Keto Means
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Can fasting increase ketones?

But scientists have discovered that fasting increases ketone levels more. Ketogenic diets can increase ketones fourfold whereas fasting has been shown to increase ketones by up to twentyfold. As a result, fasting, compared to a ketogenic diet, may have a stronger, more beneficial effect on overall health.

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Stars like Beyoncé and Hugh Jackman have spoken publicly about following intermittent-fasting plans to get in shape.

So how does intermittent fasting work?

We spoke with one of the leading neuroscientists in this field, Mark Mattson of the National Institute on Aging Intramural Research Program, to learn more. Top editors give you the stories you want — delivered right to your inbox each weekday. Loading Something is loading. Thanks for signing up! Access your favorite topics in a personalized feed while you're on the go. download the app Email address By clicking ‘Sign up’, you agree to receive marketing emails from Insider as well as other partner offers and accept our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy

Following is a transcript of the video.

How long has it been since you last ate? People who fast intermittently often eat within an eight-hour block, leaving 16 hours of fasting in between. During that 16-hour stretch, their bodies undergo an important change that sets them apart from nonfasters.

Here's how it works.

When you eat, you store some of that energy in the liver as glycogen. But after 10 to 12 hours of not eating, your glycogen reserves will be extremely low. As a result, you may feel more irritable than normal — or "hangry." The upside is, with little glycogen left, fat cells in your body release fats into your bloodstream. The fat cells head straight to your liver, where they're converted to energy for your body and brain. So you are literally burning fat to survive. Blood samples show that people who fasted for 12 to 24 hours experienced a 60% increase in energy from fat, with the biggest change occurring after 18 hours. This is the benefit to intermittent fasting because it puts you in a state called "ketosis." And it's why researchers think intermittent fasting could be the key to a longer, healthier life. The process of burning fat releases chemicals called ketones. In the brain, ketones trigger the release of an important molecule called BDNF. BDNF helps build and strengthen neurons and neural connections in areas of the brain responsible for learning and memory. Which could explain why a boost in ketone production has been shown to improve memory in people with early signs of dementia in as soon as six weeks. Increasing ketones in the body is also a common treatment for patients with severe epilepsy. You don't necessarily have to fast to boost your ketone levels. Introducing more fatty foods into your diet and cutting back on carbs can have a similar effect. A group of people who tried this method for three months not only lost weight and body fat but also saw a decrease in blood pressure and a hormone (IGF-1) related to aging and disease. But scientists have discovered that fasting increases ketone levels more. Ketogenic diets can increase ketones fourfold whereas fasting has been shown to increase ketones by up to twentyfold. As a result, fasting, compared to a ketogenic diet, may have a stronger, more beneficial effect on overall health. Yet many Americans who eat three meals a day with snacks in between never reach ketosis, and therefore aren't producing enough ketones to promote good health. Fasting and ketosis have been keys to our survival from the beginning. They helped our ancient ancestors survive through bouts of starvation. And today they're becoming recognized as ways to help keep future generations mentally and physically disease-free.

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What part of the body is the hardest to lose weight?

As against areas such as legs, face and arms, our stomach and abdominal regions possess beta cells that makes it difficult to reduce the fats easily and lose weight in these areas. However, as per research, belly fat is the most difficult to lose as the fat there is so much harder to break down.

Fat around belly and thighs are formed due to reasons that are similar to how fats are formed in any and all other parts of the body. When you consume more energy than the body actually uses, there’s a possibility that it gets stored in the form of fats. Belly fat however, is the excessive fat that encircles around the belly and the abdominal region. It majorly comprises of visceral fats that is wrapped around the inner organs and poses great risk to one’s health. While belly fat is most common in men, thigh fats are more prone in women, especially with pear shaped bodies. As against unhealthy visceral fats, thigh fats consist of subcutaneous fat that may have some potential benefits. Subcutaneous fat is found directly under the skin and is the fat that's measured using skin-fold calipers to estimate your total body fat.

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