What Does Ketogenic Mean
All of our cells need fuel to function. This fuel comes from three sources: fat, carbohydrates and protein, called macronutrients. Too much protein without fat puts us at risk for a handful of complications, so protein can never healthily serve as a primary source of fuel. We are left then with fat and carbohydrates as the main providers of energy the energy that allow us to do everything from breathing and blinking as we veg out on the couch to swimming the English Channel. Our cells preferred fuel comes from carbohydrates, which are easily converted to glucose, which, in turn, is readily converted to energy. This is why athletes carb load before they compete. Peak performance occurs when the body has plenty of glucose and glycogen stores available at hand. When glycogen runs out, thats when the body turns to fat. When there is no more blood sugar for our cells to consume, they seek an alternative form of energy. This energy comes from ketones, which are compounds our body produces from stored fat. So a ketogenic diet is one that is high in fat and very low in carbohydrates, resulting in the production of ketones to be used for fuel instead of glucose.
Is The Keto Diet Good For Type 2 Diabetes
Type 2 diabetes refers to a chronic condition in the body system which affects the processing of glucose in the body. It is a situation whereby the body system cant produce enough insulin, or it resists it.
Using a keto diet to control type 2 diabetes might be a good option since it will work effectively on weight loss and control the bodys blood sugar levels.
This diet helps patients living with type 2 diabetes to boost their insulin sensitivity. Its ability to reduce weight loss will be of great use to them. It has significant health benefits that you can not underrate.
Although there is no natural remedy that does not require precautions, you need to consider some factors before choosing a keto diet if you have type 2 diabetes.
Pro: Less Hunger & Controlled Appetite
Besides body fat stores breaking down, weight loss on a ketogenic diet occurs for a couple of different reasons:
- Participants in several research studies reported feeling less hungry and eating less food overall, likely because fat and protein fill you up more than carbohydrates do.
- High amounts of ketones in your body may also suppress the hormones responsible for controlling appetite.
You May Like: What Are Some Side Effects Of Metformin
The Atkins Diet And Diabetes
The Atkins diet is one of the most famous low-carb, high-protein diets thats often associated with the keto diet. However, the two diets have some major differences.
Dr. Robert C. Atkins created the Atkins diet in the 1970s. Its often promoted as a way to lose weight that also controls numerous health issues, including type 2 diabetes.
While cutting excess carbs is a healthy step, its not clear if this diet alone can help diabetes. Weight loss of any kind is beneficial for diabetes and high blood sugar levels, whether its from the Atkins diet or another program.
Unlike the keto diet, the Atkins diet doesnt necessarily advocate increased fat consumption. Still, you might increase your fat intake by limiting carbohydrates and eating more animal protein.
The potential drawbacks are similar.
Aside from a high saturated fat intake, theres the possibility of low blood sugar, or hypoglycemia, from restricting carbs too much. This is especially true if you take medications that increase insulin levels in the body and dont change your dosage.
Cutting carbs on the Atkins diet can potentially aid weight loss and help you control diabetes symptoms. However, there arent enough studies to suggest that Atkins and diabetes control go hand-in-hand.
Here Are Three Specific Ways That Keto Improves Diabetes:
#1: Weight loss
Standard diabetes protocols attempt to stimulate weight loss through calorie reduction. Unfortunately, long-term calorie restriction leads to a sustained metabolic slowdown, and the weight comes back when normal portions are resumed.
Keto, however, has been shown to help with weight loss and weight maintenance in obese and diabetic populations. In one study sponsored by Virta Health, type 2 diabetics lost an average of 30.4 pounds after one year of supervised Keto dieting.
Why does Keto get these results? One big reason: By reducing hunger hormones like ghrelin and neuropeptide Y. The result is less hunger, less overeating, less weight gain.
#2: Blood sugar control
High blood sugar, or hyperglycemia, is the primary clinical feature of type 2 diabetes. Its diagnosed by measuring fasting blood glucose or average blood glucose .
