When it comes to keto, most people are focused on its ability to shed body fat.
And why not? It works.
In fact, it works so well it was the most searched for diet online in all of 2018.
But what many people don’t realize is that the ketogenic diet was originally created as a treatment for epilepsy.
That’s right keto has a massive effect on your brain.
And in this article, I’m going to share with you exactly what keto does to your brain and why it’s something you definitely want to know about and why you’ll want to encourage it.
Here’s how Keto helps your brain:
1. Mitochondrial Biogenesis
Not to get too technical on you, but your body needs energy to function.
Makes sense, right?
Well, that energy comes in the form of what’s called ATP and ATP is created inside structures called mitochondria, which are located in pretty much every cell of your body.
Some cells have a lot more mitochondria than others and that’s because they require MORE energy.
One of these areas is your brain.
And by improving the efficiency of your mitochondria, you create more brain power.
This alone, can boost your brains performance including helping with your memory, your focus and your ability to learn.
2. BDNF – BDNF stands for brain-derived neurotrophic factor.
BDNF helps regulate nerve connections in the brain.
Having a lower level of BDNF has been associated with a variety of brain related disorders, including Alzheimer’s, depression, schizophrenia, and Huntington’s disease.
New studies are now showing that the ketogenic diet can help boost BDNF levels, this helps prevent neuro-degeneration and supports healthy nerve cell connections.
And the more nerve connections you have the better your brain works.
4. Improved Insulin Signaling
People NOT doing keto, burn glucose as their primary fuel source.
But sugar can’t get into the cell to be used for energy unless you have insulin.
Unfortunately, because of our society’s chronic over consumption of carbohydrates lots of people develop problems regulating their blood sugar.
They experience a sharp rise in blood sugar immediately after a meal, followed by a rapid crash.
This is NOT good for your brain.
And if you’ve ever experienced “brain fog” you already know what this is like.
Keto has been shown to improve insulin signaling which in turn lowers the side-effects associated with these roller-coaster like blood sugar patterns.
And if you have issues with blood sugar regulation or insulin sensitivity already, I highly recommend you add a quality curcumin product to your diet.
Curcumin has been shown to enhance blood sugar regulation by improving insulin sensitivity.
In fact, one study published in Diabetes Care found that people who were identified as prediabetic who were given curcumin for 9 months were less likely to develop diabetes than those who weren’t. Here’s one of the highest quality curcumin supplements I’ve come across.
4. Less Oxidative Stress
You’ve heard of free radicals, right?
Well, free radical damage is caused by oxidative stress. And too much oxidative stress can damage your mitochondria.
It can also cause inflammation and reduce the amount of energy your mitochondria can produce.
And because your brain relies so heavily on healthy mitochondria…
You’ll often feel it in your cognitive function first.
When your body is burning ketones there are lower levels of oxidative stress leading to improved energy production and better brain function.
5. Glutamate GABA Balance
By Jynto (talk) – Own workThis image was created with Discovery Studio Visualizer., CC0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=21428320
Glutamate and GABA are both extremely important neurotransmitters in your brain.
They are the neurotransmitters responsible for your ability to focus and to relax as well as for healthy brain function.
These neurotransmitters need to be balanced.
An imbalance of these vital neurotransmitters has been associated with brain disorders like autism, Lou Gehrig’s, Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), epilepsy, and a variety of mood disorders.
Plus, when someone has too much glutamate and low levels of GABA they tend to feel anxious, they have trouble sleeping and experience brain fog.
In healthy people, excess glutamate is efficiently converted into GABA to help balance neural processes.
Keto has been shown to help facilitate this conversion.
6. Omega 3 Favoring
We’ve talked a lot about healthy fats I previous articles, and we’ve touched a little on the importance of Omega 3’s and the danger Of Omega 6’s.
In a nutshell, Omega 6’s cause inflammation while Omega 3’s reduce inflammation.
Most people who don’t eat keto get WAY too much Omega 6’s and very little Omega 3’s.
The way we teach the ketogenic diet in The Two-Week Keto Challenge includes plenty of HEALTHY fats that help bring this ratio back to a balanced level and helps lower inflammation.
So, regardless of whether you want to lose weight, lower your blood sugar, improve your heart health or power up your brain keto is the perfect way to do it.
And if improving your memory is something that you’re interested in then the combination of keto with this proven brain booster is hard to beat. I’ve found the combination super helpful. It helps me focus, think more clearly and it’s really helped my memory.
The benefits of the keto diet go far beyond weight loss and it’s ability to boost brain function and protect from cognitive decline is definitely something that shouldn’t be ignored.
And if you’re serious about experiencing all of the benefits of keto including it’s brain boosting capabilities, then you’ll definitely want to join me inside the Two-Week Keto Challenge.
During the Two-Week Keto Challenge I’ll share every keto resource I have, including daily meal plans, recipes, food lists and so much more. The keto diet is a powerful health improving strategy and when you do it right, you’ll be amazed at the transformation.
If doing keto the right interests you, then I suggest you join us inside the Two-Week Keto Challenge.
Click here to join thousands of men and women who are doing keto right.
