A Simple Guide to Diabetes And The Ketogenic Diet
Staying healthy and fit has become a challenge to many people in this era. They try various methods to lose weight and stay healthy. The ketogenic or ‘keto’ diet is popular for losing weight. Many people find it beneficial to keep their weight under control. However, the concern is whether it’s still applicable and safe for those with diabetes. Here is a simple guide on diabetes and the ketogenic diet.
What Is A Ketogenic Diet?
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A ketogenic diet focuses on eating foods with high amounts of fat, moderate amounts of protein, and low amounts of carbs.
Generally, our diet consists mainly of carbohydrates. Carbohydrate is broken down into glucose and converted into energy inside our bodies.
When your body has low carbohydrate levels, it burns fat for energy. Reaching this state in a keto diet is called ‘ketosis.’
Standard keto diet:
55%-70% of your daily calories come from fat
25-35% of your daily calories come from protein
5%-10% of your daily calories come from carbohydrates (i.e.50, g per day)
Ketogenic Diet Variations
The above description is fit for a standard keto diet. However, there are also a few variations to the classic keto diet, as given below.
The cyclical keto diet: In this keto diet, you can eat 100g to 150g of carbohydrate sources for one or two days a week.
The targeted keto diet: This diet is also the same as the cyclical keto diet, except that you have to time when you eat carbs. (e.g., pre or post-workout)
The very low carb diet (VLCD): This keto diet allows you to eat 100g to 150g of carbohydrates daily, which is more than the standard keto diet.
Diabetes And A Ketogenic Diet
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Many are concerned about the fact that diabetic patients can follow a ketogenic diet and if they could benefit from following the same.
Usually, what happens is that you eat a lot of carbs, and these carbs are broken into sugar in your body. This sugar is then converted to energy. However, since the keto diet is very low on carbs, it uses fat to produce energy.
It could benefit diabetic patients as the body doesn’t use glucose or sugar to convert into energy as it usually does when you’re on an ordinary diet.
How Does A Ketogenic Diet Affect Blood Sugar
Your body needs less insulin when you have a low-carb diet, resulting in fewer blood spikes. More occasional blood spikes should lead to better A1c values in diabetic patients.
Studies also show that a ketogenic diet can improve insulin sensitivity. This is because it further reduces your body’s need for insulin, making it easier to control blood sugar levels.
If you can truly follow a keto diet, you can effectively manage your blood sugar levels.
Is Keto Safe For Diabetics?
Keto is safe for people with diabetes if followed correctly. However, not following a keto diet properly could lead you to a state of ketoacidosis.
Ketoacidosis is a dangerous condition in which your body doesn’t have enough insulin, resulting in more ketone buildup.
Symptoms of ketoacidosis include frequent urination, excessive thirst, fatigue, weakness, and confusion.
Can A Keto Diet Reverse Type 2 Diabetes?
A keto diet is more effective for people with type 2 diabetes. It can help them lose weight and lower their blood sugar levels.
A diet rich in fat and protein makes you feel less hungry, which helps you control weight. Fat and protein also take longer to digest in your body, which keeps you feeling full for longer.
A keto diet also helps lower triglyceride levels, further assisting diabetes patients in losing weight. In addition, it will put them at less risk of cardiovascular disease.
Insulin-resistant patients can benefit from reaching ketosis because their bodies need less insulin. Insulin-resistant patients have high blood sugar levels due to the body’s improper response to the insulin hormone.
Diabetes-Friendly Ketogenic Food List
In general, what you need to remember is a keto-friendly diet consists of more fat and protein and fewer carbs.
Here are some foods that you can include in a diabetes-friendly keto diet.
- Fish
- Meat
- Poultry
- Eggs
- Nuts and seeds
- Avocados
- Non-starchy vegetables
- Olive oil
Here are some foods to steer clear of when on a keto diet.
- Grains, including whole grains such as whole-wheat bread and pasta, and brown rice
- High-carb fruits, especially tropical ones
- All forms of sugar (brown sugar, granulated sugar, corn, syrup, candy, and baked goods)
- All processed foods (e.g., chips, crackers, etc.)
- Alcohol
Things To Know Before Going Keto
The first thing you should do is consult your doctor before going on a keto diet. Although it could be beneficial for diabetic patients, each scenario could differ from another, which is why professional advice is required.
Secondly, remember that keto-adaptation is rough. It’s not going to be easy to reduce your carb intake drastically. Also, as a diabetic patient, you will feel more tired. Therefore, remember your goals and stick to this diet as much as possible.
Your brain is used to having glucose in your body, and this sudden change could make you crave it. It is the state when you’re in glucose withdrawal.
When this happens, and you feel sick and fed up with the keto diet, remember your intentions and goals to keep you on track to follow the diet correctly.
Benefits Of A Ketogenic Diet For Someone With Diabetes
Although following a keto diet is challenging, there are many benefits to reap as someone with diabetes.
- It helps lower A1c levels.
- It helps control blood sugar levels.
- It helps lose weight.
- It improves insulin resistance.
