Last Updated on June 6, 2021 by Dr Sharon Baisil MD
Diabetes is a commonly seen disorder of the metabolism where the individual diagnosed suffers from fluctuating abnormal blood sugar levels. This is a growing chronic condition among the population in the modern age.
There are various ways in which you can take care of your blood sugar conditions. The first step to caring for your diabetic health begins with keeping a regulated meal plan.
Food portions, choices, and schedules are best defined by following specific diets that fit your diabetic health needs. Today we will be discussing one such diet method that is deemed effective for managing several body and health issues.
We will learn …
- What is a keto diet?
- Can a keto diet reverse diabetes?
- What are the benefits of a keto diet?
- What are the side effects of a keto diet?
- Keto tips for Diabetes.
And a lot more on related lines.
Today’s topics will help you know about better health choices to help your diabetic health management. You can learn about how to include newer diets effectively and benefit from their impacts.
By the end of today’s discussion, you will be acknowledged with several new domains of diabetic maintenance and control measures. So without more ado, let us delve into the article.
What is a keto diet?
In today’s modern time, it is necessary to keep one healthy. These health decisions come with good and fit lifestyle choices. Alongside fitness measures, it is also important to pay attention to the diet and food choices.
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One among the many diet types and choices includes the keto diet. Do you know what the keto diet is? Have you tried it?
The keto diet, also known as the ketogenic diet, is a regulated intake technique aimed at promoting weight loss and increasing the body’s metabolic efficiency.
A keto diet is particularly a low-carb diet. It includes fewer carbs and substituting the nutrient portions with other health elements and nutrients like fats, proteins, etc.
Carbohydrates are sources of instant energy. They have calories that can be easily digested and hence give rise to immediate energy.
The main objective of the keto diet is to include the daily calories more from the fats and proteins and not carbohydrates available in items.
The primary idea behind a keto diet’s working is reducing the number of carbohydrates that are added to the body daily. This will lead to more burning of the stored fats in the body. The using up of carbohydrates encourages the following use of accumulated fats to derive energy.
The breakdown of fat in the body assists in the promotion of fat loss. With lesser carbohydrates added to the daily meal plans, burning fat in the body becomes quicker.
The running out of the body on carbs for gaining fuel and energy also helps in the use of energy from stored proteins in the body.
The breaking down of fats and proteins for deriving energy is called ketosis.
This brings in a shift in focus from breaking down carbs to the breakdown of proteins and fats.
Thus, a ketogenic diet is very efficient in weight loss and cleansing the body.
Can a keto diet reverse Diabetes?
Well, by this time, you have understood the working behind the keto diet. Its focus on shifting the breakdown of nutrients helps in the right weight loss process.
Well, to be direct, the keto diet is very beneficial in helping with diabetic control. There are some very simple derivations as to why and how following a keto diet can lead to diabetes reversal. Let us have a look:
- A keto diet is low in carbohydrates. It focuses on deriving calories from foods that are richer in fats and proteins and not carbs. The intake of Carbs is among the top reasons for the increase in blood sugar levels.
Thus, checking on the portion of carbohydrates consumed daily due to a keto diet can assist with diabetes management.
- Switching to fats and other nutrients for daily calorie reach and energy requirements can help in reducing blood sugar levels. It has been experimentally proven that a keto diet effectively reduces blood glucose levels in the body.
- In a keto diet, the energy from carbohydrates is finished up first. This leads to lesser risks of carbs affecting the rising of blood sugar levels. Moreover, the other nutrients that a keto diet focuses on, including fats and proteins, do not lead to harmful spikes in blood glucose levels. They are slowly digested and are also good additions to a diabetes diet plan.
- The keto diet focuses on increasing weight loss. This short-term diet technique helps in losing weight. Keeping the body weight maintained and healthy is a way to ensure a healthy life. This, in turn, also helps in diabetes control. Diabetic patients need to keep their weights under the normal BMI. Following a ketogenic diet to lose weight can help lessen the overall diabetic complications as well.
These effects plus many more benefits of the keto diet can help in reversing Diabetes. It is primarily efficient in reversing Type 2 diabetes.
