One of the worst epidemics in the world today is obesity. Obesity has been on a dramatic rise since the mid-1990s, While many people tend to view obesity as an aesthetic issue, it is, in fact, a serious condition that leads to many other illnesses.

Obesity is largely responsible for increasing one’s risk of type II diabetes, cancer, heart disease, and many other diseases. Needless to say, this necessitates the need for effective weight loss measures. And the single most effective way to lose or manage body weight is through your diet and regular exercise. In particular, watching the amount of carbohydrates is very important. As carbohydrate intake causes weight gain, researchers have been finding promising results with the low-carb ketogenic diet.

Some of the foods that may be consumed as part of a keto diet include – natural fats (butter, olive oil etc.), seafood, meat, cheese, eggs, and vegetables that grow above the above. Foods that need to be avoided include sweet and sugary foods, as well as high-starch foods such as pasta, bread, potatoes, and rice. The goal is to restrict your daily carbs intake to below 50 g (ideally, below 20 g).

Ketogenic Diet Benefits 

Curbs your appetite
One of the perks of the keto diet is that it is a natural way to keep your appetite in check. This is because the keto diet maintains the levels of CCK hormone in your body even after weight-loss (whereas, CCK levels normally drop after weight loss). The CCK hormone serves as a natural appetite suppressant. Moreover, the keto diet suppresses the increase in levels of the ghrelin hormone – a hormone that stimulates hunger. As a result of these two effects, the keto diet curbs your appetite more effectively than many other diets.

Get the right amount of nutrients
One of the most significant elements of the keto diet is its nutrient breakdown. While on this diet, you will consume about 70-75 percent fats, 20 percent protein, and about 5 percent carbs. This nutrient balance is ideal for regulating your appetite, and it sets your weight loss journey up for success.

Lose abdominal fat
The keto diet is all about efficiency. When your body is consuming high-fat content, you set your metabolism up to build ketones and use them as energy. This makes energy-burning more effective. Rather than storing energy as glycogen around your abdominal section, your body uses the energy you eat. Thus, this diet is an effective means of losing abdominal fat.

Reduce diabetes-related complications
Type II diabetes is considered to be a metabolic disease that can be caused by the overconsumption of carbs. The keto diet involves optimal carb intake, which means that your body becomes more efficient at using the sugar that is already in your blood.

Prevent cancer
Quite possibly one of the best outcomes of being on a keto diet is the possibility of reducing the risk of cancer. Cancer is the second leading cause of death and it currently has no known cure. According to some researchers, sugar, which is prevalent in a high carb diet, feeds cancer cells. A ketogenic diet reduces the amount of free-floating sugar in the blood and thus can help reduce the growth of cancer cells.

Reverse epilepsy
The most widely known benefit of the keto diet is that it can reverse and stop epilepsy. In fact, the keto diet was originally developed for this very purpose in 1921. There have been numerous studies that have demonstrated the benefits of a keto diet for young children with epilepsy, with John Hopkins University being one of the leaders in this area. The ketones (as well as another chemical- decanoic acid) built by adhering to the diet help reduce seizures. Some studies have demonstrated that children can reverse the disease, and even come off epilepsy drugs altogether, by adopting the keto diet. Consider this option if your child suffers from epilepsy.

For its immense weight-loss related benefits, as well as its effectiveness in combating multiple diseases, the Keto diet is definitely a diet that can be very advantageous to your health.