time you try the diet you are most likely not going
to see the same results, due to a reduction in metabolism which has
resulted due to muscle mass loss from the initial weight loss.
If you have been following the
diet religiously but then finish the day with a food that has a high
amount of carbohydrates it will mean that you may not see the potential
benefits from the diet
Ms Burrell warned that the diet
can be low in fibre as most grains, cereals and fruit are eliminated,
which could result in constipation and gut discomfort.
Ms
Burrell warned that the diet can be low in fibre as most grains,
cereals and fruit are eliminated, which could result in constipation and
gut discomfort.
This means that the
gut would not be receiving the probiotics that benefit gut health and
immune function, but to avoid this those doing the diet need to pay
close attention to what they're eating.
People
who have done the diet have come out saying that through eating less
carbs they have noticed an improvement in their physical and mental
performance.
However, Ms Burrell said
that research published by the Australian Institute of Sport has not
found this to be true as athletes who have followed the diet have not
seen any improvements.
At the end of
the day Ms Burrell stated that any diet will work as long as it is
followed properly and for an extended period of time.
'If
you do have significant amounts of weight to lose, or are struggling
with high blood sugars or a fatty liver, it may be worth a try but do it
with supervision from a dietitian to make sure you are doing it the
right way to get the best results without damaging your metabolism or
gut health long term.'
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