So, you and your significant other have been following a keto diet and exercise regime for a month now. You have seen some results, but you notice that your partner has seen exponential results already. What is the deal? You are both exercising the same and following the same diet.

 

Well, we’ve got news for you!
 

Recent studies  have shown that men may find more success losing weight on the keto diet than women. In this blog, we will dive into what a keto diet is, the benefits and drawbacks of following a keto diet, possible keto sex differences, and how Nourish’d helps both males and females wanting to follow a keto diet and/or create a more sustainable lifestyle.

 

What is a keto diet?

First things first, what is the keto diet? The ketogenic diet, also known as the keto diet, is a low-carb, high-fat diet that offers many health benefits. When following a keto diet, the reduction in carbs will put your body into a metabolic state called ketosis. Once your body has entered ketosis, it becomes a fat-burning machine and turns fat into ketones in the liver, which then supplies energy for the brain.

 

Are there benefits to following a keto diet?

So, what are the benefits of following a keto diet? The ketogenic diet was originally used as a tool for treating neurological diseases such as epilepsy. Studies have shown that following the keto diet may be beneficial for many other health conditions such as the following:

• Heart disease
• Cancer
• Alzheimer’s disease
• Epilepsy
• Parkinson’s disease
• Polycystic ovary syndrome
• Brain injuries
• Weight loss

 

It’s always important to keep in mind that research into many of these areas is far from conclusive.

 

What about the disadvantages of following a keto diet?

As the good ole expression goes, what’s good for one, may not be good for everyone. That goes for following a ketogenic diet. It may not be right for you and that’s perfectly okay! It wouldn’t be right to only talk about the benefits of following a keto diet, so here are some of the drawbacks.

• Common short-term side effects of following a keto diet include fatigue, headaches, brain fog, and upset stomach. Long-term health risks include kidney stones, osteoporosis, and liver disease.
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• Following a keto diet can be restrictive and hard to maintain for some. This can lead to misleading results and obsessive and disordered eating habits.
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• Due to the nature of a keto diet, eliminating whole grains, beans, fruits, and vegetables may cause nutrient deficiencies and constipation.
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So, why is my male friend and/or significant other seeing better results than me? 

Now that we have a better understanding of what a keto diet is and some of the benefits/drawbacks, let’s go back to that burning question from earlier. Why is my male friend and/or significant other seeing better results than me?! 

 

In a recent study conducted on mice by Jess Cochran and his colleagues, they found that men may find more success losing weight on a keto diet than women. Jess and his colleagues were originally studying how a keto diet fares as a treatment for heart failure in mice. However, they soon found that the female and male mice were responding much differently to the keto diet. After repeating the experiments many times, the researchers found time and time again that female mice did not lose weight in response to the ketogenic diet compared to the male mice. Additionally, the female mice also experienced impaired blood sugar control.

 

So what does this mean for women who are following a keto diet? To be honest, it's hard to say. The results do not tell us much about how humans would respond to a ketogenic diet. Future studies are definitely needed to identify the exact signalling pathways that mediate the weight loss response to keto diets and how sex hormones play a role. 

Could oestrogen play a role?

Interestingly, when the researchers removed the ovaries of female mice, they noticed that those mice who followed the keto diet and who had their ovaries removed, lost weight and fat mass. According to Jess and his colleagues, this may be partially attributed to oestrogen.

 

This finding may suggest that postmenopausal women could potentially experience better weight loss outcomes with the ketogenic diet compared to younger women. However, more studies are needed on the weight loss results of keto and the sex differences. The researchers also recommend consulting your GP, healthcare practitioner, and dietitian nutritionist before trying keto.

 

How Nourish'd can help!

In the meantime, at Nourish’d we believe that health is a lifelong commitment and a journey that has its ups, downs, losses, and successes. If following a keto diet is your jam, that’s great! If it’s not your jam, that’s great too. We follow a no-pressure model and absolutely love helping Australians break the diet mold and step into a happier and more sustainable lifestyle.

 

No matter if you are following a keto diet or not, having a variety and tasty options can help you get health longevity with food. At Nourish’d, we have a rotating menu with 20 meals available each week, including keto meal delivery, and a range of other meals that satisfy many tastes and dietaries so that you never get bored! 

 

Simply order each week before Thursday 5 pm AEST and we will have meals delivered straight to your door! View our Full Menu here, and if you think there is a meal we need to add simply email us at info@nourishd.com.au for a meal request. We can’t wait to help you reach your health goals!