When using a ketogenic diet, your body becomes more of a fat-burner than a carbohydrate-dependent machine. Several researches have linked the consumption of increased amounts of carbohydrates to development of several disorders such as diabetes and insulin resistance.
™
By nature, carbohydrates are easily absorbable and therefore can be also be easily stored by the body. Digestion of carbohydrates starts right from the moment you put them into your mouth.
As soon as you begin chewing them, amylase (the enzymes that digest carbohydrate) in your saliva is already at work acting on the carbohydrate-containing food.
In the is keto bad for kidneys stomach, carbohydrates are further broken down. When they get into the small intestines, they are then absorbed into the bloodstream. On getting to the bloodstream, carbohydrates generally increase the blood sugar level.
This increase in blood sugar level stimulates the immediate release of insulin into the bloodstream. The higher the increase in blood sugar levels, the more the amount of insulin that is release.
Insulin is a hormone that causes excess sugar in the bloodstream to be removed in order to lower the blood sugar level. Insulin takes the sugar and carbohydrate that you eat and stores them either as glycogen in muscle tissues or as fat in adipose tissue for future use as energy.
However, the body can develop what is known as insulin resistance when it is continuously exposed to such high amounts of glucose in the bloodstream. This scenario can easily cause obesity as the body tends to quickly store any excess amount of glucose. Health conditions such as diabetes and cardiovascular disease can also result from this condition.
Keto diets are low in carbohydrate and high in fat and have been associated with reducing and improving several health conditions.
One of the foremost things a ketogenic diet does is to stabilize your insulin levels and also restore leptin signalling. Reduced amounts of insulin in the bloodstream allow you to feel fuller for a longer period of time and also to have fewer cravings.
Medical Benefits of Ketogenic Diets
The application and implementation of the ketogenic diet has expanded considerably. Keto diets are often indicated as part of the treatment plan in a number of medical conditions.
Epilepsy
This is basically the main reason for the development of the ketogenic diet. For some reason, the rate of epileptic seizures reduces when patients are placed on a keto diet.
Pediatric epileptic cases are the most responsive to the keto diet. There are children who have experience seizure elimination after a few years of using a keto diet.
Children with epilepsy are generally expected to fast for a few days before starting the ketogenic diet as part of their treatment.
Cancer
Research suggests that the therapeutic efficacy of the ketogenic diets against tumor growth can be enhanced when combined with certain drugs and procedures under a "press-pulse" paradigm.
It is also promising to note that ketogenic diets drive the cancer cell into remission. This means that keto diets "starves cancer" to reduce the symptoms.
Alzheimer Disease
There are several indications that the memory functions of patients with Alzheimer's disease improve after making use of a ketogenic diet.
Ketones are a great source of alternative energy for the brain especially when it has become resistant to insulin. Ketones also provide substrates (cholesterol) that help to repair damaged neurons and membranes. These all help to improve memory and cognition in Alzheimer patients.
Diabetes
It is generally agreed that carbohydrates are the main culprit in diabetes. Therefore, by reducing the amount of ingested carbohydrate by using a ketogenic diet, there are increased chances for improved blood sugar control.
Also, combining a keto diet with other diabetes treatment plans can significantly improve their overall effectiveness.
Gluten Allergy
Many individuals with gluten allergy are undiagnosed with this condition. However, following a ketogenic diet showed improvement in related symptoms like digestive discomforts and bloating.
Most carbohydrate-rich foods are high in gluten. Thus, by using a keto diet, a lot of the gluten consumption is reduced to a minimum due to the elimination of a large variety of carbohydrates.
Weight Loss
This is arguably the most common "intentional" use of the ketogenic diet today. It has found a niche for itself in the mainstream dieting trend. Keto diets have become part of many dieting regimen due to its well acknowledged side effect of aiding weight loss.
Though initially maligned by many, the growing number of favorable weight loss results has helped the ketogenic to better embraced as a major weight loss program.
Besides the above medical benefits, ketogenic diets also provide some general health benefits which include the following.
Improved Insulin Sensitivity
This is obviously the first aim of a ketogenic diet. It helps to stabilize your insulin levels thereby improving fat burning.
Muscle Preservation
Since protein is oxidized, it helps to preserve lean muscle. Losing lean muscle mass causes an individual's metabolism to slow down as muscles are generally very metabolic. Using a keto diet actually helps to preserve your muscles while your body burns fat.
Controlled pH and respiratory function
A ketoc diet helps to decrease lactate thereby improving both pH and respiratory function. A state of ketosis therefore helps to keep your blood pH at a healthy level.
