Yes, you heard right! Does a low carb diet play a role in stabilizing mood disorders, including depression? Or maybe I should put it like this; Do ketones play a role in our brain energy profile?
What are ketones?
Let me explain the previous sentence a bit more. When we eat carbohydrates, our body breaks them down into glucose. This crosses the blood-brain barrier and feeds our brain. Our bodies always choose to use glucose for energy before using another source of fuel.
When we eliminate carbohydrates from our diet, we cannot use glucose as a fuel source. Then our bodies begin to process the proteins and fats that we eat. Process these proteins and fats into ketones.
These ketones can also be used for fuel and can also cross the blood-brain barrier. And this different kind of brain fuel seems to upset it.
Why do ketones work?
One of the best known effects of a ketogenic diet is its remarkable effect on seizures in epileptic patients. Some people have become truly seizure-free, while others have a substantial reduction in their seizures. The effects of the ketogenic diet persist even after carbohydrates have been reintroduced.
There is talk that a ketogenic diet can benefit many mental disorders such as depression, bipolar disorder, and Alzheimer’s. If this diet could only help a faction of people who suffer from these conditions, it would be revolutionary!
We are not entirely sure why and how these ketones affect the brain. But some theories suspect that this fuel other than ketones helps with global brain hypometabolism. It appears that the brain can use ketones more efficiently. Ketosis is also believed to lower intracellular sodium levels, which is exactly what mood stabilizers do.
You don’t need to do a lot of human trials to see the benefits of a ketogenic diet in mental disorders. But it is definitely guaranteed!
What exactly is a ketogenic diet?
Ok cool. Now that we know what ketones are and how they work. Let’s take a look at what you would need to do to go on a ketogenic diet.
A ketogenic diet is a diet that actually reduces carbohydrates to a minimum. The most accepted version of the ketogenic diet is consuming less than 20g of carbohydrates per day.
But we are all different, and some people may still respond with higher amounts of carbohydrates a day.
Ketosis, so when we are producing ketones, it can be controlled by using keto-sticks.
Maintaining 20g of carbohydrates a day is quite a challenge, trust me.
Where do we find carbohydrates?
Carbohydrates are found in a variety of natural foods and products.
The most obvious place to find carbohydrates is sugar. This includes sugar that has been added to beverages, food products, candy, cakes, and chocolate.
We also find carbohydrates in our starches like rice, couscous, bread, oatmeal, and pasta. These are normally completely eliminated on a ketogenic diet.
The fruit also contains fructose, which is a sugar, and it will also increase your carbohydrate intake. Fruit intake is normally controlled quite strictly.
Other types of sugar, mainly lactose, are found in dairy products.
A ketogenic diet is not for the faint hearted!
So what can I eat?
As you can see, a large number of foods are removed from the equation when we are on a ketogenic diet. What can be eaten in large quantities are non-starchy vegetables, that is, vegetables that have very few carbohydrates. And then we can eat all of our meat, eggs, and fish. They are normally cooked with unlimited amounts of fat.
It is not an easy diet to follow, but once people feel the benefit of it, they say they will never return. It is advisable to work with a supportive dietitian and physician when attempting the ketogenic diet.