Ketogenic diets for treating type 2 diabetes

Ketogenic diets for treating type 2 diabetes

Ketogenic diets have been used in pediatrics to treat epilepsy since 1924. A ketogenic (keto) diet is one that is high in fat and low in carbohydrates. The design of the ketogenic diet is to shift the body's metabolic fuel from burning carbohydrates to fats. On the keto diet, the body converts fat into energy instead of sugar. Ketones are a byproduct of this process.

Over the years, ketogenic diets have been used to treat diabetes. One rationale was that it tackles diabetes at its source by lowering carbohydrate intake, which leads to lower blood sugar, which in turn lowers insulin requirements, which minimizes insulin resistance and the associated metabolic syndrome. In this way, a ketogenic diet can improve blood glucose (sugar) levels while reducing insulin requirements. This viewpoint presents keto diets as a much safer and more effective plan than injecting insulin to counteract the consumption of carbohydrate-rich foods.

A keto diet is actually a very restrictive diet. With the classic keto diet, for example, around 80 percent of your calorie needs come from fat and 20 percent from proteins and carbohydrates. This is a significant departure from the norm, where the body is fueled by sugar obtained from carbohydrate digestion, but by severely restricting carbohydrates the body is forced to use fat instead.

A ketogenic diet requires a healthy dietary intake of beneficial fats such as coconut oil, pastured butter, organic pastured eggs, avocado, fish such as salmon, cottage cheese, avocado, almond butter and raw nuts (raw pecans and macadamia). People on a ketogenic diet avoid all breads, rice, potatoes, pasta, flour, starchy vegetables and dairy products. The diet is low in vitamins, minerals and nutrients and requires supplementation.

A low-carbohydrate diet is often recommended for people with type 2 diabetes because carbohydrates are converted into blood sugar, which in large quantities causes a rise in blood sugar. Therefore, for a diabetic who already has high blood sugar levels, consuming additional sugar-producing foods feels like a danger. By shifting the focus from sugar to fat, some patients may experience reduced blood sugar.

Switching the body's primary energy source from carbohydrates to fat leaves ketones in the blood as a byproduct of fat metabolism. For some diabetics, this can be dangerous because a buildup of ketones can pose a risk of developing diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA). DKA is a medical emergency that requires immediate medical attention. DKA symptoms include persistent high blood sugar, dry mouth, polyuria, nausea, fruit-smelling breath, and difficulty breathing. Complications can lead to diabetic coma.

Inspired by Moses Igono