Are you scared of managing your protein intake in keto? Then don’t be. Here we are busting myths that will turn your doubts to dust and reaffirm your faith in proteins for weight loss and muscle gain in keto diets.
1. There is a Limited Variety of Protein for Consumption
It’s a blessing that when on a keto diet, there are a variety of options in fat and protein-rich food to choose from. If you’re a nonvegetarian, there are several options like grass-fed meat, including beef, poultry, bison, lamb and pork. If you’re fond of seafood, there is tuna, salmon, anchovies, halibut, catfish, shrimp and lobster. If you consider options of low carb keto Protein in India, considering the widespread wave of vegetarianism in the country. There are amazing options for vegetarians as well. One can consume eggs, rich dairy products like tofu, Tempeh, Seitan, peanuts, Kale, Brussels, Spinach, Mushrooms, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, pistachios and almonds.
2. High Protein Consumption in Keto Diet is Safe
Even while being on a keto diet, one needs to consume it in moderation. Going on a keto diet, the body goes into a state of ketosis where the body burns fats, converting to ketones and using them as energy fuel. But when someone ingests a heavy proteinaceous diet, the proteins convert to glucose, spiking the blood sugar level, throwing the body off ketosis. High protein food can also lead to overgeneration of ketones in the body, indicating diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA), leading to a coma or worse, death.
3. Eating Protein-Rich Diet Interferes with Weight Loss
Some believe that a diet high in protein leads to gluconeogenesis, where the liver manufactures glucose from amino acids and other compounds. But gluconeogenesis is not a normal body process and occurs only when your body needs glucose. Being on a keto diet, the process of gluconeogenesis provides glucose only to structures like red blood cells and specific portions of the kidneys and brain that cannot survive on ketones. As most body structures can utilize ketones, following a protein-rich keto diet does not hamper weight loss in any way by overgeneration of glucose.
4. The Keto Diet Results in Loss of Muscle
Stepping on point 4, it might occur to our brain that, being on keto, our body might break down body muscle to provide glucose to certain body parts. This may happen as the human body cannot convert fats into glucose. When one enters ketosis, our bodies don’t run out of glucose. The ketones generated displace glucose where possible, and send it elsewhere. It is important to understand that what little protein the body requires to convert to glucose comes from the dietary intake and not body muscle.
A ketogenic diet actually builds muscle. When the fats burn in a keto diet, they lead to the formation of Beta-Hydroxybutyrate (BHB), which encourages protein synthesis and preserves proteins. This ketone also blocks the oxidization of leucine- the main amino acid used in muscle building.
5. Ketogenic Diet Leads to Sleep Loss
There have been baseless claims that protein and fat-rich foods lead to insomnia or poor sleep patterns. A survey of 1000+ low-carb consumers in 2017 by the Journal of Insulin Resistance found that while more than 11% of respondents shared using sleep-aids before beginning their low-carb diet, less than 5% reported using them post their diet. Nearly 7 in 10 reported improved quality of sleep after dieting, while 3.4% shared their sleep quality had dropped.
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