The ketogenic diet was developed at the beginning of the last century. It has been used to treat people with epileptic seizures. Modern medicine focuses on the ketogenic diet for an entirely different reason.
Recent studies have shown that it is very effective in controlling blood sugar levels in patients with diabetes. However, there is no data on the results of studies over 3 years, so using a ketogenic diet for longer is questionable.
The diet involves the minimum intake of carbohydrates, which provide the body with energy in the short term. As soon as a person feels that they are lacking, they will look for an alternative: ketones.
Instead of glycolysis, which helps break down carbohydrates, the lipolysis mechanism is activated: the breakdown of fats. Therefore, to survive without carbohydrates, the body will enter a state of ketosis.
Don't confuse ketosis and ketoacidosis, they are two different concepts. The latter is a violation of the acid-base balance, which leads to serious complications and even death.
The basis of the keto plan is the high fat content in the diet: 65-80% of stools per day, proteins are 15-20%, and carbohydrates are reduced to 5-15%. It turns out that carbohydrates cannot be consumed per day more than 20-50 grams, whereas outside of the ketogenic diet, a person consumes about 250 grams per day.
Since the ketogenic diet is the best way to control blood sugar, many experts support a ketogenic approach to treating type 2 diabetes.
Research conducted throughout the year revealed the following:
List of foods included in the diet:
This is a short list of what can be consumed, consult a specialist for more details.
Prohibited products include:
It is not desirable to exceed the allowed protein norm, its excess is converted into glucose, which interrupts the process of transition to a state of ketosis.
A ketogenic diet inevitably leads to a decrease in blood glucose concentration. This is very good for diabetics.
However, a sharp drop in glucose can have serious consequences, so eliminating carbohydrates should be step by step.
To prevent the development of hypoglycemia, sugar must be measured routinely. Normally, it ranges from 4. 7 to 4. 9 on an empty stomach. Diabetics tend to have higher rates. On a ketogenic diet, sugar fluctuates around 6 mmol / L.
The effects of the ketogenic diet on sugar levels have been investigated many times and the results have always been positive. The patients shed those extra pounds and were better able to control their glucose levels.
In 2017, a study was conducted in New York on the effects of the ketogenic diet on diabetes. For 32 weeks, the patients adhered to this type of diet, and as it was canceled by the specialists, they managed to lose weight successfully and their sugar became more stable.
I must also say that scientists recognize the benefits of a vegan diet, it can perfectly replace keto, but it has its own nuances.
There are analogues of the ketogenic diet, they have similar principles. Some examples are the Dukan diet, Robert Atkins, Kremlin. It is the Atkins diet that is most often confused with the ketogenic principle of nutrition. But at the same time, there are practically no similarities between the ketogenic diet and the Atkins diet.
Atkins developed his nutritional principle to lose weight, not for diabetics to control blood sugar. On the ketogenic diet, unsaturated fats reduce the amount of protein and carbohydrates. By following the Atkins diet, protein can be consumed without restrictions. Furthermore, the Atkins diet differs from the ketogenic also in the frequency of food intake. Atkins recommends five meals a day, keto assumes 2-3 meals a day.
When the body receives energy not from carbohydrates, but from fats, there is a strong release of ketone bodies. The main potential danger of a ketone diet for a diabetic is the possibility of developing diabetic ketoacidosis, which appears due to a lack of insulin in the blood.
Symptoms of diabetic ketoacidosis:
Therefore, even on a ketogenic diet, it is necessary to constantly monitor blood sugar levels and periodically check the concentration of ketone bodies.
Hunger is absolutely contraindicated for diabetics, so they can only follow any diet with the permission of a doctor.
The ketogenic diet has great potential to lower blood glucose levels. The lack of carbohydrates in the diet prevents their accumulation and changes in blood sugar concentration. The doctor must calculate the required amount of carbohydrates, each case is individual. If the patient has a high blood glucose level, you should limit the intake of carbohydrate foods. In this case, the amount of fat in the diet increases.
The ketogenic diet is helpful for diabetics, especially those who have difficulty regulating sugar levels. Of course, it is not promising to treat the pathology with this diet, observing it, you can reduce the number of drugs, but you can hardly refuse insulin injections.
