Saturday, July 6, 2019

7 Effective Tips to Get Into Ketosis

7 Effective Tips to Get Into Ketosis

7 Tips to Get Into Ketosis

Ketosis is a normal metabolic process that provides several health benefits.

During ketosis, your body converts fat into compounds known as ketones and begins using them as its main source of energy.

Studies have found that diets that promote ketosis are highly beneficial for weight loss, due in part to their appetite-suppressing effects (1Trusted Source, 2Trusted Source).

Emerging research suggests that ketosis may also be helpful for type 2 diabetes and neurological disorders, among other conditions (3Trusted Source, 4Trusted Source).

That being said, achieving a state of ketosis can take some work and planning. It's not just as simple as cutting carbs.

Here are 7 effective tips to get into ketosis.

Eating a very low-carb diet is by far the most important factor in achieving ketosis.

Normally, your cells use glucose, or sugar, as their main source of fuel. However, most of your cells can also use other fuel sources. This includes fatty acids, as well as ketones, which are also known as ketone bodies.

Your body stores glucose in your liver and muscles in the form of glycogen.

When carb intake is very low, glycogen stores are reduced and levels of the hormone insulin decline. This allows fatty acids to be released from fat stores in your body.

Your liver converts some of these fatty acids into the ketone bodies acetone, acetoacetate and beta-hydroxybutyrate. These ketones can be used as fuel by portions of the brain (5Trusted Source, 6Trusted Source).

The level of carb restriction needed to induce ketosis is somewhat individualized. Some people need to limit net carbs (total carbs minus fiber) to 20 grams per day, while others can achieve ketosis while eating twice this amount or more.

For this reason, the Atkins diet specifies that carbs be restricted to 20 or fewer grams per day for two weeks to guarantee that ketosis is achieved.

After this point, small amounts of carbs can be added back to your diet very gradually, as long as ketosis is maintained.

In a one-week study, overweight people with type 2 diabetes who limited carb intake to 21 or fewer grams per day experienced daily urinary ketone excretion levels that were 27 times higher than their baseline levels (7Trusted Source).

In another study, adults with type 2 diabetes were allowed 20–50 grams of digestible carbs per day, depending on the number of grams that allowed them to maintain blood ketone levels within a target range of 0.5–3.0 mmol/L (8Trusted Source).

These carb and ketone ranges are advised for people who want to get into ketosis to promote weight loss, control blood sugar levels or reduce heart disease risk factors.

In contrast, therapeutic ketogenic diets used for epilepsy or as experimental cancer therapy often restrict carbs to fewer than 5% of calories or fewer than 15 grams per day to further drive up ketone levels (9Trusted Source, 10Trusted Source).

However, anyone using the diet for therapeutic purposes should only do so under the supervision of a medical professional.

Bottom Line: Limiting your carb intake to 20–50 net grams per day lowers blood sugar and insulin levels, leading to the release of stored fatty acids that your liver converts into ketones.

Eating coconut oil can help you get into ketosis.

It contains fats called medium-chain triglycerides (MCTs).

Unlike most fats, MCTs are rapidly absorbed and taken directly to the liver, where they can be used immediately for energy or converted into ketones.

In fact, it's been suggested that consuming coconut oil may be one of the best ways to increase ketone levels in people with Alzheimer's disease and other nervous system disorders (11Trusted Source).

Although coconut oil contains four types of MCTs, 50% of its fat comes from the kind known as lauric acid.

Some research suggests that fat sources with a higher percentage of lauric acid may produce a more sustained level of ketosis. This is because it's metabolized more gradually than other MCTs (12Trusted Source, 13Trusted Source).

MCTs have been used to induce ketosis in epileptic children without restricting carbs as drastically as the classic ketogenic diet.

In fact, several studies have found that a high-MCT diet containing 20% of calories from carbs produces effects similar to the classic ketogenic diet, which provides fewer than 5% of calories from carbs (14Trusted Source, 15Trusted Source, 16Trusted Source).

When adding coconut oil to your diet, it's a good idea to do so slowly to minimize digestive side effects like stomach cramping or diarrhea.

