Ketones are energy molecules formed in the liver that work as an anti-inflammatory. They balance blood sugar, support your immune system, supply energy and are excellent “brain fuel” & more…DR. CHAD LARSON
In Episode 49 of His Keep It Real Video Series, Dr. Larson Discusses Osteoarthritis & How to Reverse It.
Last week Dr. Larson discussed the findings of one of the largest nutritional studies ever undertaken. Published in the Lancet, one of the most prestigious health publications out of Oxford, UK, the study looked at over 130,000 participants from over 18 countries and spanning five continents to monitor the macronutrient intake and the effect of it on all-cause mortality, specifically looking at cardiovascular disease and stroke. What they found was that, contrary to what most nutritionists believe, higher fat diets do not lead to an increased risk of heart disease, stroke, and all-cause mortality.
In fact, what they uncovered was that an inverse relationship exists with saturated fat, the more fat, the lower the risk for stroke. That suggests that most International guidelines for macronutrient intake be revised to reflect what the science tells us.
Why would lower carbohydrate diets and high-fat diets improve health outcomes and decrease risk factors to dying younger?
High carbohydrate diets produce more glucose and glucose has the potential to become glycated, which means that it binds to proteins that lead to an inflammatory chemical…and Inflammation is rooted in many chronic diseases (heart disease, cancer, etc.)
A blood test called A1C-HBA1C, or Glycated Hemoglobin, is a test that is used as an inflammation marker because it measures the amount of glycated molecules in the body. It is also used to measure blood sugar metabolism, to determine if blood sugar issues are being controlled that can lead to things like diabetes.
Glycated hemoglobin is very caustic to the body, which is why when you eat a diet high in carbohydrates, the risk that glucose will become glycated, is likewise increased, which can lead to chronic inflammation and chronic illness.
The second reason that a high-fat diet lowers your risk of all-cause mortality is that when you consume more fat, the other macronutrients go down – You take in fewer carbohydrates because you feel less hungry and more satiated, more fat consumed means less overall consumed.
When we consume more fats in a diet that is lower in carbohydrates, the body, particularly the liver, forms energy molecules called ketones. Ketones are energy molecules formed in the liver that work as an anti-inflammatory. They balance blood sugar, support your immune system, supply energy and are excellent “brain fuel” & more…
A Ketonic diet is a certain diet that has a specific ratio of fat to carbohydrate intake that seeks to induce the level of ketones, but you don’t have to be on a strict ketonic diet to increase then, just a high-fat, low carbohydrates diet can make a significant difference in health.
A Little More About Ketones
Ketones are beneficial because they work as anti-inflammatory agents, help to balance blood sugar, help to support immune system function, improve your energy and are an excellent form of fuel for the brain, just to name a few of the positive effects they create. A higher fat and lower carbohydrate diet helps to promote a better glucose metabolism because you take in fewer carbohydrates, which decreases the potential for glycation molecules to form, it also helps to increase ketones.
Current literature on ketones demonstrates that there is a way to increase the speed that we make ketosis or elevated ketones, for beneficial health. Exogenous ketones means that you get them from outside the body. It is possible for the body to make ketones by itself, but what scientists are finding is that exogenous or getting ketones through supplementation, is helpful to increase the amount of ketones you have and the benefit you get from them.
In October, Frontiers of Physiology journal published an article called the Metabolism of Exogenous Ketones in Humans. The researchers concluded that by taking exogenous ketones, it boosts ketosis in the body, and, therefore, increases the health benefits from them. It is not necessary to maintain a zero carbohydrate diet or even an extremely restricted carbohydrate diet, but just a lower one with moderate diet that has a higher fat content, to reap benefits.
The Bottom Line
Fats were thought to be bad in the past, but as science becomes more advanced and nutritionists are finding that what we thought about fat in the past, might not be based solely in fact.. Essentially, stay away from the donuts & other items that are high in carbohydrates and sugars, and if you must eat fats, look to healthy fats found in nuts, avocados, etc… Just do your best at making good food choices!
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