The ketogenic, or keto diet is very trendy these days for weight loss. It’s a low-carb, high-fat diet that puts your body into ketosis, a state in which your body burns fat for energy instead of carbohydrates. When on a keto diet, people must consume 55-60% of their calories from fat to remain in ketosis.
However, many researchers still debate the types of fats, their health benefits, and their risks, including heart disease.
Earlier it was suggested to limit sources of saturated fatty acids like red meat, butter, and dairy products. This was because they were linked to increasing the risk of cardiovascular diseases. However, a meta-analysis in 2016 found that butter was hardly associated with the above-mentioned problems.
Further research found that unsaturated fatty acids have a positive impact on health. Also, their consumption was associated with decreasing the mortality rate.
Healthy fats
Saturated fatty acids
Today, to our surprise saturated fats are not on the list of unhealthy fats. Because they contain no double bonds, they are naturally stable. Recent research has linked saturated fats to health benefits. It improves health by
- Increasing the HDL level and lowering the LDL level
- Support the male hormone system
- Support the brain and central nervous system
- Sources of saturated fatty acids
- Butter
- Ghee
- Heavy cream
- Cheese and full-fat dairy products
- Eggs
- Coconut oil
- Pork, lamb, chicken
- Dark chocolates
Nuts
As nuts and sugar are free, rich in healthy fats, and low in carbs, they can make a healthy addition to the keto diet. They are also a significant source of proteins, vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants.
Flax seeds
These are excellent sources of omega-3 fatty acids. It has been suggested that flex seed oil and seeds are useful in preventing heart disease, diabetes, cancer, and degenerative brain disorders.
Chia seeds
These are rich in healthy fats and fiber. They have anti-inflammatory properties thus helping to prevent chronic medical conditions like cancer, diabetes, and heart conditions.
Olives and olive oil
One of the world’s healthiest diets is also rich in heart-friendly fats. They are also a rich source of vitamin E and various plant compounds. These are known to reduce inflammation and thus the risk of many chronic medical conditions like heart disease, cancer, and osteoporosis.
Chocolate
Unsweetened raw unprocessed chocolate and just one ounce provide 12 grams of fats and are also well-known for their anti-inflammatory properties which affect the growth of healthy gut bacteria.
Monounsaturated fatty acids
These fatty acids reduce the risk of cardiovascular diseases, stroke, and mortality. The sources are:
- Olives and olive oils
- Avocados
Polyunsaturated fatty acids
The two types of PUFA are omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids. Omega-6 consumption can be kept very low as excessive consumption can increase the risk of cardiovascular diseases. The benefits of omega-3 fatty acids are:
- Improves heart health
- Improve blood sugar level
- Improves mental health
- Reduces weight
- Sources of omega-3-rich foods
- Shellfish like mussels, oysters, crabs
- Fatty fish like salmon, cod, herring
- Chia seeds
- Flex seeds
Highly processed fats
These are the fats that undergo lots of processing by repetitive heating at extremely high temperatures. When heated fats undergo oxidative damage creating free radicals. These free radicals can deteriorate health as they cause inflammation. Also, they are rich in omega-6 fatty acids which if consumed in large quantities can seriously impact heart health. Highly processed oils are
- Corn oil
- Soya bean oil
- Safflower oil
- Canola oil
- Margarine
- Processed cheese
Deep-fried foods
When you deep fry food, it means that you heat the oil at a temperature of 175ᵒ, which means the composition of the oil is changed. Multiple heatings of the oil cause oxidative damage and release free radicals. These free radicals increase inflammation levels in the body. Thus, they are responsible for many chronic heart diseases, certain cancers, Alzheimer’s disease, dementia, and type 2 diabetes.
Omega-6 fatty acids
Omega-6 fatty acids are unsaturated fatty acids that are beneficial if consumed in moderation. But if consumed in large quantities, they can cause liver disease, inflammatory bowel disease, and cardiovascular disease. Potential sources of omega-6 fatty acids are
- Corn oil
- Sunflower oil
- Safflower oil
Unhealthy fats
Trans fats
Limit them to as few as you can. They should be a complete no-no when it comes to a keto diet. They are unsuitable for health as they raise cholesterol levels and cause heart-related issues.
Sources Fried foods, Biscuits, Pies, Cookies, Pastries.