Kim Kardashian and Melissa McCarthy are among the celebrity weight-loss winners who have turned ketogenic diets into an increasingly popular trend. With Kim losing 70 pounds and Melissa taking off 75 pounds, the two stars also have earned kudos for keeping off their weight. Now, two new studies are showing that in addition to helping with weight loss, ketogenic diets boost memory and lifespan.
Kim Kardashian Makes Ketogenic Diet Famous
Kardashian’s name is so associated with the ketogenic diet that when the news broke of research showing benefits in addition to weight loss, the Essential Daily Briefing emphasized the celebrity connection.
“[A ketogenic] very-low carb diet, favored by the likes of Kim Kardashian and Gwyneth Paltrow, has the added bonus of improving memory, trials…have shown.”
The two research projects revealed that following a ketogenic diet improves the odds that an animal lives to old age as well as boosting memory. Even though ketogenic diets are sometimes categorized as extreme weight-loss fads, scientists continue to uncover the additional benefits that occur in ketosis.
Kim Kardashian Goes Low-Carb
Kardashian has been candid about choosing a low-carb diet, opting for the Atkins weight-loss plan. The Bye Bye Belly blog noted that Kim keeps her carbohydrate consumption to less than 60 grams per day.
Each day, Kardashian eats a variety of protein such as fish and meat, healthy fats such as nuts and avocado, a variety of non-starchy vegetables, and a select amount of low-sugar fruit such as berries. Atkins nutritionist Linda O’Byrne explained the benefits of such low-carb diets.
“Low-carb diets hold blood sugar ranges steady and stop…cravings.”
Dr. Jeff Volek is known for researching the benefits of low-carbohydrate diets and writing about them. A professor at the University of Connecticut, Volek termed it an “epiphany” when he shifted his own food plan to a ketogenic diet.
“I modified to a ketogenic restrictive eating 20 years [ago],” said the creator of the Art And Science of Low-Carbohydrate Living . “I felt higher, extra satiated, and had extra constant power.”
Melissa McCarthy’s 75-Pound Weight Loss Diet Burns Fat For Fuel
Kim isn’t the only star who has succeeded with a ketogenic weight-loss plan. Celebrity Health & Fitness noted that Melissa McCarthy has been stunning fans on the red carpet after losing 75 pounds with a plan similar to Kardashian’s diet.
After once weighing more than 235 pounds, Melissa chose to skip the surgery route and go for old-fashioned diet and exercise. As a result, McCarthy now slips into a size 14. As for precisely how such diets work, obesity expert Dr. Eric Westman explained that the ketogenic plan induces the body to burn fat for fuel.
Although Melissa also exercised as part of her weight-loss plan, Dr. David Ludwig, a physician and nutrition professor at Harvard University, told Celebrity News that McCarthy’s low-carb diet was the key to her 75-pound weight loss. The physician also bluntly stated that the advice sometimes given to overweight people to cut down on their food intake and boost their exercise just does not work.
“‘Eat less, exercise more’ doesn’t work.”
In contrast, by cutting carbohydrates and boosting fats on a ketogenic diet, Ludwig said dieters can boost their weight loss while reducing their hunger. The expert also noted that these types of low-carb diets help maintain energy.
Kim Kardashian Talks 70-Pound Weight Loss
Chatting with People Magazine , Kardashian sounded a similar note as Ludwig when she talked about diet versus exercise. For Kim, a low-carb diet trumps exercise when it comes to what helped her lose an impressive 70 pounds.
“Dieting is so important to weight loss.”
Kardashian confessed that she used to think that by working out, she could “just eat whatever I want.” However, when she tried that approach, she discovered that “you have to work out all the time.” Consequently, Kim went with the Atkins 40 weight loss plan, eating an estimated 1,800 calories daily.
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The Keeping Up With The Kardashians star’s low-carb diet emphasizes protein along with healthy fats and vegetables. Kardashian noted that the family eats “a lot of fish and turkey.”
Ketogenic Diets Improve Memory And Lifespan
Reporting on the two new independent studies that just showed ketogenic diets improve both lifespan and memory, Medical Xpress noted that these types of food plans are high in fat, while reducing carbohydrates and including some protein.
To test the long-term effects of ketogenic diets, researcher John Newman, MD, Ph.D., crafted three different diets. One normal diet consisted of high carbohydrates, one ketogenic diet had zero carbohydrates, and another diet was low in carbohydrates but not ketogenic.
The mice on the ketogenic diets had lower risks of dying, improved memory, and more of a desire to explore. Moreover, Newman noted that the benefits lasted.
“We were careful to have all of the mice eating a normal diet during the actual memory testing which suggests the effects of the ketogenic diet were lasting.”
Pointing out that the research results showed that something was altered in the animals’ brains that made them “more resilient to the effects of age,” the researcher now plans to determine what changed. However, senior scientist and Buck President and CEO Eric Verdin, MD, cautioned that humans should consult their own health care providers before hopping on the ketogenic diet bandwagon.
[Featured Image by Charles Sykes/Invision/AP Images]