Why The Keto Diet Isn’t Meant For Everyone With Diabetes

A very low-carb, high-fat diet known as the ketogenic diet, or keto, has been found to have a number of positive health effects. Interest in utilizing the ketogenic diet as a therapy to help manage conditions like epilepsy, cancer, and diabetes has grown in recent years.

Your pancreas generates little to no insulin if you have type 1 diabetes mellitus, a chronic illness. Type 2 diabetes, which affects how your body handles blood sugar and is frequently linked to insulin resistance, should not be confused with it.

Although the ketogenic diet has been demonstrated to lower insulin requirements and improve blood sugar management, type 1 diabetics may experience a number of problems. It might seem that persons with diabetes should stick to the keto diet because limiting carbs is crucial to managing Type 2 diabetes.

While some persons with Type 2 diabetes may benefit from the keto diet, there are many other factors to take into account.

Diabetes and Keto Diet: The Connection

People with diabetes often ask, is the keto diet good for diabetes? While exploring this question, there are certain things you must know. When it is said keto diet not for everyone, there are several factors to be taken into consideration such as:

• While following a diabetes keto diet one must pay attention to a lot of factors. Diabetes type 1 and type 2 patients who follow the ketogenic diet can significantly drop their blood sugar levels. Your levels could drop too low without the necessary insulin changes, creating potentially life-threatening consequences.
• Weight loss on a ketogenic diet may be unintended or harmful for some people, especially those who are underweight.
• People with type 1 diabetes use short-acting insulin in varying doses to control their blood sugar, depending on their blood sugar levels and the number of carbs in a particular meal. When you substantially cut back on carbs, such as with the keto diet, your blood sugar levels tend to go down and you need less insulin to control them. Your insulin dosage needs to be appropriately adjusted to reflect your blood sugar levels at the time, which will likely be lower after beginning the keto diet. You may have hypoglycemia, a significant adverse effect, if you use the same dosage of insulin as you did before beginning the diet. Because less insulin is needed, it’s critical to get medical advice and perform regular blood sugar tests to prevent episodes of hypoglycemia.

Is Keto Diet Safe for Diabetes Patients?

There is no easy yes-or-no response to the question of whether the keto diet is secure for patients with type 1 diabetes. There are several things to take into account. The keto diet can be a relatively safe option if your diabetes is well-managed, you thoroughly educate yourself, and seek medical advice.

To evaluate how your body reacts, it’s preferable to try a lower-carb diet first before switching to a complete keto diet, because there are chances that the keto diet is not for everyone.

• Don’t start the keto diet on your own – If you have type 1 diabetes and are interested in trying the keto diet, it is crucial to first seek medical advice.
• Monitor your ketone levels – When on a ketogenic diet, it’s important to periodically check your ketone levels in addition to closely monitoring your blood sugar levels. Ketone testing, which is used to identify diabetic ketoacidosis in its early stages, may already be familiar to many people with type 1 diabetes.
• Some persons with type 1 diabetes should stay away from the keto diet due to potential detrimental consequences on overall health. These patients include those who have a history of persistently low blood sugar levels, individuals with eating disorders or underweight individuals enduring or recuperating from medical procedures, children or teenagers under the age of 18 women who are breastfeeding or pregnant and have hyperresponsive cholesterol.

What Kinds of Risks Are Involved?

• While on a ketogenic diet, you may be more susceptible to hypoglycemia (low blood sugar), particularly if your insulin and prescription dosages are out of sync with your eating habits.
• The keto diet is extremely restrictive, making it challenging to follow for an extended period of time.
• Supplementation may be necessary if you don’t get enough nutrients while avoiding specific food groups. Consult your doctor to determine whether you require vitamin and mineral supplements.
• Due to the low fiber content of typical keto eating patterns, constipation may ensue. Think about fiber supplements or low-carb sources of fiber.

Several individual criteria, such as how effectively your type 1 diabetes is handled, if you are underweight, or whether you have a history of low blood sugar levels, will determine whether the keto diet is safe for people with type 1 diabetes. For some patients with type 1 diabetes under adequate medical supervision, the keto diet can be a very safe option, while others should completely avoid it.

Before following a full ketogenic diet, it is important to first attempt a lower-carb diet to see how your body reacts. If you have type 1 diabetes and wish to attempt the keto diet, consult a dietician and your healthcare practitioner to create a specific plan that will reduce your risk of potentially harmful side effects.

References:

• https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/keto-diet-diabetes-type-1#bottom-line
• https://health.clevelandclinic.org/is-the-ketogenic-diet-safe-for-people-with-diabetes/