Improved Immune System
Using a ketogenic diet helps to fight off aging antioxidants while also reducing inflammation of the gut thereby making your immune system stronger.
Reduced Cholesterol Levels
Consuming fewer carbohydrates while you are on the keto diet will help to reduce blood cholesterol levels. This is due to the increased state of lipolysis. This leads to a reduction in LDL cholesterol levels and an increase in HDL cholesterol levels.
Reduced Appetite and Cravings
Adopting a ketogenic diet helps you to reduce both your appetite and cravings for calorie rich foods. As you begin eating healthy, satisfying, and beneficial high-fat foods, your hunger feelings will naturally start decreasing.
Why are the kidneys so important? Although this pair of bean-shaped organs is relatively small, they are responsible for ensuring that the blood circulating in our body is free from harmful organisms, waste products and excess water.
Your kidneys work extra hard to ensure your continued well-being. Every day, 20% of the blood pumped by the heart or approximately 200 quarts of blood passes through your kidneys for cleansing purposes. Every day, at least 2 quarts of unwanted waste materials are sifted from the blood before it is even allowed to return to general circulation.
To really appreciate the role of our kidneys in ensuring our well-being, let us take a peep on how these organs function. Each of these tiny organs is composed of about a million tinier units called "nephrons". Inside these nephrons, a tiny blood vessel ("glomerulus") is intertwined with a tiny urine-collecting tube (tubule). As blood passes through these nephrons, a complex interaction occurs between the glomerulus and the tubule which results in the elimination of wastes in the blood. These waste materials then enter the urinary tract and end up being excreted in the urine.
Aside from sifting the unwanted materials from the blood, the kidneys also take charge of the following functions:
. Regulation of the composition of the blood
. Maintenance of the ideal concentrations of vital substances and ions in the blood
. Sustaining the proper volume of water in the body
. Eliminating toxic wastes from the body
. Maintaining the acid-base concentration of the blood
. Normalizing blood pressure
. Promoting the production of red blood cells
. Maintaining the ideal calcium level in the body
Despite the numerous tasks performed by the kidneys to ensure our safety, it is sad to note that there are a lot of people who neglect to take care of their kidneys properly. In fact, in the United States alone, more than 300,000 people suffer from renal failure every single year! These people are either currently undergoing dialysis or waiting for a kidney transplant. It is also an established fact that an average person like you and me has a 1 to 10 chance in developing a kidney stone in our lifetime. This is undeniably a very alarming figure indeed!
So, what can we do to prevent this from happening? We need to start taking care of our health and to pay attention to our kidneys as well. Two of the leading causes of kidney diseases are diabetes and high blood pressure. Excessive amount of glucose in the blood negatively affects the nephrons and interferes with the normal functioning of the kidneys. High blood pressure, on the other hand, may put excessive strain on the glomerulus thereby interfering with the regular functions of the system. Other kidney infections such as glomerulonephritis and pyelonephritis may also trigger renal failure. Certain drugs can also exert debilitating effects.
To avoid developing kidney troubles, it is therefore necessary to maintain a healthy lifestyle. You may start by considering the following tips:
. Maintain a healthy blood pressure
. Limit intake of foods which dramatically increase the blood sugar and cholesterol levels
. Load up on water to prevent dehydration
. Avoid adding too much salt to the diet
. Minimize stress
. Have a regular exercise routine.
. Limit medications to those prescribed by your family physician.
The importance of a kidney cleanse
A good kidney cleanse is vital to keep our kidneys healthy. It is, by definition, any procedure which involves the intake of a large amount of liquid and a healing diet. Sometimes, it is enough to alter our diet to a more healthfy one and to increase our water intake to take advantage of the positive effects of a kidney cleanse. For some cases, however, a more stringent fasting procedure is needed.
Water fasting involves taking in large quantities of water for a specified period of time without food. Juicing (or juice fasting) is also an excellent way to cleanse and detoxify the kidneys. It is less severe than water fasting since it provides the body with the nutrients, minerals, enzymes and energy needed to support the various metabolic processes during the fast. Several herbal recipes have also been concocted to induce a thorough kidney cleanse. Some of the herbs used in these types of kidney cleanses are hydrangea root, gravel root, marshmallow root, ginger root and fresh parsley, to name a few.
With the proper guidance from a qualified medical professional, a good kidney detoxification program coupled with dietary and lifestyle change can dramatically improve your health.