Moreover, ketogenic diets are short-term diets. They can help to create controlled diabetic situations in short periods.
Let us look at the detailed benefits of the keto diet in the following section to understand it better.
What are the benefits of a keto diet?
Keto diets are most appreciated for their fast and effective results. Fitness enthusiasts, diabetic individuals, patients with obesity, etc., can resort to ketogenic diets for fast results and a healthy lifestyle.
Here are some benefits of practicing a keto diet:
- Weight loss
One of the primary benefits of keto diets is weight loss. It is a way to reduce the appetite and lower the intake of unnecessary food items. Moreover, it is also helpful in increasing metabolic functioning rates.
As pertaining to a keto diet induces using the stored fats, the number of accumulated fats goes down.
Following a keto diet also helps in reducing the stimulation of the hunger hormone. This helps to adapt to a new appetite and continue the good habits.
Helps in reducing the chances of cancer
Keto diets are often recommended to cancer patients. They are said to be very effective in treating as well as reducing the harmful effects of cancer.
This lies in the principle that keto diets increase the amount of oxidative stress in the cancer cells rather than the normal cells. Oxidative stress is bad for the body, and it results in killing cancer cells.
Moreover, the keto diets are effective in leading to blood sugar reductions. Thus, it is also indirectly beneficial for preventing insulin dysfunctions. Improper functioning of insulin is also a cause of cancer.
Therefore, keto diets can be beneficial in preventing as well as treating cancer.
Helps in maintaining heart health
Keto diets are accompanied by the selection and intake of healthy foods. These can assist in keeping the overall body healthy.
Including good and healthy foods can also benefit from reducing cholesterol or risks of developing cardiovascular complications.
The quality of food included in the keto diet helps to reduce the amount of bad cholesterol in the body.
Helps in keeping the brain healthy
Keto diets have also shown beneficial effects on brain functioning. They have several neuroprotective benefits.
They have been said to be effective in reducing the chances of developing Alzheimer’s disease.
It is also an efficient way to treat people with epilepsy.
Improves PCOS
PCOS is a hormonal disease common among women. Reducing the amount of carb by following a keto diet can also help in reversing this disease.
It aids PCOS treatment because of its blood glucose reduction, fat loss, proper insulin stimulation, and hormonal balance restoration.
Reduces the occurrence of acne
Clearing the body of excess carbohydrates can also help in cleansing the body internally. This, in turn, results in a clear face and reduced occurrence of acne.
What are the side effects of a keto diet?
With the many benefits, there can be certain side effects of this diet as well. Let us have a look at those.
- A sudden change in diet can bring in discomforts in daily life. Some of the effects can be – fatigue, energy loss, headaches, nausea, reduced blood sugars, etc.
- Keto diet is a short-term diet plan. Following it for long periods can have adverse effects on the body such as – kidney stones, less blood protein, lack of minerals and vitamins in the body, liver problems, etc.
- Hard keto practices can lead to ketoacidosis. This leads to an acid formation in the body, affecting the kidney, liver, and organ functions.
Following improper ketogenic diets can cause further complications. It may even contrast the benefits and cause more danger for diabetics.
As a diabetic, you must consult your doctor about following a keto diet.
Keto tips for diabetics:
- Always discuss the diet with your doctor to come up with the best suggestions.
- Resort to including all god nutrients including vitamins, minerals, fiber, etc, along with fats and proteins.
- Make sure to include healthy and safe fat foods such as – extra virgin olive oils, avocados, nuts, seeds, etc.
- Reduce your everyday carbohydrate intake to 40g to 60g per day. Include low-carbs like – whole grains, Greek yogurts, vegetables, etc.
References
- https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamainternalmedicine/article-abstract/2737919
- https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/%28SICI%291520-7560%28199911/12%2915%3A6%3C412%3A%3AAID-DMRR72%3E3.0.CO%3B2-8?sid=nlm%3Apubmed
- https://academic.oup.com/ajcn/article/63/1/110/4650669?login=true
- https://www.nature.com/articles/195381a0
- https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1051227604000093
- https://casereports.bmj.com/content/13/10/e235873.abstract
- https://physoc.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1113/JP276703
- https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/BF00266034
- https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJM197808312990901
