Not Another Fad Diet

All client names have been replaced for their anonymity.

Doug had been diagnosed with diabetes years before he joined what he thought would be just another diabetes type 2 group. He had tried other diets before to no success and his blood sugars just kept climbing.

He was on many medications for depression, cholesterol, and high blood pressure and he was tired. More than tired, he had fatigue and a sense of hopelessness about his diabetes type 2.  

Luckily, Doug’s nephew was a chiropractor who knew how easy it could be for Doug to get his diabetes under control. Doug was skeptical because of so many other things that he had tried but he trusted his nephew. So, under the recommendation of his nephew, Doug decided to join a diabetes program centered around a ketogenic diet.

It was an incredible transformation for Doug that he never thought was possible. Within weeks his blood sugars were in the normal ranges and his medications were lowered. After 3 months he was off all his medications. He was happy and joyful and his fatigue was gone.     

What Is A Keto Diet?

A Ketogenic Diet is a high-fat and low-carbohydrate diet that aims at putting the body into ketosis, a metabolic state. 

According to this study, in ketosis, the dieter's body effectively burns fat to derive energy. Ketosis signals the body to convert fat into ketones in the liver, allowing it to supply the body with energy.

As this stands, ketogenic diets can reduce the body's blood sugar and insulin levels, making them ideal for people who are living with diabetes type 2.

The Ketogenic diet comes in different forms: 

1. Standard Ketogenic Diet (SKD) 

This keto diet type is consistently low-carb. Its protein content is moderate while its fat content is high. Here's its typical composition of the macronutrients:

Fat: 70% 

Protein: 20% 

Carbohydrates: 10%

2. Cyclical Ketogenic Diet (CKD)

As the name suggests, the feeding practice for this type of diet comes in cycles. There will be periods of higher carbohydrate refeeds after longer periods of carbohydrate restriction. For example, 5 consecutive days of keto followed by 2 days of high carb days. I sometimes recommend menstruating women to eat ketogenic for 2 weeks during their follicular phase and then cycle higher carbs during their luteal phase when they require 200-300 more calories.

3. Targeted Ketogenic Diet (TKD)

This is a combination of the standard ketogenic diet and the cyclical ketogenic diet. Since this keto diet is targeted toward high athlete performance, dieters are allowed to take in more carbs during workout days. 

4. High Protein Ketogenic Diet

While it is almost similar to an SKT, this keto diet includes higher amounts of protein. It is optimal for some athletes and post-menopausal women who require more protein. It adheres to the following ratio:

Fat: 60% 

Protein: 35% 

Cards: 5% 

Among the 4 types, the SKD and the High Protein Ketogenic diets have received voluminous attention from the nutritional research community. The CKD and the TKD are considered advanced techniques because of their use in the sports community.

That said, we will focus on the SKD in explaining the benefits of ketosis in keeping Type 2 Diabetes from worsening.

Ketosis: A Diabetic's True Friend

As already mentioned, ketosis is a metabolic state that your body reaches when you either:

•  fast from food (metabolic ketosis) or

•  lower your carbohydrate intake drastically and take in more healthy fat calories (dietary ketosis). 

The principle behind dietary ketosis is that the body is being trained to use fat as cellular energy. You see metabolic ketosis is a natural way human bodies would survive in times of food scarcity.  However, food scarcity is rare in modern human existence within wealthy countries so a diet that mimics ketosis is greatly beneficial for our bodies.

When carbohydrates are reduced, the body’s supply of glucose or sugar is notably limited. Since sugar is the primary source of cellular energy the body transitions to using the secondary energy source, ketones. This transition from sugar as fuel to ketones allows a diabetic’s blood sugar to normalize and reduces the demand for insulin.

There are other significant benefits to dietary ketosis and using ketones as fuel instead of glucose. A few include reducing inflammation, increasing fat loss, higher body temperatures, increasing the immune system, and clearer brain function.

If you are interested in getting into a keto diet, you must limit your carb consumption to about 20 to 50 grams daily. As you do this, you should take in more fat from healthy oils (olive oil, coconut oil, tallow, butter, or duck fat), nuts, eggs, fish, and meat. 

However, you must also moderate your protein intake. Protein is also converted into glucose if you consume too much of it. This slows down your transition into ketosis.

The Benefits of a Keto Diet for Type 2 Diabetics

People with Type 2 Diabetes must know the difference between nutritional ketosis and ketoacidosis before entering a ketogenic diet. While both states involve ketones, ketoacidosis is dangerous to the body. Ketoacidosis is when the individual does not have enough insulin and ketones in the body build up excessively at the same time as blood sugar levels exceedingly rise. 

Ketoacidosis symptoms include difficulty breathing while walking across the room, weakness, fatigue, tremendous thirst, and excessive urination. However, this is more common in patients with Type 1 Diabetes.

Ketosis, on the other hand, has lower and safer levels of ketones. Ketosis is the state that the regular practice of SKD can achieve.  

Not only can people with Type 2 Diabetes slim down, but they can also lower their blood sugar levels should they opt for SKD. An article published by WebMD postulated that through a Keto diet that lasted for a year, people who were dealing with Type 2 Diabetes required less medication, lost weight, and lowered their Hemoglobin A1c. Let's take a look at these three effects a little bit more.

1. Less Medication 

According to an article from Medical News Today.com, a keto diet allows Type 2 diabetics to maintain low levels of glucose in their bodies. Lowered carbohydrate consumption helps get rid of spikes in blood sugar. The lesser spikes in blood sugar reduce the need for insulin treatment. 

2. Weight Loss

According to HonorHealth.com, 90% of Type 2 patients are overweight or are suffering from a certain level of obesity. When diabetics get into a Keto diet, they will feel a satiating effect marked by lowered food cravings. They have the high-fat content of the diet to thank for that. 

During ketosis, the body's release of appetite-stimulating hormones insulin and ghrelin are decreased in light of limited carbohydrate consumption.

3. Lowered Hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c)

A study from the National Library of Medicine showed that a restricted carbohydrate diet greatly reduced the hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) among mild Type 2 diabetics. A total of 33 outpatients were observed for the study within 2 years.

Meanwhile, in a clinical study cited by Stanford Medicine, the Keto diet led to a 9% drop in the level of HbA1c, strongly suggesting improved blood glucose control.

Suffice it to say, nutritional ketosis is highly beneficial for Type 2 patients because it addresses the insulin resistance of their bodies.

A Promising Future

More studies have yet to be performed to see the other long-term effects of a consistent keto diet on Type 2 Diabetics. So far, while the available literature is limited only to short-term impacts, the data is promising. 

There are other types of diet that may prove advantageous for diabetics. For instance,  water fasting benefits Type 2 patients because it can also lower the body's blood sugar and insulin levels. However, the prospect of making SKD and High Protein Ketogenic Diet staples for Type 2 diabetes treatment is by far the most exciting. As ketogenic diets give Type 2 diabetics some options for a fun and tasty diet, they also promise them a life not deprived of quality.

Article author: Kat Sarmiento

Edited by Natalie Earle, FNTP