Start with one teaspoon per day and work up to two to three tablespoons daily over the course of a week. You can find coconut oil at your local grocery store or purchase it online.

Bottom Line: Consuming coconut oil provides your body with MCTs, which are quickly absorbed and converted into ketone bodies by your liver.

A growing number of studies have found that being in ketosis may be beneficial for some types of athletic performance, including endurance exercise (17Trusted Source, 18Trusted Source, 19Trusted Source, 20Trusted Source).

In addition, being more active can help you get into ketosis.

When you exercise, you deplete your body of its glycogen stores. Normally, these are replenished when you eat carbs, which are broken down into glucose and then converted to glycogen.

However, if carb intake is minimized, glycogen stores remain low. In response, your liver increases its production of ketones, which can be used as an alternate fuel source for your muscles.

One study found that at low blood ketone concentrations, exercise increases the rate at which ketones are produced. However, when blood ketones are already elevated, they do not rise with exercise and may actually decrease for a short period (21Trusted Source).

In addition, working out in a fasted state has been shown to drive up ketone levels (22Trusted Source, 23Trusted Source).

In a small study, nine older women exercised either before or after a meal. Their blood ketone levels were 137–314% higher when they exercised before a meal than when they exercised after a meal (23Trusted Source).

Keep in mind that although exercise increases ketone production, it may take one to four weeks for your body to adapt to using ketones and fatty acids as primary fuels. During this time, physical performance may be reduced temporarily (20Trusted Source).

Bottom Line Engaging in physical activity can increase ketone levels during carb restriction. This effect may be enhanced by working out in a fasted state.

Consuming plenty of healthy fat can boost your ketone levels and help you reach ketosis.

Indeed, a very low-carb ketogenic diet not only minimizes carbs, but is also high in fat.

Ketogenic diets for weight loss, metabolic health and exercise performance usually provide between 60–80% of calories from fat.

The classic ketogenic diet used for epilepsy is even higher in fat, with typically 85–90% of calories from fat (24Trusted Source).

However, extremely high fat intake doesn't necessarily translate into higher ketone levels.

A three-week study of 11 healthy people compared the effects of fasting with different amounts of fat intake on breath ketone levels.

Overall, ketone levels were found to be similar in people consuming 79% or 90% of calories from fat (25Trusted Source).

Furthermore, because fat makes up such a large percentage of a ketogenic diet, it's important to choose high-quality sources.

Good fats include olive oil, avocado oil, coconut oil, butter, lard and tallow. In addition, there are many healthy, high-fat foods that are also very low in carbs.

However, if your goal is weight loss, it's important to make sure you're not consuming too many calories in total, as this can cause your weight loss to stall.

Bottom Line: Consuming at least 60% of calories from fat will help boost your ketone levels. Choose a variety of healthy fats from both plant and animal sources.

Another way to get into ketosis is to go without eating for several hours.

In fact, many people go into mild ketosis between dinner and breakfast.

Children with epilepsy are sometimes fasted for 24–48 hours before they start a ketogenic diet. This is done to get into ketosis quickly so that seizures can be reduced sooner (26Trusted Source, 27Trusted Source).

Intermittent fasting, a dietary approach that involves regular short-term fasts, may also induce ketosis (28Trusted Source, 29Trusted Source).

Moreover, "fat fasting" is another ketone-boosting approach that mimics the effects of fasting.

It involves consuming about 1,000 calories per day, 85–90% of which come from fat. This combination of low calorie and very high fat intake may help you achieve ketosis quickly.

A 1965 study reported significant fat loss in overweight patients who followed a fat fast. However, other researchers have pointed out that these results appear to have been highly exaggerated (30Trusted Source).

Because a fat fast is so low in protein and calories, it should be followed for a maximum of three to five days to prevent an excessive loss of muscle mass. It may also be difficult to adhere to for more than a couple of days.

Here are some tips and ideas for doing a fat fast to get into ketosis.

Bottom Line: Fasting, intermittent fasting and a "fat fast" can all help you get into ketosis relatively quickly.

Achieving ketosis requires a protein intake that is adequate but not excessive.

The classic ketogenic diet used in epilepsy patients is restricted in both carbs and protein to maximize ketone levels.

