question: Why is it that people claim that the low carb high fat keto diet provides you with 'more energy' when carbs are your main energy source?
comment: Carbs are just one energy source (macronutrients) that provide calories and thus ‘energy’ - the other two being fats and proteins Keto is a high fat, low carb diet and as long as enough calories are consumed it absolutely provides enough energy What people often mean when they say it gives them *more energy* is that they have less of the brain fog or lethargy that can be typical of a high carbohydrate diet
passages: With funding from the Laura and John Arnold Foundation, in 2012 Taubes co-founded the Nutrition Science Initiative (NuSI), with the aim of raising over $200 million to undertake a "Manhattan Project for nutrition" and validate the hypothesis. Intermediate results, published in the "American Journal of Clinical Nutrition" did not provide convincing evidence of any advantage to a low-carbohydrate diet as compared to diets of other composition – ultimately a very low-calorie, ketogenic diet (of 5% carbohydrate) "was not associated with significant loss of fat mass" compared to a non-specialized diet with the same calories; there was no useful "metabolic advantage". In 2017 Kevin Hall, a NIH researcher hired to assist with the project, wrote that the carbohydrate-insulin hypothesis had been falsified by experiment. Hall wrote "the rise in obesity prevalence may be primarily due to increased consumption of refined carbohydrates, but the mechanisms are likely to be quite different from those proposed by the carbohydrate–insulin model".
   Section::::Health aspects.:Body weight.
  
  Studies have shown that people losing weight with a low-carbohydrate diet, compared to a low-fat diet, have very slightly more weight loss initially, equivalent to approximately 100kcal/day, but that the advantage diminishes over time and is ultimately insignificant. The Endocrine Society state that "when calorie intake is held constant [...] body-fat accumulation does not appear to be affected by even very pronounced changes in the amount of fat vs carbohydrate in the diet."
   Studies have shown that the effectiveness of low-fat diets for weight loss is broadly similar to that of low-carbohydrate diets in the long-term. The Endocrine Society state that "when calorie intake is held constant [...] body-fat accumulation does not appear to be affected by even very pronounced changes in the amount of fat vs carbohydrate in the diet."
  
  Section::::Health effects.:Cardiovascular health.
   Considering energy foods as adequate nutrition was first scientifically demonstrated to be false by François Magendie by experiments on dogs and described in his "Précis élémentaire de Physiologie". He showed that eating only sugar, olive oil, or butter, each led to the death of his test animals in 30 to 40 days.
  
  Section::::Examples.
  
  The following foods are often considered to contain mostly empty calories and may lead to weight gain:
  
  BULLET::::- Sugar: cake, cookies, sweets, candy, soft drinks, fruit-flavored sweet beverages and other foods containing mostly added sugars (including High-fructose corn syrup).
   Low-carbohydrate diet advocates including Gary Taubes and David Ludwig have proposed a "carbohydrate-insulin hypothesis" in which carbohydrate is said to be uniquely fattening because it raises insulin levels and so causes fat to accumulate unduly. The hypothesis appears to run counter to known human biology whereby there is no good evidence of any such association between the actions of insulin and fat accumulation and obesity. The hypothesis predicted that low-carbohydrate dieting would offer a "metabolic advantage" of increased energy expenditure equivalent to 400-600 kcal/day, in accord with the promise of the Atkin's diet: a "high calorie way to stay thin forever".
   Carbohydrate-restricted diets can be as effective, or marginally more effective, than low-fat diets in helping achieve weight loss in the short term. In the long term, effective weight maintenance depends on calorie restriction, not the ratio of macronutrients in a diet. The hypothesis proposed by diet advocates that carbohydrate causes undue fat accumulation via the medium of insulin, and that low-carbohydrate diets have a "metabolic advantage", has been falsified by experiment.
   Much of the research into low-carbohydrate dieting has been of poor quality and studies which reported large effects have garnered disproportionate attention in comparison to those which are methodologically sound. Higher quality studies tend to find no meaningful difference in outcome between low-fat and low-carbohydrate dieting. Low-quality meta-analyses have tended to report favourably on the effect of low-carbohydrate diets: a systematic review found that 9 out of 10 meta-analyses with positive conclusions were affected by publication bias.
  