What raises blood sugar? Carbs! Diets high in simple carbs like sugars, refined flours and grains, high-sugar fruits, and dairy have been shown to worsen hyperglycemia in diabetics.
Keto is the opposite of a high-carb diet. By keeping carbs low, the Keto diet removes the dietary driver of diabetic hyperglycemia.
#3: Insulin function
Those with late-stage type 2 diabetes often need insulin injections to manage their blood sugar levels. But since insulin itself isnt the problem, but rather the bodys healthy management OF insulin, this is more of a bandaid than a cure.
Also Check: What Is Insulin Secreted By
Potential Risks Involved In The Keto Diet And Diabetes
Undergoing any change in your diet or exercise regimen requires monitoring and aid from a medical professional. This is the best way to reduce your chances of experiencing dangerous risks or complications. The primary risk of the keto diet is unintentional diabetic ketoacidosis. While this is more common in people living with type 1 diabetes, it can happen in those with type 2 diabetes who are experimenting with the keto diet. Continue to test your blood sugar levels throughout the day and consider adding urinary ketone testing to your maintenance planespecially when you first begin the diet. There are urine strips available to help you monitor your ketones. Some of the other potential risks include:
Does Keto Work If You Have Diabetes
Research suggests that people with type 2 diabetes can slim down and lower their blood sugar levels with the keto diet. In one study, people with type 2 lost weight, needed less medication, and lowered their A1c when they followed the keto diet for a year.
If youâre insulin resistant — which means you have higher blood sugar levels because your body isnât responding properly to the hormone insulin — you could benefit from nutritional ketosis, because your body will need and make less insulin.
There are fewer studies looking at the keto diet for people with type 1 diabetes. One small study found that it helped people with type 1 lower their A1c levels, but we need a lot more research to get the full picture of the dietâs effects.
Keep in mind that most studies have only looked at the short-term results of the keto diet. Itâs unclear if it works as a long-term way to manage your diabetes.
If you decide to try the keto diet, be aware that it may be hard to stick to. The very low amount of carbs in the plan is a big change for many people. It also can make you feel tired for a few weeks until your body adapts. To make it a success, itâs a good idea to make a meal plan you can follow, including keto-friendly meals and snacks to keep on hand.
Recommended Reading: Is Milk At Night Good For Diabetes
A Closer Look At The Type 1 Diabetes Study: Lennerz
A total of 316 individuals from the TypeOneGrit community were included in the study since they met the three eligibility criteria: having type 1 diabetes, taking insulin, and following the Bernstein low carb diet for at least three months.2 The clinical data were gathered using an online survey and confirmed with data obtained from medical charts and feedback from the patients’ doctors parents provided data for the participating child. The participants came from the United States, Canada, Australia, and Europe, of which 57i% were female, 42% were children , and 88% were Caucasian. 2
It’s important to note that the drop-out rate was substantial and reports of symptomatic hypoglycemia 1-5 episodes) were experienced by 69% of those in the study. The mean carbohydrate intake was 35 grams daily. Based on self-reported results, the change in HbA1c was -1.45% with an average HbA1c of 7.2% associated with greater hypoglycemia yet, these results are comparable to other study findings. The average blood glucose levels were 104 mg/dL . 2 Final lipid profiles were mixed. The results were similar for adults and children.
Experts Challenge the Authors’ Conclusions
Those on the ketogenic plan received instructions on how to eat mindfully, the need for exercise and good sleep, and the importance of setting goals. “It could have been a combination of all the support this group received that helped them achieve the greater weight loss,” Dr. Reynolds tells EndocrineWeb.
What Does Keto Do To Your Blood Sugar
“When you remove carbs from the diet, blood sugar levels drop,” says Palinski-Wade. This is why keto can help improve blood sugar management and insulin sensitivity. “However, people shouldn’t choose foods solely based on their effect on blood sugar,” says Cleary. “Other factors such as fiber, vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and satisfaction must be taken into account. The keto diet would likely lead to better blood glucose control short-term however, this would only lead to improvements in health status if the diet is followed long-term.”