The same diet may also be beneficial for cancer patients, as it may limit tumor growth (31Trusted Source, 32Trusted Source).

However, for most people, cutting back on protein to increase ketone production isn't a healthy practice.

First, it's important to consume enough protein to supply the liver with amino acids that can be used for gluconeogenesis, which translates to "making new glucose."

In this process, your liver provides glucose for the few cells and organs in your body that can't use ketones as fuel, such as your red blood cells and portions of the kidneys and brain.

Second, protein intake should be high enough to maintain muscle mass when carb intake is low, especially during weight loss.

Although losing weight typically results in the loss of both muscle and fat, consuming sufficient amounts of protein on a very low-carb ketogenic diet can help preserve muscle mass (5Trusted Source, 30Trusted Source).

Several studies have shown that the preservation of muscle mass and physical performance is maximized when protein intake is in the range of 0.55–0.77 grams per pound (1.2–1.7 grams per kilogram) of lean mass (20Trusted Source).

In weight loss studies, very low-carb diets with protein intake within this range have been found to induce and maintain ketosis (7Trusted Source, 8Trusted Source, 33Trusted Source, 34Trusted Source).

In one study of 17 obese men, following a ketogenic diet providing 30% of calories from protein for four weeks led to blood ketone levels of 1.52 mmol/L, on average. This is well within the 0.5–3.0 mmol/L range of nutritional ketosis (34Trusted Source).

To calculate your protein needs on a ketogenic diet, multiply your ideal body weight in pounds by 0.55 to 0.77 (1.2 to 1.7 in kilograms). For example, if your ideal body weight is 130 pounds (59 kg), your protein intake should be 71–100 grams.

Bottom Line Consuming too little protein can lead to muscle mass loss, whereas excessive protein intake may suppress ketone production.

Like many things in nutrition, achieving and maintaining a state of ketosis is highly individualized.

Therefore, it can be helpful to test your ketone levels to ensure you're achieving your goals.

The three types of ketones — acetone, beta-hydroxybutyrate and acetoacetate — can be measured in your breath, blood or urine.

Acetone is found in your breath, and studies have confirmed testing acetone breath levels is a reliable way to monitor ketosis in people following ketogenic diets (35Trusted Source, 36Trusted Source).

The Ketonix meter measures acetone in breath. After breathing into the meter, a color flashes to indicate whether you are in ketosis and how high your levels are.

Ketones can also be measured with a blood ketone meter. Similar to the way a glucose meter works, a small drop of blood is placed on a strip that's inserted into the meter.

It measures the amount of beta-hydroxybutyrate in your blood, and it has also been found to be a valid indicator of ketosis levels (37Trusted Source).

The disadvantage of measuring blood ketones is that the strips are very expensive.

Lastly, the ketone measured in urine is acetoacetate. Ketone urine strips are dipped into urine and turn various shades of pink or purple depending on the level of ketones present. A darker color reflects higher ketone levels.

Ketone urine strips are easy to use and fairly inexpensive. Although their accuracy in long-term use has been questioned, they should initially provide confirmation that you are in ketosis.

A recent study found that urinary ketones tend to be highest in the early morning and after dinner on a ketogenic diet (38Trusted Source).

Using one or more of these methods to test ketones can help you determine whether you need to make any adjustments to get into ketosis.



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10 Evidence-Based Health Benefits of Whey Protein

10 Evidence-Based Health Benefits of Whey Protein

10 Evidence-Based Health Benefits of Whey Protein

Whey protein is among the best studied supplements in the world, and for good reason.

It has a very high nutritional value, and scientific studies have revealed numerous health benefits.

Here are 10 health benefits of whey protein that are supported by human studies.

Whey protein is the protein fraction of whey, which is a liquid that separates from milk during cheese production.

It is a complete, high-quality protein, containing all of the essential amino acids.

In addition, it is very digestible, absorbed from the gut quickly compared to other types of protein (1Trusted Source).

These qualities make it one of the best dietary sources of protein available.

There are three main types of whey protein powder, concentrate (WPC), isolate (WPI), and hydrolysate (WPH).

