Why Does Keto Work?

The way the body reacts to food depends on what you eat, which can be separated into three categories: carbohydrates, protein, and fat. (Carbohydrates can essentially be considered sugar, as most are converted to sugar after consumption.)

When we eat mostly carbohydrates, these don’t satiate us as effectively as fat and protein, and leave us hungry and hangry shortly after. However, when we eat more fat, our insulin levels don’t spike as high. Keto works because it’s a high-fat-low-carb-diet, keeping you fuller for longer. 

When you follow a Keto diet for long enough, your body reaches a state called “Ketosis”. Here, your body can burn fat for energy instead of carbohydrates. When you restrict dietary carbohydrates – which are typically our primary source of energy – your body uses stored fat to create Ketones.

People in Ketosis don’t experience hunger pangs as often, because the high-fat food they eat satiates them for longer – and they are not as dependent on carbohydrates. Even when these people do feel hungry, it’s not the desperate form of hunger commonly associated with cravings for carbohydrates.

It’s important to note that calories in and calories out is only half the story, when managing our diet and nutrition, and alone, it doesn't work. This is because people get hungry when they restrict calories. When we are not fat adapted (unable to burn fat for fuel instead of carbohydrates), we feel hungrier when our blood sugar levels drop. 

Carbohydrates are ineffective at keeping us full, and cause us to feel more hungry, more of the time. Being on a calorie-restricted high-carb diet takes a lot of willpower, which most people just don’t have. 

When we eat too many carbohydrates, our body requires more and more insulin to do the same job – and that’s how we become insulin resistant. Seeing as insulin is a fat storage hormone, we can quickly gain weight and even face the risk of obesity. Keto works because it gets to the root cause of insulin-resistance before it turns into a diabetes diagnosis.

 

The Fine Print

Sugarnull Inc. does not provide medical advice. Before trying any new diet, speak to your doctor.