Keto Diet Works Best in Small Doses, Yale Researchers Find
Sibyl Bales edited this page 1 week ago


A ketogenic diet - which provides 99% of calories from fat and protein and only 1% from carbohydrates - produces health benefits in the short term, but negative effects after about a week, Yale researchers found in a study of mice. The results offer early indications that the keto diet could, over limited time periods, improve human health by lowering diabetes risk and inflammation. They also represent an important first step toward possible clinical trials in humans. The keto diet has become increasingly popular as celebrities, including Gwyneth Paltrow, Lebron James, and Kim Kardashian, have touted it as a weight-loss regimen. In the Yale study, Supraketo Official published in the Jan. 20 issue of Nature Metabolism, researchers found that the positive and negative effects of the diet both relate to immune cells called gamma delta T-cells, tissue-protective cells that lower diabetes risk and inflammation. A keto diet tricks the body into burning fat, said lead author Vishwa Deep Dixit of the Yale School of Medicine.


When the body’s glucose level is reduced due to the diet’s low carbohydrate content, the body acts as if it is in a starvation state - although it is not - and begins burning fats instead of carbohydrates. This process in turn yields chemicals called ketone bodies as an alternative source of fuel. When the body burns ketone bodies, tissue-protective gamma delta T-cells expand throughout the body. This reduces diabetes risk and inflammation, and improves the body’s metabolism, said Dixit, the Waldemar Von Zedtwitz Professor of Comparative Medicine and of Immunobiology. After a week on the keto diet, he said, mice show a reduction in blood sugar levels and inflammation. But when the body is in this “starving-not-starving” mode, fat storage is also happening simultaneously with fat breakdown, the researchers found. When mice continue to eat the high-fat, low-carb diet beyond one week, Dixit said, they consume more fat than they can burn, and develop diabetes and obesity. “They lose the protective gamma delta T-cells in the fat,” he said. Long-term clinical studies in humans are still necessary to validate the anecdotal claims of keto’s health benefits. “Before such a diet can be prescribed, a large clinical trial in controlled conditions is necessary to understand the mechanism behind metabolic and immunological benefits or any potential harm to individuals who are overweight and pre-diabetic,” Dixit said. There are good reasons to pursue further study: According to the Centers for Disease Control, approximately 84 million American adults - or more than one out of three - have prediabetes (increased blood sugar levels), putting them at higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and stroke. More than 90% of people with this condition don’t know they have it.
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Each week I’m trying to help take the stress out of a keto diet by giving you FIVE low-carb dinners plus a bonus meal prep recipe that helps keep you on track! This week your bonus is a tray of delicious Double Chocolate Sheet Pan Cookies-Only 3.6 net carbs a piece! When you click through to each individual recipe, it’ll take you to the full, detailed, step-by-step instructions. This includes a printable recipe card that includes nutrition information. To figure out the net carb count, subtract the amount of fiber from the amount of total carbs. At the bottom of this post, you’ll find a printable meal plan (with space to fill in your own needs & weekend plans) as well as an organized grocery list to help make things even easier. If you’re having trouble printing this, make sure you have your ad blocker disabled. If you like to meal prep to get ahead for the week, I’ve even included tips for preparing each meal in advance.


So sit back and relax-I’ve got dinner covered! These Double Chocolate Sheet Pan Cookies are perfect for multiple reasons. 1.) They’re only 3.6 net carbs, 2.) They’re unbelievably rich and fudgy, and 3.) They don’t require chilling like most keto desserts do! You could prepare, bake, and allow these to cool in just about 30 minutes! If you don’t think you’ll eat 24 in a week (or if you want to make a double batch for next week), these are easily freezable! Just double wrap each cookie in plastic wrap and store in a freezer-safe container for a few months! This Chicken Philly Cheesesteak Skillet is perfect for a Monday-a one-pan meal packed with tons of veggies! Don’t worry, though, picky eaters