Concentrate is the most common type, and is also the cheapest.

As a dietary supplement, whey protein is widely popular among bodybuilders, athletes, and others who want additional protein in their diet.

Bottom Line: Whey protein has a very high nutritional value, and is one of the best dietary sources of high-quality protein. It is highly digestible, and absorbed quickly compared to other proteins.

Muscle mass naturally declines with age.

This usually leads to fat gain and raises the risk of many chronic diseases.

However, this adverse change in body composition can be partly slowed, prevented, or reversed with a combination of strength training and adequate diet.

Strength training coupled with the consumption of high-protein foods or protein supplements has been shown to be an effective preventive strategy (2Trusted Source).

Particularly effective are high-quality protein sources, such as whey, which is rich in a branched-chain amino acid called leucine.

Leucine is the most growth-promoting (anabolic) of the amino acids (3Trusted Source).

For this reason, whey protein is effective for the prevention of age-related muscle loss, as well as for improved strength and a better-looking body (2Trusted Source).

For muscle growth, whey protein has been shown to be slightly better compared to other types of protein, such as casein or soy (4Trusted Source, 5Trusted Source, 6Trusted Source).

However, unless your diet is already lacking in protein, supplements probably won't make a big difference.

Bottom Line: Whey protein is excellent for promoting muscle growth and maintenance when coupled with strength training.

Abnormally high blood pressure (hypertension) is one of the leading risk factors for heart disease.

Numerous studies have linked the consumption of dairy products with reduced blood pressure (7Trusted Source, 8Trusted Source, 9Trusted Source, 10Trusted Source).

This effect has been attributed to a family of bioactive peptides in dairy, so-called "angiotensin-converting-enzyme inhibitors" (ACE-inhibitors) (11Trusted Source, 12Trusted Source, 13).

In whey proteins, the ACE-inhibitors are called lactokinins (14Trusted Source). Several animal studies have demonstrated their beneficial effects on blood pressure (15Trusted Source, 16Trusted Source).

A limited number of human studies have investigated the effect of whey proteins on blood pressure, and many experts consider the evidence to be inconclusive.

One study in overweight individuals showed that whey protein supplementation, 54 g/day for 12 weeks, lowered systolic blood pressure by 4%. Other milk proteins (casein) had similar effects (17Trusted Source).

This is supported by another study that found significant effects when participants were given whey protein concentrate (22 g/day) for 6 weeks.

However, blood pressure decreased only in those that had high or slightly elevated blood pressure to begin with (18).

No significant effects on blood pressure were detected in a study that used much lower amounts of whey protein (less than 3.25 g/day) mixed in a milk drink (19Trusted Source).

Bottom Line: Whey proteins may lower blood pressure in people with elevated blood pressure. This is due to bioactive peptides called lactokinins.

Type 2 diabetes is a chronic disease characterized by high blood sugar and impaired function of insulin.

Insulin is a hormone that is supposed to stimulate the uptake of blood sugar into cells, keeping it within healthy limits.

Whey protein has been found to be effective at moderating blood sugar, increasing both the levels of insulin and the sensitivity to its effects (17Trusted Source, 20Trusted Source, 21Trusted Source, 22Trusted Source).

When compared with other sources of protein, such as egg white or fish, whey protein seems to have the upper hand (23Trusted Source, 24Trusted Source).

These properties of whey protein may even be comparable to those of diabetic drugs, such as sulfonylurea (25Trusted Source).

As a result, whey protein can be effectively used as a supplementary treatment for type 2 diabetes.

Taking a whey protein supplement before or with a high-carb meal has been shown to moderate blood sugar in both healthy people and type 2 diabetics (20Trusted Source).

Bottom Line: Whey protein is effective at moderating blood sugar levels, especially when taken before or with high-carb meals. It may be particularly useful for people with type 2 diabetes.

Inflammation is part of the body's response to damage. Short-term inflammation is beneficial, but under certain circumstances it may become chronic.

Chronic inflammation can be harmful, and is a risk factor for many diseases. It may reflect underlying health problems or bad lifestyle habits.