Recommended Reading: Can Diabetes Make You Dizzy
Ketosis And The Keto Diet
What makes the the ketogenic diet unique among low-carb diets is that its characterized by a drastic reduction in carbohydrates and also a significant increase in fats, as opposed to protein. The goal of the KD is to enter the metabolic state of ketosis, which happens after a few days of strict carbohydrate restriction.
Eating very-low carb depletes glucose reserves , which means that glucose is no longer sufficient to provide the body with enough energy and another fuel source must be used instead.
This is where dietary fats come into play: depleted glucose reserves leads to the production of ketone bodies that are used as an alternative energy source, especially by the central nervous system, including the brain which has high energy demands. In order to get enough fat and limit carbs, the keto diet includes plenty of foods like meats, eggs, oils, cheeses, fish, nuts, butter, seeds and fibrous vegetables.
Does the keto diet really work when it comes to improving health?
Keto Diet And Diabetes
For people with prediabetes, type 2 diabetes and type 1 diabetes, minimizing sugar as well as carbohydrate intake is typically recommended to maintain healthy blood sugar levels. The ketogenic diet is a very low-carb diet that changes the bodys fuel source from burning glucose to burning dietary fat instead.
Making this major switch in dietary habits promotes a state of ketosis which means your body is now a fat burner rather than a sugar burner. Research as well as firsthand accounts show that this ketogenic way of eating may help some diabetics to decrease and better control their blood glucose levels.
Ketogenic diet for prediabetes
Obesity is one of the principle risk factors for diabetes and following a ketogenic diet has been shown to help with weight loss. According to scientific article published in 2014, A period of low carbohydrate ketogenic diet may help to control hunger and may improve fat oxidative metabolism and therefore reduce body weight. Many prediabetics struggle with being overweight so a keto diet can help promote weight loss, which can help to decrease the chances of developing full blown diabetes.
Keto diet and type 2 diabetes
A keto diet and diabetes study published in 2012 in the journal, Nutrition, compares low-carbohydrate ketogenic diet with a low-calorie diet in improving glycemia . Overall, the study finds a low-carb keto diet to be more beneficial than a low-calorie diet for obese type 2 diabetics.
Keto diet and type 1 diabetes
Read Also: Oatmeal Good For Diabetes
What Is The Best Weight Loss Pill For Diabetics
In addition to Saxenda, the weight loss drug, and Victoza, the diabetes drug, liraglutide is sold under two brand names. Novo Nordisk, the company that makes Saxenda, says the drug mimics the action of an appetite hormone called GLP-1, which is found in liraglutide. Injections are taken every day to take the drug.
Does The Keto Diet Cause Dka
Following a keto diet does not necessarily cause DKA. A keto diet leads to ketosis when your body breaks down stored fat to convert it into energy. You might think that more ketones in your blood this would increase your risk of DKA. But, this ketosis doesnt lead to DKA if your pancreas is still producing insulin, or you inject the right amount of insulin for your diabetes, and your blood doesnt become acidic. But if you are considering a ketogenic diet you should speak to your diabetes team first .
With DKA, the blood becomes acidic when ketones build up and blood glucose levels are usually high because there is no insulin. If you want to lose weight while managing your diabetes our information might help you.
Read Also: Greek Yogurt For Diabetes
Clinical Evidence For Keto Reversing Diabetes
Time to review some hard evidence now. Heres a small yet informative sample of the research suggesting Keto can reverse diabetes:
- The Virta Health study. Researchers put 218 type 2 diabetics on a Ketogenic diet for a full year. By the end of the study, 60% had reversed their diabetes , and theyd lost 30.4 pounds on average. Incredibly, 94% reduced or eliminated insulin therapy.
