Diabetes has the potential intention to cause severe changes to the human body. People with diabetes have a high level of blood sugar due to the lack of proper insulin levels. There are two types of diabetes. People with type-1 get high blood glucose levels but stop producing insulin which makes it a life-threatening disease. On the other side, type-2 diabetes can be maintained with a proper Healthy Ketogenic Diet. It is considered to be milder than type-1 which has less impact on blood sugar levels.Â
Adults with type-2 diabetes seem to have various issues like excess weight, insulin sensitivity, blood pressure, etc. Carbohydrates like bread, milk, rice, etc., are some primary energy sources for people. This food intake uses insulin to turn the blood sugars into glucose that provides energy for the cells. But the diabetes patients don’t have the proper insulin to work on carbohydrates effectively. Thus, they fail to maintain a normal blood sugar level.
Doctors usually suggest following healthful diet plans according to the patient dietary needs. They study the patients’ eating habits and body weight to individualize a diet plan. Their blood sugar management is supported by a low-carbohydrate, high-fat, moderate-protein diet. Therefore, a keto diet is considered to be the right choice for reducing the risk of diabetes.
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Understanding “High-Fat†in the Ketogenic Diet
Many people with diabetes seem to focus on their weight loss process without giving attention to their meal plans. It is proven that only reducing body weight doesn’t save them from major risk factors. Therefore, choosing the right diabetes meal plan is essential to prevent diabetes risk and chronic diseases.
Carbohydrate consumption is limited in a ketogenic diet. It’s referred to as the high-fat diet that uses healthy fat as the main source of energy. It produces ketone bodies that don’t come from any saturated fats. The main key to sustain a healthy weight is heart-healthy fats. Cottage Cheese, Eggs, Avocado, etc., are some healthy fat sources that can be used as a fuel source for your body.
Impact on Weight
The ketogenic diet burns the stored body fat that is beneficial for excess weight loss. Besides, anyone who has developed prediabetes symptoms and type-2 diabetes can follow this diet as the medication for diabetes.
The keto diet can help people gain light to moderate weight loss that supports glycemic control. Especially, diabetes patients can have healthy weight gain through proper exercise and diet. Researchers have said that the keto diet is proven to reduce the risk of heart, heart disease.
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Impact on Blood Sugar Level
People with type-2 diabetes are always recommended to manage carbohydrate intake. Carbs can cause blood sugar spikes in large quantities that may increase blood glucose levels. A high density of sugar in the blood can lead to a dangerous outcome. However, with the aid of your healthcare provider, aim to calculate your regular carb count.
People with high blood glucose should stop consuming too many carbohydrates. It is best to limit your carb intake as it will ensure the glucose level is stable. Furthermore, it prevents larger sugar spikes and maintains a stable glucose level.
The management of type-2 diabetes needs a very low-carbohydrate, ketogenic diet. This diet’s potential is to decrease sugar levels by using ketone bodies as the energy source. Several studies have found that this diet routine can improve the HbA1c level, insulin resistance, and glycemic control.
Monitoring Your Diabetes
A low-carb, high-fat diet is not like any typical low-calorie diet that needs no careful monitoring. The ketogenic diet always needs a doctor’s guideline before starting it because the blood glucose and ketone levels might cause negative effects sometimes due to this diet.
Diabetes patients are susceptible to any unhealthy eating habit. They need to see a doctor once or twice a month to make sure their medication adjustments are just fine. If anyhow their medication fails to adjust, it may have the worst effect on the health.
However, if following the keto diet results in positive effects, it might need regular blood glucose monitoring. Be sure to discuss with your doctor for frequent checkups and testing schedules according to your situations.
Side Effects of Keto Diets
It is natural to face some short-term side effects while you switch to a new dietary plan. These side effects are mostly temporary which includes,
Mental fogginess,
Frequent urination headaches,
Loss of energy,
Loss of salts, etc.
Other than that, some people might face some long-term effects, which is a rare case. It might include,
Ketoacidosis,
Kidney stones development,
Bone fractures,
Dyslipidemia,
Hypoglycemic episodes, etc.
Some evidence indicates that cardiovascular diseases are at risk of development (CVD). It might occur due to the additional fat buildup in arteries. Diabetes patients might get affected by cardiovascular disease easily as they are prone to chronic diseases. Besides, children might experience bone erosion or stunted growth due to a lack of insulin levels. The keto diet makes bones weaker, which makes them highly prone to fractures.
The keto diet’s long-term safety and consequences are still unknown to researchers. They have suggested having more primary studies before starting on a keto diet.
The Ketogenic Diet and Diabetes
The keto diet was first introduced in the 19th century. Back then, it was only applied as a treatment for epilepsy. But with time, researchers have found this to be beneficial for other factors as well. It has many benefits for people like,
Reducing chronic diseases,
Controlling long-term blood sugar,
Heart disease,
Weight loss, etc.
Unlike a low-carb diet, the ketogenic diet restricts carbohydrates more strictly. It aims to break down stored body fats for energy. It begins to generate ketones as a substitute for glucose as a fuel source. This energy-producing process by using fat is known as ketosis.
Some researches say ketogenic to be not applicable for all. Some studies suggest following a plant-based diet that is much safer for diabetes patients.
A study in 2017 has found a plant-based diet to help blood sugar improvements for many people. Additionally, it helped to cure CVD, HbA1c, insulin sensitivity, inflammatory markers, etc.