– Is keto the best diet on the market or is it dangerous for your health? I'll explain. (upbeat bright music) You see your friends or your colleagues eating gobs of peanut
butter by the spoonful and mountains of bacon while shedding pounds, bragging, "It's the keto diet, bro." But what exactly is a ketogenic diet? Is it true that it can treat epilepsy? And what foods can I actually eat with this type of meal plan? Are there any side effects
you should be concerned about? Not to worry, today, I'm breaking down and answering all of your keto diet
need to know questions. But before we get into it, hey everyone, I'm Dr. Jordan Wagner. I'm a board certified
emergency medicine physician. And on my show, I answer your urgent medical questions and clear up myths about
certain deadly diseases. If you haven't already done so, please make sure you
hit the subscribe button and turn your bell notifications on.

That way, you are instantly alerted when I post a new video. I get a lot of questions in
the comments section asking, "What should I do to lose weight, doc?" "What diets do you recommend?" "Should I try the keto diet?" First and foremost, it is important to remember, no one specific diet or nutrition plan is the same for everyone.

How food affects our bodies is different for each individual. Some of you may thrive on a keto diet, which we will talk about
here in a few seconds, but maybe some of you will do
better, say on a paleo plan, or a gluten-free, or dairy-free diet. So keep that in mind. But today, we're going to be
talking about all things keto and whether you should consider it for your nutritional
and weight loss goals. First things first. What the heck is a keto diet? In a nutshell, the ketogenic diet is a high fat, adequate
protein, low carbohydrate diet.

The diet forces the body into a state known as ketosis. Which burns fat rather than
carbohydrates for energy. How does a keto diet work? The keto diet relies on ketone bodies. A type of fuel that the liver
produces from stored fat. Ketosis occurs when people
eat a low or no carb diet and molecules called ketones build up in your body's bloodstream. Low carbohydrate levels cause
blood sugar levels to drop and the body begins breaking
down fat to use as energy. What do you eat on a keto diet? Because a keto diet has
such a high fat requirement, followers must, and I repeat,
must eat fats at each meal and a daily 2,000 calorie diet. That might look something
like 165 grams of fat, 40 grams of carbs, and
75 grams of protein.

However, the exact ratio depends
on your particular needs. Due to eating this much fat, you definitely want to make sure to incorporate some healthy
fats into your eating plan. These include omega-3s, such as those found in
salmon and sardines, as well as monounsaturated fats present in foods like avocados, walnuts, almonds, and sunflower seeds. Protein is a part of the keto diet, but it doesn't typically discriminate between lean protein foods and protein sources high in saturated fats such as beef, pork, and bacon. What about fruits and vegetables? All fruits are rich and carbs, but you can have certain
fruits such as berries in very small portions. Vegetables are mostly
restricted to leafy greens, but you can eat things like
asparagus, broccoli, cucumber, green beans, eggplants,
zucchini, and more. Is a keto diet healthy? – Interestingly, in medicine, the keto diet is actually used to treat hard to control epilepsy in children.

As many as half of young
people with epilepsy had fewer seizures after
following the diet. And some early research
suggests it may have benefits for blood sugar control
among people with diabetes. Who is a keto diet right for? As I previously mentioned, the ketogenic diet actually
originated as a tool for treating neurologic
diseases such as epilepsy. Studies have shown that
the diet can have benefits for a wide variety of
different health conditions. The ketogenic diet can
boost insulin sensitivity and cause fat loss, leading to significant health benefits for people with type-2 diabetes or for those who are prediabetic. One study out of Wylie
Movement Disorders reported that the keto diet may
even help reduce symptoms of Alzheimer's disease
and slow its progression. Some researchers have
also found the keto diet to be beneficial to individuals who suffer from heart disease, cancer, and Alzheimer's disease, but more studies need to be conducted.

If one chooses to start a ketogenic diet, it is recommended that you consult first with your physician and a dietician to closely monitor any biochemical changes after starting the regimen. That way, they are assisting
you to create a meal plan that is tailored to your
existing health conditions, and to prevent any
nutritional deficiencies or health complications. Are there any cons or
negatives of a ketogenic diet? Yes, a ketogenic diet
can have numerous risks you should be aware of. At the top of this list, it is high in saturated fat. Saturated fat can be
linked to heart disease. I recommend that you keep saturated fats at no more than 7% of your daily calories because of its link to heart disease.

While research surrounding
keto is exciting, there's very little evidence to show that this type of
eating is effective or safe over the long-term for
anything other than epilepsy. Also, very low carbohydrate diets tend to have high rates of side effects including constipation,
headaches, bad breath, and much more. All right, it's important
to get the right nutrients, yet, getting a balanced set of nutrients on a ketogenic diet can be challenging. Meaning, the diet's requirements means cutting out many healthy foods, making it difficult to meet
your micronutrient needs. In most cases, a multivitamin is recommended
while on a ketogenic diet. While multivitamins cannot
replace nutrients found in foods, they can still feel in important
keto micronutrient gaps. Please make sure to check
the carbohydrate level, especially in chewable vitamins. A ketogenic diet can be great for people who are
overweight, have diabetes, or are looking to improve
their metabolic health. However, it might be less
suitable for elite athletes or those wishing to add large
amounts of muscle or weight.

Speak with your doctor about
your eating plan and goals to decide if a keto eating
diet plan is right for you. That's been a quick keto break
down with me, Dr. Wagner. Let me know in the comments if you've ever tried the keto diet or thinking about trying it, I love to hear about your experiences. As always, make sure you subscribe and hit that bell notification. Thank you so much for watching, and stay healthy, my friends. (upbeat bright music).