Keto diet VS The Atkins diet

If the most popular low-carb diets were to be ranked, the ketogenic diet and the Atkins diet would be neck and neck. They both follow carbohydrate restriction.

Both keto and Atkins are actually pretty similar when it comes to the amount of macronutrients (fat, carbs, protein) you should be consuming day to day, but what are the actual differences between the two—and which would be a better fit, nutritionally? But first, let’s talk a little about both the diets.

The Keto diet :

The ketogenic diet is a high-fat, low-protein, and low-carbohydrate diet that was originally developed to treat epilepsy. That’s right, historically, it wasn’t prescribed for extreme weight loss but to reduce blood sugar—you can hardly have any sugar on the die. Now, the diet is a huge trend for weight loss as well as treating type 2 diabetes.

The Atkins diet :

All forms of the Atkins diet are focused on restricting what are called net carbs (including those in veggies) and emphasize eating protein and healthy types of fat. Select carbs are added back to your diet as you start approaching your weight loss goal. When a person follows the Atkins Diet, their body’s metabolism switches from burning glucose, or sugar, as fuel to burning stored body fat. This switch is called ketosis. When glucose levels are low, insulin levels are also low, and ketosis occurs. In other words, when glucose levels are low, the body switches to using its fat stores, as well as dietary fat, for energy. In theory, this can help a person lose body fat and weight.

Keto and Atkins similarities:

• The macro ranges you’ll be including in your diet are pretty similar, between fat, protein, and carbs.

• The allowed foods on keto and Atkins are similar: lean meats, seafood, some dairy products, and some green, leafy vegetables.

• Both keto and Atkins cut back majorly on carbs, sugar, and processed food in order to send your body into a state of ketosis.

• They both encourage fat loss and can potentially lower blood sugar.

Keto and Atkins differences:

• Keto allows on average 70 to 90 percent fat, 5 to 20 percent protein and 5 to 10 percent carbohydrates, while Atkins allows for 55 to 75 percent fat, 20 to 30 percent protein, and 5 to 15 percent carbohydrates. Close, but not identical macros.

• Atkins allows for more carbs than keto. Keto is higher in fats, while Atkins emphasizes proteins as a major macro to focus on.

• Atkins has different levels based on how many carbs you’re looking to consume per day, while with keto, you have to go all in.

So which diet is better?

• As for effectiveness, keto might be most effective since it is the most rigid, and backed by research for it’s proven ability to support weight loss.

• Another major difference is an increase in the risk of heart diseases on the Atkins Diet. This is majorly because it requires you to eat high amounts of protein. This is not the case with Keto and hence it's much better to go for Keto in the long run.

• The Keto diet can also help people with type 2 diabetes and can lead to improvements in HbA1c levels. It is the most promising diet for people with Type 2 diabetes as it allows to manage blood sugar or glycemic levels at a low but healthy level. The carbohydrate restriction in diet can help to eliminate large spikes in blood sugar, reducing the need for insulin.

• Overall, ketogenic diets usually result in improvements of cholesterol levels. It is usual for LDL cholesterol levels to go down and HDL cholesterol levels go up, which is healthy.

Takeaway

Keto diet, the most common weight loss diet these days, is a low carb, moderate protein, and high-fat diet.It helps you deal with obesity and other weight-related issues. The ketogenic diet works by getting you into ketosis, a metabolic state wherein your body consumes fats instead of carbs, as the primary energy source. The burning up of more fats helps you get fit by losing those extra kilos. It will also help you get rid of most weight-related issues too.

This being said, the keto diet gets more credibility and trust. If you want to get fit and get rid of those chronic weight-related issues, you should switch to a keto diet.Studies also suggest that ketone bodies produced by your liver, during ketosis, are better energy sources and can help you with your healthy regime.

So the major takeaway here is that the keto diet is a much more sustainable diet plan than Atkins, there are various health benefits that Keto can offer and the Atkins diet cannot.

If you are thinking about starting your keto regime or getting on a keto diet, please give our other related articles a read. These articles will tell you the most things you need to know about the keto diet, its benefits, and probable side effects that you might face on a keto diet if you are having any related health issues.

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