In recent years, the keto diet has become a trendy one. But people having diabetes may be afraid to follow this diet as they don’t know the details.
That problem happened with my husband, who has had diabetes for ten years. Due to his overweight, we thought to follow the keto diet. So we research ourselves and take a doctor’s consultation.
In this article, we’ll tell you what research says about the keto diet, its side effects, and precautions. So read further to gather your essential knowledge on keto diet diabetes.
What is Keto Diet?
Keto diet is a balance of low-carb, medium protein, and high-fat diet. It’s somewhat similar to a low-carb diet. But where low-carb diets focus on protein, here the Keto’s primary target is in taking high fat.
On Keto, your body fills with fat instead of carbs. So your metabolic state changes with a fat intake that is called “ketosis.” This state helps to burn fats for energy and produce ketones in the bloodstream. Ketones are one kind of chemical that origins from the breaking down of burn fat.
When this happens, the keto diet helps in weight loss and reduces blood sugar and insulin.
Nutritional Ketosis vs. Diabetic Ketoacidosis
Ketosis and Ketoacidosis both are quite similar in name but not in behavior. When you are a diabetic patient and want to adopt a keto diet, then it’s essential to know their distinction in detail.
As we previously mentioned, ketosis is a metabolic state when you’re on the keto diet. It happens every day till you intake keto diet foods. With proper low-carb and high-fat foods, your body can maintain stable ketones. And then you’ll find a well-balanced sugar and glucose level. So it’s not harmful at all.
In contrast, Diabetic Ketoacidosis or DKA means that your body belongs to both the high level of ketones and blood sugar. That is a critical health condition leading to dehydration, dizziness or sometimes being sent to coma and even death. DKA is commonly seen in people with ketogenic diet diabetes type 1 whose body can’t make insulin. Also, type 2 diabetes patients can face this problem due to lower insulin production.
Keto Diet Diabetes: Is It Work For You?
Keto diet is now trendy worldwide. It’s a good diet with superb taste without compromising healthy life. But if you’re living with diabetes, you must be worried about whether Keto works for you.
Let you know that when you’re taking fewer carbohydrates, your body produces lower blood sugar. Besides, ketones help to reduce your glucose level as well. And according to studies, this way, the keto diet works for you if you have diabetes.
What does Research Say About Keto Diet for Diabetes?
There is no long-term research on keto diet diabetes, but there are many short-term studies. These studies showed the impact and effect of the keto diet in diabetes.
In 2017, Nutrition & Diabetes published a study on type 2 diabetes patients for a year. At the end of the study, these people were able to stop their diabetes medicine and reduce a significant level of weight and A1C in the blood.
Some other small studies for type 1 diabetes showed that the keto diet controlled A1C levels rather than other low-carb diets. But still, there is a need for more research and study for confirming a particular decision.
Benefits You Get From Keto Diet in Diabetes
Some studies and research find out some benefits of the keto diet. So we discussed them below for your convenience.
Weight loss
Some studies prove that diabetes or non-diabetes can cause a significant weight loss on the keto diet. Surprisingly, it’s relatively faster than a low-carb diet and others.
Blood Sugar Control
Blood sugar control is the principal purpose behind the popularity of the keto diet among diabetes patients.
We know carbohydrates are responsible for high blood sugar. But the keto diet is a low-carb based diet, so it helps to minimize your sugar level and maintain your diabetes.
Requires Less Insulin Dose
High carbs are the root cause of producing less insulin. But Keto serves low-carb, which is beneficial to make a proper insulin level. Besides, people having diabetes require little insulin dose. But in some cases, it is shown that Keto causes insulin resistance, which has higher ketones and blood sugar.
Along with these benefits, the keto diet can also provide you with improved mental health, the probability of high blood pressure reduction, and keeps your heart healthy.
Side Effects of Keto Diet in Diabetes
Although there are many benefits to this diet, it also has side effects. When you’re going on Keto, you should keep in mind these effects.
Causes Hypoglycemia
Following a keto diet with regular diabetes medicine or insulin dose can cause hypoglycemia or lack of blood sugar. Dizziness, weakness, anxiety, or headache are some of the primary symptoms of hypoglycemia.
It occurs mostly with those who have diabetes, primarily type 1 diabetes.
Causes Kidney and Liver Problems
Kidney and livers are the main organs that process high-fat and protein-based foods. But when you start to fill your stomach with more fat and protein, these organs sometimes fail to take the overload. And they face serious complications.
On top of that, if your ketones and blood glucose goes high, both together cross the acidic blood level. So the kidney and liver get harmed and sometimes become life-threatening.
Lacks in Nutrition
You can’t say what nutrients your body requires if you didn’t take advice from a Registered Dietitian. As well, you’ll be unable to know whether the keto diet suits your diabetes.
When it happens, day by day, your body lacks nutrients from some dairy products, fruits, or vegetables, which are prevented on a keto diet. In the end, you’ll be a victim of malnutrition.
Quick weight loss, raising cholesterol, lack of fiber can be some other side effects of the keto diet in diabetes.
Precautions Before Following Keto Diet
Check out the precautions for your safety when you decide to follow keto.
Consult with Doctor & RD
If you have diabetes, following a diet without consulting a doctor or dietitian can put you at life risk. So whenever you are thinking of going on a diet, then do it by consulting a doctor and RD.
Supervise Your Ketones and Sugar Level
After adopting Keto, you should always be supervised by doctors. Also, check sugar level and ketones level regularly to avoid any difficulties.
Don’t Follow Keto, who are at higher risk.
People having lower blood sugar for a long time, high cholesterol, insulin resistance, or pregnant or breastfeeding mothers are prohibited from following the keto diet.
Verdict
Finally, despite many side effects or confusion, the keto diet is still the favorite diet for many people. We tried to provide you all the information about keto diet diabetes. And you can already tell what should be your next step.
We are pretty sure this article will help you to find your answer with full guidance. So don’t worry and go ahead towards your healthy diet goal!
