The Ketogenic Diet and AFS

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The Ketogenic Diet and AFS When reading different viewpoints on a high-fat (ketogenic diet) versus a low-fat diet, it would seem the medical community is in disarray. One group advocates for a high-fat diet, while another for a low-fat diet. If you read what each group has to say, each may make sense. Each is also correct, but only to a certain extent. We are going to investigate in more detail and determine whether it may strike the right balance for everyone.

Fat – the Good and the Not so Good Certain research shows an indication that a high-fat diet may have a negative impact on your brain, especially with regards to cognition and neurodegeneration. Their findings go on to mention that a high-fat diet affects the hippocampus in the brain (which is essential for learning and memory). In other words, according to the study, it causes damage to your brain. On the other hand, they found that once taken off a high-fat diet, brain activity returned to normal after approximately two months. So the effects are not lasting if proper dietary measures are introduced. What they found from this study was that a high-fat diet may trigger inflammation which, in turn, may trigger an autoimmune response in the central nervous system. Where this usually serves to protect the brain from a possible threat, a high-fat diet tended to block the process. Similarly, another study looking at the effect of a high-fat diet on the brain noticed that it actually reduces the amount of glucose utilized by the brain. This situation has a negative effect on the hypothalamus, which controls your metabolism, as well as the cerebral cortex, influencing learning and memory. Because the brain is not getting the glucose it needs, it actually stimulates cravings for sugary foods in an effort to meet its requirements. This has far-reaching consequences, e.g. you may end up becoming insulin resistant or put on weight. Conversely, there is research that says that fat is good for you. That, in fact, it is essential for your continued health. This is also true. Fats play an essential role in the body, and too little fat may result in equally disturbing health conditions. Research shows that fat in the diet is essential for the development of ‘good’ cholesterol, and that fat may have been given a bad rap over the years, being cited as one of the main reasons for heart disease and modern lifestyle health issues. Not all fat is bad for you. In fact, it may actually be good for you. In the United States, more people are obese than ever before. The reason for this is simple. Diet has changed. People are eating a high carbohydrate, low-fat diet and picking up weight. The reason for so many health issues lies in the fact that carbohydrates are easily turned into glucose. Glucose that cannot be used by the body is stored as fat. Also, the type of fat consumed is the issue, not fat in general.


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