- The Nutrition & Metabolism study. Eighty-four type 2 diabetics were randomized to eat either a low-carb Keto diet or a calorie-restricted, higher-carb diet. After 24 weeks, the Keto dieters had significant improvements in blood sugar, insulin, and body weight compared to the higher-carb group.
- The consensus report. A recent consensus report published in the journal Diabetes Care cited low-carb diets as the nutritional intervention with the most evidence for improving blood sugar levels in diabetic populations.
There are other examples, but the conclusion is fairly clear: When it comes to reversing diabetes, the Keto diet is extremely promising.
Keto Diet And Weight Loss
Scientifically speaking, yes, keto can result in weight loss. One study conducted in 2008 found that a diet consisiting of lower carb/higher protein combination resulted in higher levels of satiety after meals and reduced feelings of overall hunger. With overall increased feelings of fullness, the study concluded that less food was consumed and could effectively lead to weight loss. Another study found that the keto diet significantly did lower the number on the scale largely because of a reduction in water weight.
You May Like: Is Metformin Dangerous To Take
How Keto Can Help With Diabetes
The Ketogenic diet is a high-fat, low-carb eating plan in which you eat 60-70% of your calories from fat, 20-30% from protein, and 5-10% from carbohydrates. Keeping your macros in these ratios trains your metabolism to enter a fat-burning state called ketosis.
Think of ketosis as the opposite of diabetes. Instead of fostering high blood sugar, ketosis is generally a state of lower blood sugar, maintained within a healthy range. Ditto for insulin and its resultant fat-storage mode.
Pro: May Improve Blood Sugars
Several studies have found that a very low carbohydrate “keto-style” diet promotes a more significant reduction in blood sugars and triglyceride levels. We’ve also seen more weight loss when compared to other diets.
The studies reviewed by ADA dropped the carbohydrate intake of participants to less than 40 grams per day to induce nutritional ketosis. In another non-randomized, controlled study, participants limited their carbohydrate intake to fewer than 30 grams per day. This appeared to be highly effective in improving blood sugar control and weight loss in adults with type 2 diabetes while significantly decreasing medication use. Patients underwent continued nutrition counselling and medical assistance.
Changes in blood sugar levels can occur quickly on a ketogenic diet. If you’re taking blood sugar-lowering medication, it’s important to work with a healthcare professional and Dietitian while on the diet to make sure your levels don’t drop too much as this can be just as dangerous as being too high.
While quick weight loss and lowered blood sugar levels may sound very appealing to you, there are some concerns about the keto diet’s safety and sustainability.
Recommended Reading: Diabetes And Hypotension
How Does The Keto Diet Work
It is simple the human body system uses carbohydrates broken down to glucose to form and supply the body with energy. After you have reduced your carbs intake, there wont be enough glucose in the body system for energy. And it will start burning the body fat it means that nutritional ketosis is happening in the body.
Then your body will start using fatty acid substances for energy. It will replace the glucose derived from carbs. Your body can only have the glucose back once you take carbohydrate foods.
What Is The Keto Diet
Itâs a low-carb, high-fat eating plan. Most of what you eat is fat, whether thatâs unsaturated fats like nuts, seeds, and avocados, or saturated fats like butter and coconut oil. About 20%-30% of your diet is protein, either lean or fatty . Youâre supposed to strictly limit carbs, even those that are typically considered healthy, such as beans, whole grains, milk, and many types of fruits and vegetables. On the keto diet, you eat less than 50 grams of carbs a day. To put that in perspective, one medium apple has 25 grams of carbs.
How does it work? Normally, your body fuels itself from sugar, or glucose, that it gets from carbs. After a few days of the keto diet, your body runs out of glucose. So it starts burning body fat instead. This is called nutritional ketosis. It creates fatty acid substances called ketones, which your body can use for energy.
Recommended Reading: Side Effects Of Glimepiride And Metformin