Keto vs High Carb diet & Hormones – Is Keto Diet Safe Long Term? Should ...

There’s a new keto trend.  Everyone says keto diet is not safe long term and that you should cycle in and out of ketosis,  and go back to eating carbs.  One of the main reasons several keto experts now say this, is because keto diet might mess  up with your hormone levels.  In this video, I will compare the Low Carb High Fat Keto diet versus the High Carb High  Starch, low fat regular diet, and explain how each diet affects our hormones in the  long term.  So that we could see which diet is safer and healthier long term.  By the way, if you’re new to my YouTube channel, my name is Greta, and I’m an online  nutritionist and a holistic health coach, if you haven’t yet, consider subscribing  to my YouTube channel for health-related videos.  I make videos about the keto diet, diabetes, different foods, recipes, food supplements,  and more.  In today’s video, I will compare Keto vs High Carb diet and their effects on our Hormones.  I will briefly look into hormones including Insulin, the fat storage and blood sugar regulation  hormone; Leptin and Ghrelin, responsible for appetite and satiety; Cortisol, the stress  hormone; Thyroid hormones, responsible for regulating your metabolism; The Growth Hormone,  our anti-aging hormone, responsible for maintaining muscle mass and bone density; Estrogen and  Testosterone, our sex hormones; Glucagon, responsible for blood sugar control; and IGF-1,  a hormone that promotes growth and increases cancer risk.  I will answer once and for all, which diet is better when it comes to balancing your  hormones and setting you up for good long term health and longevity.  Both the ketogenic diet and the high carbohydrate, high starch diet can have effects on hormones  in the long term.  Here is a comparison of the potential effects of each diet on hormones:  Let’s start with Insulin: The ketogenic diet can lead to lower insulin levels, while  a high carbohydrate, high starch diet can lead to higher insulin levels.  Excess insulin levels are seen in people who are overweight, people who have type 2 diabetes,  Alzheimer’s disease, PCOS, Hypertension, and more.  Lower insulin levels are beneficial for everyone, but especially for people with type 2 diabetes  or insulin resistance, which is now around 9 out of 10 people.  While higher insulin levels may contribute to insulin resistance, obesity, and impaired  glucose metabolism.  When you lower your carbs, your glucose is lower, you don’t have those huge glucose  spikes and fluctuations.  You don’t need as much insulin, to bring glucose down.  Without excess insulin, you become less insulin resistant, and your body can function so much  better.  Excess Insulin and Insulin resistance are at the core of all modern human diseases.  So here, clearly, the keto diet wins.  It lowers insulin, instead of increasing it.  Next hormone is Leptin: Leptin is primarily considered to be a satiety hormone, meaning  that it helps regulate feelings of fullness and satisfaction after eating.  It is produced by adipose tissue and plays an important role in regulating energy balance  and body weight.  Leptin works by signalling to the brain when the body has enough energy stores and should  stop eating.  Some studies suggest that the ketogenic diet can lead to lower leptin levels.  However, other studies have suggested that the keto diet may not have a significant impact  on leptin levels.  While a high carbohydrate, high starch diet can lead to higher leptin levels.  Lower leptin levels may contribute to increased appetite and weight gain, while higher leptin  levels may contribute to leptin resistance and decreased appetite control.  High refined carbohydrate foods like donuts, white rice or bread, can make you eat more  than you actually need.  Studies show that when you eat these high carb foods, even if they are lower in calories  than high fat foods, you still end up consuming more calories.  Because carb calories are simply less satiating.  Next, let’s look into Ghrelin, the appetite hormone: The ketogenic diet can lead to lower  ghrelin levels, while a high carbohydrate, high starch diet can lead to higher ghrelin  levels.  Lower ghrelin levels, as seen with the keto diet, may contribute to decreased appetite  and weight loss, while higher ghrelin levels, as with the high carb diet, may contribute  to increased appetite and weight gain.  Next hormone is Cortisol, the stress hormone: Several experts advise you to not follow the  ketogenic diet long term, because it puts you in a starvation mode, which causes stress.  The ketogenic diet can potentially lead to increased cortisol levels, while a high carbohydrate,  high starch diet can also potentially lead to increased cortisol levels.  So, they tell you to stop keto, and eat carbs, while both diets can increase cortisol.  Increased cortisol levels can have negative effects on health in the long term, such as  increased inflammation and decreased immune function.  However, I’m sure that if you practice a balanced relaxed lifestyle, go for walks after  meals, and eat high nutrient density foods, your body will not be in a constant stress  state.  Let’s look at Thyroid hormones: The ketogenic diet can potentially lead to lower levels  of thyroid hormones, while a high carbohydrate, high starch diet can potentially lead to decreased  levels of thyroid hormones as well.  Lower levels of thyroid hormones can result in a slower metabolism and decreased energy  levels over time.  But, what happens with the low carb keto diet, your body simply becomes more efficient in  thyroid hormone conversion, from the inactive form to the active form.  And overall, your thyroid hormone levels are totally fine.  Plus, you don’t experience any negative side effects.  And it’s important to make sure you consume enough calories in general.  As eating too little can negatively impact your hormone levels.  Now, what about Growth hormone, our anti-aging hormone: The ketogenic diet may increase growth  hormone levels, while a high carbohydrate, high starch diet may decrease growth hormone  levels.  Growth hormone is important for maintaining muscle mass and bone density, as well as regulating  metabolism and energy balance.  This indicates us, that ketogenic way of eating is more anti-aging.  Estrogen: Having high estrogen levels for prolonged  periods of time can increase the risk of breast, ovarian, and endometrial cancers, as well  as other health conditions.  On the other hand, having low estrogen levels can increase the risk of osteoporosis, heart  disease, and certain mental health conditions.  The ketogenic diet may increase or decrease your estrogen levels, studies show mixed results.  It depends on the quality of the foods you eat.  Same as the high carbohydrate diet, can increase or decrease estrogen levels.  A high-carb diet can increase estrogen levels in some individuals, particularly if the carbs  come from sources that are high in phytoestrogens, such as soy products.  Again, this will depend on what you eat, and the quality of your food.  If you follow a high fat diet with organic grass-fed meat and dairy, together with plenty  of non-starchy veggies, you should not experience any negative changes in your hormones.  Cruciferous veggies help to balance out your estrogen levels.  Testosterone: Fat is needed for making hormones.  The ketogenic diet may increase testosterone levels, while a high carbohydrate, high starch  diet may decrease testosterone levels.  Testosterone is important for maintaining muscle mass, bone density, and overall health  in both men and women.  Next hormone is Glucagon: It’s a fat burning hormone.  The ketogenic diet may increase glucagon levels, while a high carbohydrate, high starch diet  may decrease glucagon levels.  Glucagon is a hormone that helps regulate blood sugar levels by stimulating the liver  to convert stored glycogen into glucose.  Increased glucagon levels can be beneficial for people with type 2 diabetes or insulin  resistance, as it can help maintain stable blood sugar levels and promote fat burning.  And lastly, IGF-1: The ketogenic diet may decrease IGF-1 levels, while a high carbohydrate,  high starch diet may increase IGF-1 levels.  IGF-1 is a hormone that plays a crucial role in growth and development, and it also helps  regulate metabolism and cell growth.  Lower levels of IGF-1 may be associated with decreased risk of certain cancers and increased  lifespan, while higher levels of IGF-1 may be associated with increased risk of certain  cancers and shorter lifespan.  This indicates that the low carb keto diet increases your lifespan.  So overall, which diet is better for hormones?  It is clearly the keto diet, showing improved weight loss, reduced insulin resistance, lowered  risk of various diseases, and increased lifespan.