HOW KETO DIET MANAGE DIABETES                  

The ketogenic diet (keto) has become a popular trend among people who are trying to lose weight. And because the diet significantly restricts carbohydrates (carbohydrates), it can have a noticeable impact on how your body processes sugar and fats. If you have diabetes, you may be wondering if this diet is right for you. But the answer to this question is more complex than it seems. And the keto diet may not be the best long-term strategy to improve diabetes. We will review the research and what it tells us about the positive and negative effects of this particular diet on people with diabetes. 

What is the keto diet? 



The keto diet is a low-carb diet intended to put your body in a state of "ketosis". Ketosis is a kind of "starvation mode", which prompts your body to burn fat - instead of sugar - as fuel. Thus, when your body is in ketosis, fat reserves are depleted and blood sugar levels remain low. 

People who follow a keto diet usually limit themselves to a total of 50 grams of carbohydrates per day. For comparison, the average diet of a well-balanced diabetic usually contains from 200 to 225 grams of carbohydrates. 

Does the keto diet help with diabetes? 



There is evidence to suggest that restricting carbohydrates can improve blood sugar control in people with type 2 diabetes. But it is less clear whether a more restrictive ketogenic approach is useful or sustainable in the long term.

Research suggests that a low-carb diet improves blood sugar and hemoglobin A1C (HbA1c or A1C) - a blood test that indicates your blood sugar control over the past 3 months. For example, one study found that a low-carb diet was more effective than a low-fat diet in controlling blood sugar and lowering A1C. And some of the study participants were also able to decrease their insulin dose. Another study showed similar results and observed that, compared to a low-calorie diet alone, a low-carbohydrate diet more effectively controlled blood sugar levels and reduced the need for diabetes medications. 

But it is important to note that these studies focused on low-carb diets, and not specifically on ketogenic diets. And keto diets are notoriously difficult to stick to in the long run. In fact, two large-scale analyzes compared a more restrictive diet (ketogenic) with a more moderate low-carbohydrate diet in people with type 2 diabetes. Both analyses revealed that greater carbohydrate restriction led to better blood sugar control in the short term (3 months). But these results have not been maintained over the long term (12 months).  

Therefore, although the keto diet may initially lead to weight loss and improved blood sugar levels, it is not clear if there is a long-term benefit.

Can the keto diet reverse diabetes?



There is no strong evidence to suggest that the keto diet can reverse diabetes.

A recent meta-analysis of several studies revealed that after 6 months, the keto diet modified A1C levels for people who continued to take diabetes medications. However, this adverse effect was not observed in people who stopped taking the medication. So it is difficult to determine if this is a true reversal of diabetes from the keto diet alone. In addition, the reversal effect was not maintained after 12 months for both groups.

Is it safe for a diabetic to follow the keto diet?

Switching to a keto diet can cause symptoms in someone who is not used to eating this type of diet. These symptoms include:

increased urination
drying
Constipation
Low blood sugar — or hypoglycemia — in people who take certain diabetes medications
If you are on medication for diabetes, you should talk to your provider about this before starting the keto diet. They can help you make adjustments to your medications to avoid dangerous drops in your blood sugar levels.

People who may experience serious side effects due to ketosis should follow this diet with caution. In fact, ketosis can put extra stress on the body's systems. People who may be particularly sensitive to the keto diet include those who:

are you pregnant
You have kidney disease
I have type 1 diabetes
If these situations apply to you, talk to your provider before trying to switch to the keto diet to make sure it's safe.

Why can a keto diet be bad for diabetics?

In addition to unexpected dips in blood sugar, there are concerns that the keto diet may not be the best for our overall health in the long run. More research is needed to examine the long-term consequences of the keto diet over years or even decades. And experts need to consider the impact this might have on other health problems associated with diabetes, such as heart disease.

Some studies show improvements in heart health indicators — such as cholesterol levels — with the keto diet. But there are also studies that show the opposite effect. A meta-analysis showed that the keto diet can increase LDL cholesterol over time, which is a risk factor for heart disease. When a person reduces their carbohydrate intake, this translates into an increase in fat and protein intake to keep the same calories in their diet. In general, high-fat diets are not recommended for heart health.

Another thing to consider is that a high-fat diet, like the ketogenic diet, can negatively affect the way our bodies process carbohydrates. A 1927 study compared people who ate a high-fat diet for just 2 days to those who ate regularly. And they found that after the 2-day period, those who ate a high-fat diet had significantly higher spikes in blood sugar when they ate carbohydrates. Additional studies have also linked a high-fat diet to abnormal glucose processing in the body.

Overall, it is essential to consider the keto diet's long-term effects. Blood sugar levels can certainly improve when a person significantly reduces the number of carbohydrates they consume. But hyperglycemia is a symptom of diabetes. The underlying cause of diabetes is the body's abnormal processing of carbohydrates. And we still need more research to understand whether the keto diet helps or harms this process.