  Section::::Health aspects.:Cardiovascular health.
   Carbohydrate-restricted diets can be as effective as low-fat diets in helping achieve weight loss over the short term when overall calorie intake is reduced. An Endocrine Society scientific statement said that "when calorie intake is held constant [...] body-fat accumulation does not appear to be affected by even very pronounced changes in the amount of fat vs carbohydrate in the diet." In the long term, effective weight loss or maintenance depends on calorie restriction, not the ratio of macronutrients in a diet. The reasoning of diet advocates that carbohydrates cause undue fat accumulation by increasing blood insulin levels, and that low-carbohydrate diets have a "metabolic advantage", is not supported by clinical evidence. Further, it is not clear how low-carbohydrate dieting affects cardiovascular health, although two reviews showed that carbohydrate restriction may improve lipid markers of cardiovascular disease risk.
   Section::::Health aspects.
  
  Section::::Health aspects.:Adherence.
  
  It has been repeatedly found that in the long-term, all diets with the same calorific value perform the same for weight loss, except for the one differentiating factor of how well people can faithfully follow the dietary programme. A study comparing groups taking low-fat, low-carbohydrate and Mediterranean diets found at six months the low-carbohydrate diet still had most people adhering to it, but thereafter the situation reversed: at two years the low-carbohydrate group had the highest incidence of lapses and dropouts. This may be due to the comparatively limited food choice of low-carbohydrate diets.
   The modified Atkins diet reduces seizure frequency by more than 50% in 43% of patients who try it and by more than 90% in 27% of patients. Few adverse effects have been reported, though cholesterol is increased and the diet has not been studied long term. Although based on a smaller data set (126 adults and children from 11 studies over five centres), these results from 2009 compare favourably with the traditional ketogenic diet.
  
  Section::::Variants.:Low glycaemic index treatment.
   The evidence of benefit for these conditions has not reached the level where clinical recommendations can be made.
  
  Section::::See also.
  
  BULLET::::- Atkins diet – brand of low-carbohydrate diet
  
  BULLET::::- Ketosis – metabolic process that uses fats as an energy source
  
  BULLET::::- List of diets
  
  BULLET::::- Low-carbohydrate diet – varieties of diets that focus on reducing carbohydrates
  
  BULLET::::- Medium-chain triglyceride – easily absorbed, naturally occurring type of fat
  
  BULLET::::- No-carbohydrate diet – an extreme version of a low-carbohydrate diet
  
  BULLET::::- Fad diet
  
  Section::::Further reading.
   Carbohydrate has been wrongly accused of being a uniquely "fattening" macronutrient, misleading many dieters into compromising the nutritiousness of their diet by eliminating carbohydrate-rich food. Low-carbohydrate diet proponents emphasize research saying that low-carbohydrate diets can initially cause slightly greater weight loss than a balanced diet, but some studies suggest that such an advantage does not persist. In the long-term successful weight maintenance is determined by calorie intake, and not by macronutrient ratios.
   Low-carbohydrate diets are relatively high in protein and fats. Low-carbohydrate diets are sometimes "ketogenic" (i.e., they restrict carbohydrate intake sufficiently to cause ketosis).
  
  Section::::Types.:Low-calorie.
   The ketone body beta-hydroxybutyrate is a fuel source for the brain during times of fasting when blood glucose levels fall. Although the mechanism is not understood, it is well established that eating a diet low in carbohydrates can be therapeutic for children with epilepsy. This is likely a result of ketone bodies providing an alternative fuel source to glucose for neuronal function. Furthermore, a ketogenic diet can be beneficial for dementia patients. Medium-chain triglycerides can stimulate ketone synthesis and coconut oil is a rich source of medium chain triglycerides that several anecdotal reports suggest can improve cognitive function in Alzheimer's type dementia patients.
   In his early books such as "Dr Atkins' New Diet Revolution", Atkins made the controversial argument that the low-carbohydrate diet produces a metabolic advantage because "burning fat takes more calories so you expend more calories"; the Atkins diet was claimed to be "a high calorie way to stay thin forever". He cited one study in which he estimated this advantage to be 950 Calories (4.0 MJ) per day. A review study published in "Lancet" concluded that there was no such metabolic advantage and dieters were simply eating fewer calories. Astrup stated, "The monotony and simplicity of the diet could inhibit appetite and food intake." David L. Katz has characterized Atkins' claim as nonsense. The idea of "metabolic advantage" of low-carbohydrate dieting has been falsified by experiment in a study of people following restricted-carbohydrate dieting.
   Low carb is also known as low carbohydrate, high fat. "Diabetes Research and clinical Practice" found that low carb positively affects glucose control in patients with type 2 diabetes, triglycerides and HDL (high density lipoprotein). It is suggested that ideal diet requires less than 130 g of carbohydrate a day and claims to be promoted as a permanent lifestyle choice through books and websites. For example, people are suggested to eat green vegetables, meat, fish, eggs, and just as well as whole fat dairy and olive oil.
  
