The Ketogenic diet was initially developed to help treat seizures in epilepsy. The keto diet alters how the body uses fat; instead of storing fat, the body begins to use fat as fuel when carbohydrates are restricted. As a result, it’s essential to consume high-fat foods like nuts, meat, seafood, avo, cheese, and other dairy products.
A glance at a few quick keto meals is often convincing enough to give the high-fat eating plan a try. But if you still need convincing, here are five compelling reasons to try eating keto.
Manage Seizures In Epilepsy
Epilepsy is a neurological condition affecting about 50 million people around the world. Those with the condition experience seizures as a primary symptom, while brain fog, fatigue, confusion, and other symptoms are also persistent.
Epilepsy is typically treated with anti-epileptic drugs. However, the keto diet was initially designed as a treatment plan for the condition. The diet alters the way that the brain gets energy while impacting gut health positively, although there is still some light to be shed on how exactly the eating plan works in the treatment of epilepsy.
Reduce Symptoms Of Alzeihmer’s
A diet rich in healthy fats is also commonly prescribed to patients with age-related conditions like Alzheimer’s.
The keto diet decreased reliance on glucose as brain fuel by using ketones as fuel instead. With this, a ketogenic diet can help to reduce cognitive decline in patients with Alzheimer’s disease. Moreover, ketones reduce oxidative stress, boost antioxidants, and minimize free radicals. These processes are all essential in the promotion of a healthy brain.
Improve Quality Of Life In Autism
Even though individuals with autism don’t long to alter their characteristics, following a ketogenic diet can help autistic individuals improve their quality of life.
This diet can boost brain functions and reduce some problematic behavioral characteristics of the condition, such as stimming, sensory challenges, and a higher risk of burnout.
Enhance Brain Functions
Even if you aren’t living with a health condition like epilepsy or autism, you can still benefit from a ketogenic diet to enhance brain functions.
However, it’s important to remember that the ketogenic diet is not recommended long-term. Unless your healthcare practitioner has prescribed this diet to treat a health condition, you should only follow the eating plan for no longer than six months.
Get Rid Of Excess Weight
One of the most popular reasons to try the keto diet is weight loss. This eating plan makes it easier to shed excess weight as the body uses fat for fuel instead of storing it. Moreover, because high-fat foods help with feelings of fullness, it’s easier to stick to a keto diet.
The ketogenic diet may have been initially designed to help epileptic patients manage seizures better. Still, the eating plan has been popularized more recently due to its various appealing health benefits. Those who follow the keto diet short term see an improvement in mental functions, energy levels, mood, and even sleep quality.
