Does Keto Diet Help in Managing Diabetes?

The ketogenic diet, aka keto diet, is a diet which is very low in carbs and very high in fats. In a keto diet, a person eats less than 50g of carbs per day (do you know—a medium apple has around 25g of carbs).

In a keto diet, the breakdown of the total daily calories is as follows:

With such a limited intake of carbs, the body starts burning the fat into ketones to produce energy. This burning of body fat to produce energy is called nutritional ketosis.

In a couple of days or weeks, when on a keto diet, the body and brain become efficient at burning fat and ketones for fuel instead of carbs. Eventually, this leads to weight loss, lowers insulin levels, improves insulin sensitivity and lowers blood sugar levels.

How does a keto diet help people with diabetes?

Since the 1920s, the keto diet has been used effectively in patients with epilepsy as it prevents fluctuations in blood sugar levels that cause seizures.

Latest research has also shown that the keto diet may benefit people with diabetes as it helps the body to keep blood sugar at a low & healthy level.

Carbohydrates or carbs are a macronutrient that is present in the food you eat, and these raise the blood glucose the most. In keto diet, by cutting down on the carb intake, the undesired episodes of blood sugar spikes are prevented.

How a keto diet helps in managing diabetes?

1. Reduces the risk of diabetes in those who don’t have it
2. Improves glycemic control
3. Reduces the need for insulin & other medication
4. Helps in weight-loss

These benefits of the keto diet are seen for some patients, but still, it is not meant for all. Why? Because the response to this kind of diet varies from person-to-person.

In a few patients after following the keto diet for a year, diabetes medication reduced, HbA1c lowered, weight loss was achieved and many more benefits were seen.

While on the other hand, for a few patients, it caused side-effects like keto-flu that includes constipation, loss of energy, fatigue, leg cramps and brain fogging (symptoms of brain fogging are headache, difficulty in concentration and confusion.

The long-term side-effects were the increased risk of high cholesterol levels (dyslipidemia), hypoglycemia, kidney stones and bone fractures.

Latest research has also shown that drastic reduction of carb from the diet increases the risk of mortality.

Another down-side of keto diet in the Indian populations is — the lack of data on what exactly happens to the blood cholesterol levels after consuming such a high-fat diet.

Sustainability is an important factor when it comes to any diet plan. Most of the people discontinue the keto diet as adhering to this diet plan in everyday life is a major challenge in itself. And, achieving ketosis among vegetarians is even tougher with limited food options.

Although the benefits are plentiful in type 2 diabetes, one cannot outweigh the dark side of the keto diet in a few individuals. Therefore, you should try the keto diet only after your doctor gives the go-ahead, and you should do it under the proper guidance and supervision of a Health Coach.

Key takeaway message

At Fitterfly, with our uniquely designed Diabefly program for people with diabetes, we aim to provide the best solutions to manage your blood sugar levels.

Here are the main pointers from our diabetes management program – Diabefly:

1. Keto diet is a trend which can be followed by people with diabetes to manage blood sugar levels but, for a short period and under strict supervision.
2. Always get a personalised keto diet plan based on your medical history, lifestyle and meal preferences to prevent side-effects.
3. Since the response to a keto diet can vary from person-to-person, it is best to do it under expert guidance by closely monitoring various health parameters.

If you still wish to give the keto diet a go to manage your blood sugar levels, then do give it a try with the help of a Diabefly Coach. To know more, visit www.fitterfly.com/diabefly.

Achieve both your goals together – weight loss & healthy blood sugar levels with a customised keto-diet plan that is according to your needs and wants. Click here to sign up for Diabefly Pro today or call us at 022 4897 1077.

About Diabefly Pro

Diabefly Pro is a digital therapeutics diabetes care program that offers personalised diabetes diet plans for healthy weight loss. It uses the latest diabetes care technology called Ambulatory Glucose Monitoring (AGM) device, which measures blood sugar levels painlessly with the help of a sensor patch.

This AGM device was formerly known as the Continuous Glucose Monitoring System (CGMS), and it helps in understanding the exact causes of blood sugar fluctuations. Diabefly Pro is a holistic diabetes care program that provides expert guidance on nutrition, exercise, sleep, stress and more from the comfort of your home.

It bridges the gaps in care in-between your doctor visits with the help of continuous call and chats support from the expert Diabefly Coach. Enrol now!