- It lowers your body’s triglyceride levels.
- It could reduce your body’s need for insulin.
- It increases HDL (or ‘good’) cholesterol levels.
- It improves cognitive functions.
Risks Of Diabetics Going On A Ketogenic Diet
One of the main risks of a person with diabetes going on a keto diet is going into a state of ketoacidosis. It happens when your body’s insulin levels are very low, which results in more ketone buildup.
This condition could be fatal, and people with type 1 diabetes are likelier to reach this state. It comes from hyperglycemia (high blood sugar) and increased acid.
If you are diabetes plus heart patient, you’re also at risk when on a keto diet. Blood cholesterol levels could spike up at the initial stages of a keto diet due to the increased fat and protein intake. It puts an individual at more risk for heart attack and stroke.
Kidney patients also should not try going on a keto diet. Again, the high protein intake will not agree with your condition.
Those with a history of eating disorders should also consult a doctor before following a keto diet.
Should You Try A Keto Diet As A Diabetic?
Studies show mixed results for diabetic patients following a keto diet. Therefore, the first thing you should do is consult your doctor about following this diet.
According to the above factors, following a keto diet is more beneficial for people with type 2 diabetes than those with type 1 diabetes.
If you’re not at risk of the above conditions or diseases, following a keto diet should not be a problem as soon as you get the green light from your doctor.
Alternative Diet Plan For Diabetics
There are other diet plans that you can follow as a diabetic patient if you feel that a keto diet isn’t for you.
The Mediterranean diet is a good diet plan for those with diabetes. It helps in better control of blood sugar for people with this disease.
A Mediterranean diet includes fish, lean meats, fruits, vegetables, nuts, whole grains, and olive oil.
Studies show that a Mediterranean diet reduces the risk of developing type 2 diabetes.
Drinking a meal replacement shake for diabetics is also a great way to get all the nutrients your body requires. It’s simple, convenient, and ready-made, so you can quickly drink it even when running out of time, especially in the morning.
Conclusion
The bottom line is that a keto diet is safe for diabetic patients if they follow it correctly and consult their doctor first.
You must avoid following a ketogenic diet if you have other risk factors.
If everything’s well and your doctor gives you the green light, a keto diet could lower your blood sugar levels and help you better control diabetes.
The Ketogenic Diet for Refractory Mental Illness: A Retrospective Analysis of 31 Inpatients. Danan Albert et al.
Globally, an estimated 85 million people suffer from serious, persistent bipolar mood and psychotic illnesses (1), and at least 280 million are thought to be afflicted with depressive illness. Yet even among those with access to modern professional care, meaningful improvement eludes many, and remission is rare. Nearly half of those receiving treatment for bipolar disorder continue to experience recurrent mood episodes. Across Europe, approximately 19% of those with depression are considered “treatment-resistant.”. Worldwide, a mere 23% of those with schizophrenia respond well to antipsychotic medications, with symptom relief often coming at the expense of quality and length of life. Metabolic derangements such as hyperglycemia, hypertriglyceridemia, and weight gain are commonplace in those with bipolar and schizophrenia, significantly increasing the risk for obesity, type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and other chronic health conditions. Indeed, nearly two-thirds of patients initially hospitalized with acute psychosis develop obesity within 20 years of follow-up. Metabolic and undesirable side effects drive approximately 74% of people to discontinue antipsychotic medicines within 18 months, contributing to high hospitalization and relapse rates.
This is a retrospective analysis of hospitalized adults with serious and persistent mental illness who were provided a KD instead of the standard hospital menu. Between May 2019 and April 2020, 31 adults whose chronic psychiatric symptoms were poorly controlled despite intensive psychopharmacological management were admitted to the Clinique du Castelviel and placed on a KD under their treating psychiatrist, Dr. Danan. This treatment program was approved by Clinique du Castelviel administration and ethics review.
Study Results: Three patients could not adhere to the diet for >14 days and were excluded from the final analysis. Among included participants, means and standard deviations (SDs) improved for the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale scores from 25.4 (6.3) to 7.7 (4.2), P < 0.001, and the Montgomery-Åsberg Depression Rating Scale from 29.6 (7.8) to 10.1 (6.5), P < 0.001. Among the 10 patients with schizoaffective illness, the mean (SD) of the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) scores improved from 91.4 (15.3) to 49.3 (6.9), P < 0.001. Significant improvements were also observed in metabolic health measures, including weight, blood pressure, blood glucose, and triglycerides.
Conclusions: The administration of a ketogenic diet in this semi-controlled setting to patients with treatment-refractory mental illness was feasible, well-tolerated, and associated with significant improvements in depression and psychosis symptoms and multiple markers of metabolic health.
FAQs
How Long Does It Take For A Diabetic To Go Into Ketosis?
It should take about 7 to 12 days for a diabetic patient to enter ketosis.
What Are The Warning Signs Of Diabetic Ketoacidosis?
Signs of diabetic ketoacidosis include fast and deep breathing, headache, dry skin and mouth, flushed face, tiredness, nausea, and vomiting.
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