A large review study found that high doses of whey protein supplements significantly reduced C-reactive protein (CRP), a key marker of inflammation in the body (26Trusted Source).

Bottom Line: High doses of whey protein have been shown to reduce blood levels of C-reactive protein, indicating that it can help reduce inflammation.

Inflammatory bowel disease is a condition characterized by chronic inflammation in the lining of the digestive tract.

It is a collective term for Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis.

In both rodents and humans, whey protein supplementation has been found to have beneficial effects on inflammatory bowel disease (27Trusted Source, 28Trusted Source).

However, the available evidence is weak and further studies are needed before any strong claims can be made.

Bottom Line: Whey protein supplements may have beneficial effects on inflammatory bowel disease.

Antioxidants are substances that act against oxidation in the body, reducing oxidative stress and cutting the risk of various chronic diseases.

One of the most important antioxidants in humans is glutathione.

Unlike most antioxidants we get from the diet, glutathione is produced by the body.

In the body, glutathione production depends on the supply of several amino acids, such as cysteine, which is sometimes of limited supply.

For this reason, high-cysteine foods, such as whey protein, may boost the body's natural antioxidant defenses (3Trusted Source, 29Trusted Source).

A number of studies in both humans and rodents have found that whey proteins may reduce oxidative stress and increase levels of glutathione (30Trusted Source, 31Trusted Source, 32Trusted Source, 33Trusted Source).

Bottom Line: Whey protein supplementation may strengthen the body's antioxidant defenses by promoting the formation of glutathione, one of the body's main antioxidants.

High cholesterol, especially LDL cholesterol, is a risk factor for heart disease.

In one study in overweight individuals, 54 grams of whey protein per day, for 12 weeks, led to a significant reduction in total and LDL (the "bad") cholesterol (17Trusted Source).

Other studies did not find similar effects on blood cholesterol (18, 34Trusted Source), but the lack of effect might be due to differences in study design.

Further studies are needed before any conclusions can be made.

Bottom Line: Long-term, high-dose whey protein supplementation may lower cholesterol levels. The evidence is very limited at this point.

Satiety is a term used to describe the feeling of fullness we experience after eating a meal.

It is the opposite of appetite and hunger, and should suppress cravings for food and the desire to eat.

Some foods are more satiating than others, an effect which is partly mediated by their macronutrient (protein, carb, fat) composition.

Protein is by far the most filling of the three macronutrients (35Trusted Source).

However, not all proteins have the same effect on satiety. Whey protein appears to be more satiating than other types of protein, such as casein and soy (36Trusted Source, 37Trusted Source).

These properties make it particularly useful for those who need to eat fewer calories and lose weight.

Bottom Line: Whey protein is very satiating (filling), even more so than other types of protein. This makes it a useful addition to a weight loss diet.

Increased consumption of protein is a well-known weight loss strategy (38Trusted Source, 39Trusted Source, 40Trusted Source).

Eating more protein may promote fat loss by:

Whey protein has been shown to be particularly effective, and may have a superior effect on fat burning and satiety compared to other protein types (17Trusted Source, 36Trusted Source, 37Trusted Source, 44Trusted Source, 45Trusted Source).

Bottom Line: Eating plenty of protein is a very effective way to lose weight, and some studies show that whey protein may have even greater effects than other types of protein.

Whey protein is very easy to incorporate into the diet.

It is sold as a powder that can be added to smoothies, yogurts, or simply mixed with water or milk. There is a wide selection available on Amazon.

25-50 grams per day (1-2 scoops) is a commonly recommended dosage, but make sure to follow the dosage instructions on the packaging.

Keep in mind that taking too much protein is useless. The body can only utilize a limited amount of protein at a given time.

Excessive consumption may also cause digestive problems, such as nausea, pain, bloating, cramping, flatulence, and diarrhea.

However, moderate consumption of whey protein supplements is well tolerated by most people, with a few exceptions.

If you are lactose intolerant, whey protein hydrolysate or isolate may be more suitable than concentrate. If you have ever had liver or kidney problems, then consult with a doctor before taking a protein supplement.

At the end of the day, whey protein is not just a convenient way to boost your protein intake, it may have some powerful health benefits as well.



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