New Research Reveals Keto Diet’s Impact on Aging

The ketogenic diet, or keto diet, is a low-carbohydrate high-fat diet that forces the body into ketosis to lose weight. By limiting your intake of carbohydrates, your body uses fat as its primary energy source. When the body switches its fuel supply from carbohydrates to fat, insulin levels drop and fat burning increases dramatically. On the ketogenic diet, you are required to eat no more than 20 grams of carbohydrates per day.

How to Choose the Right Food

You are allowed to consume the following: 

• Nuts and seeds
• Meat
• Full-fat dairy
• Leafy greens and vegetables
• Coconut oil
• Avocados and berries

You cannot eat: 

• Grains
• Sugar
• Most fruit
• White potatoes

Keto Diet and its Benefits

Besides weight loss, there are several other benefits to the ketogenic diet. Many people feel less hungry and have a steady supply of energy, keeping them focused and alert. It’s an effective way to treat and manage diabetes by naturally lowering blood sugar levels. The diet is also widely used to treat epilepsy in adults and children. Many low-carb diets show improvement in blood pressure and lower cholesterol.

How the Keto Diet Slows the Aging Process

Aging is caused by several factors including genetics, diet and as a result of cellular damage within the body. Scientists are revealing that the ketogenic diet helps slow down the aging process caused by these factors.

The ketogenic diet increases the production of potent antioxidants and uric acid while reducing oxidative damage in the body. Research suggests that ketosis can reverse many neurological disorders caused by oxidative stress including Parkinson’s disease, stroke, dementia, and Alzheimer’s disease. Following a ketogenic diet can improve cognitive performance associated with age and affect the quality of life.

Ketosis increases mitochondrial glutathione,, which is a crucial antioxidant that works directly within the mitochondria. Ketogenic diets reduce blood sugar,, which in turn reduce the formation of substances that create tissue damage and aging. Low-carb diets mimic the effects of fasting, reducing hunger and improving blood sugar.

Research shows that low-calorie diets reduce triglycerides in the bloodstream. Triglycerides are responsible for increasing your risk of inflammation and heart disease. When your body is starved of carbohydrates, a chemical is released called beta-hydroxybutyrate, which protects cells from enzymes known to create internal stress and genetic damage that causes aging.

The Ketogenic Diet Slows Skin Aging

Following a diet full of antioxidants and nutrients while limiting your sugar and carbohydrate intake is a powerful way to support your health. Ketogenic diets are excellent for increasing lifespan and help decrease your risk of dying by preventing conditions associated with poor diet. Carbohydrate metabolism can increase the aging process while restricting calories can prevent it by burning free fatty acids more readily.

Aging skin leads to blood vessel abnormalities, and the inability to heal quickly. Generally, it’s caused by harmful UV rays hitting the skin or certain skin diseases. When you regularly eat a diet rich in omega-3 fatty acids and other healthy oils, you can stimulate collagen production in your skin, slowing down the aging process.