  Section::::Modifying soul food to fit within health trends.:Soul food with low sugar.
   Scientists have successfully induced obesity in animals using a wide range of diets. Although generally diets containing more than 30% of total energy from fat are considered to induce obesity, scientists have induced obesity with diets containing 13% to 85% of total energy from fat. The specific fatty foods used in the diets vary across studies, ranging from Crisco to lard to palm oil.
    it was unclear whether low-carbohydrate dieting had any beneficial effect on cardiovascular health, though such diets can cause high LDL cholesterol levels, which carry a risk of atherosclerosis in the long term. Potential favorable changes in triglyceride and HDL cholesterol values should be weighed against potential unfavorable changes in LDL and total cholesterol values. 
   It is very likely that body builders will, at some stage, use supplements to help them rip up. When taking part in such a low carbohydrate, low sugar diet, it can affect energy levels in addition to changing one's mood. A person with such a diet and low energy levels may choose to take supplements that contain caffeine, which increases alertness and motivation. Or they may decide to take a supplement with nitric oxide in it, therefore expanding blood vessels and increasing blood flow, thus increasing oxygen levels around the body.
  
  Section::::Main diet principles.
   The composition of carbohydrates in the athlete's diet during carbohydrate loading is as important as their share of the overall caloric regimen . 
   An extreme form of low-carbohydrate diet – the ketogenic diet – is established as a medical diet for treating epilepsy. Through celebrity endorsement it has become a popular weight-loss fad diet, but there is no evidence of any distinctive benefit for this purpose, and it may have a number of initial side effects. The British Dietetic Association named it one of the "top 5 worst celeb diets to avoid in 2018".
  
  Section::::Definition and classification.
  
  Section::::Definition and classification.:Macronutrient ratios.
  
  The macronutrient ratios of low-carbohydrate diets are not standardized. the conflicting definitions of "low-carbohydrate" diets have complicated research into the subject.
   It is not clear how low-carbohydrate dieting affects cardiovascular health; any benefit from HDL cholesterol might be offset by raised LDL cholesterol, which risks causing clogged arteries in the long term.
   The low glycaemic index treatment (LGIT) is an attempt to achieve the stable blood glucose levels seen in children on the classic ketogenic diet while using a much less restrictive regimen. The hypothesis is that stable blood glucose may be one of the mechanisms of action involved in the ketogenic diet, which occurs because the absorption of the limited carbohydrates is slowed by the high fat content. Although it is also a high-fat diet (with approximately 60% calories from fat), the LGIT allows more carbohydrate than either the classic ketogenic diet or the modified Atkins diet, approximately 40–60 g per day. However, the types of carbohydrates consumed are restricted to those that have a glycaemic index lower than 50. Like the modified Atkins diet, the LGIT is initiated and maintained at outpatient clinics and does not require precise weighing of food or intensive dietitian support. Both are offered at most centres that run ketogenic diet programmes, and in some centres they are often the primary dietary therapy for adolescents.
   BULLET::::- Can be quite expensive over time
  
  Section::::Popular diets.:The Atkins Diet.
  
  The Atkins Diet involves the restriction of carbohydrates in one's diet causing the body's metabolism to switch from burning glucose as fuel to burning stored body fat, sending the body into a state of ketosis. Ketosis causes a person to get their energy from ketones, which also causes them to feel less hungry. Carbohydrate consumption must be 40 grams/day (= 2 slices of bread) for ketosis to occur.
  
  Strengths
  
  BULLET::::- Allowed to eat rich foods
  
  BULLET::::- When in ketosis, people feel less hungry and more satisfied
  
  Limitations
   From 2005 to 2007 he had studied human diet, and, according to him, the studies of various groups have shown that a diet rich in simple carbohydrates, can also increase lipid levels in the blood and indirectly promote inflammation in the hypothalamus.
  
presuppositions: When people say the keto diet provides them with "more energy" they are referring to calories. Carbs are your main energy source.
corrections: When people say the keto diet provides them with "more energy" they mean that they have less lethargy. Carbs are just one energy source, you can also get energy from fats and proteins.
raw_presuppositions: When people say the keto diet provides them with "more energy" they are referring to calories. Carbs are your main energy source.
raw_corrections: When people say the keto diet provides them with "more energy" they mean that they have less lethargy. Carbs are just one energy source, you can also get energy from fats and proteins.