Fad diets?

Although the ketogenic diet has been called a “fad” diet, there is no denying it can be very effective for losing weight.

It works by lowering levels of insulin and shifting your primary fuel source from sugar to ketones. These compounds are made from fatty acids, and your brain and other organs can burn them for energy.

When your body doesn’t have carbs to burn and switches to ketones, you’re in a state called ketosis.

However, unlike the Atkins and other low-carb diets, ketogenic diets don’t gradually increase their carbs. Instead, they keep carb intake very low to ensure followers stay in ketosis.

Indeed, ketogenic diets typically provide less than 50 grams of total carbs per day, and often less than 30.

A large analysis of 13 studies found that ketogenic diets not only boost the loss of weight and body fat, but may also reduce inflammatory markers and disease risk factors in those who are overweight or obese (17).

In a controlled two-year study of 45 obese adults, those in the ketogenic group dropped 27.5 pounds (12.5 kg), and lost 29 inches (11.4 cm) from their waists, on average.

This was significantly more than the low-fat group, even though both groups were calorie-restricted (18).

Moreover, even when calories aren’t intentionally restricted, ketogenic diets tend to reduce calorie intake. A recent review of several studies has suggested that this may be because ketones help suppress appetite (19).

Read this article to find out more about how a ketogenic diet can help you lose weight.