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With diabetes, the body is no longer able to produce insulin or use it efficiently. This means that dietary carbohydrates cannot be utilized effectively, which can lead to a dangerous rise in blood sugar levels. This risk is obviously higher if your meals contain higher amounts of carbs. The keto diet is built on the underlying idea of limiting carb intake, which has consequently made it appealing to many diabetes patients. While the keto diet does limit carb intake, it’s important to ensure that the fats and proteins that replace carbs are of high quality, rather than saturated or trans fats.
You should also keep in mind that the keto diet is not recommended as a diabetes diet by any association of diabetes experts and should be approached with caution. Depending on how it is used and the health status of each individual, using the keto diet for diabetes may offer some benefits.
Keto Diet Benefits For Diabetes
As a keto diet typically includes high protein and fat intake, the risk of hunger is significantly reduced. Proteins and fats are digested at a slower rate and increase feelings of satiety, making it easier to reduce calorie intake and lose weight. The diet is thrice as effective at weight loss when compared to low-fat diets.
For diabetes patients, simply losing 5 to 10 per cent of body weight can lower the risk of heart disease and other complications by improving blood sugar control, as well as cholesterol and blood pressure levels.
A review that appeared in the BMJ earlier this year indicates that diets such as the keto diet that are low in carbs may even be able to help send diabetes into remission – this is defined as achieving an A1C test result of under 6.5 per cent or fasting glucose levels of under 7.0 mmol/L. The likelihood of remission and sustainability of such remission is not clear, however.
Keto Diet Risks For Diabetes
Hypoglycemia or low blood sugar can pose a significant risk to some diabetes patients who follow the keto diet, while also on oral diabetes medications. This was clearly observed in a study published in the Journal of Obesity & Eating Disorders.
A review that appeared in Frontiers in Nutrition suggests that severely restricting carb intake, as done with keto dieting, could lead to a rise in LDL cholesterol and may increase the risk of heart disease and cancer, as well as Alzheimer’s disease. During pregnancy, it could also increase the risk of neural tube defects.
As by its very design the keto diet sends your body into a state of ketosis, it increases the risk of diabetic ketoacidosis. This complication is more likely to affect individuals with type 1 diabetes.
In addition to these risks, following a keto diet is also associated with some undesirable side effects such as bad breath, fatigue, dizziness, nausea, hunger, and confusion.
Keto Diet For Diabetes: Final Advice
When considering the keto diet for diabetes, you should keep in mind that study findings are mixed and most experts do not recommend the diet. Instead, the Mediterranean diet and DASH diet may be healthier and safer options. Diabetes patients with kidney disease should also avoid the diet as high protein intake can exacerbate the condition.
