What sugars should be on a keto diet | What the studies say | The Atkins Diet for diabetes | Differences between the Atkins diet and keto | Conclusion
Any diabetic needs to constantly regulate blood sugar. The basic principle is to monitor your diet and maintain a healthy weight. And it may seem crazy to make fatty food the base of your diet, but, oddly enough, it works. So, why should you switch to a keto diet for diabetes and what nuances you need to consider.
What sugars should be on a keto diet
A ketogenic diet will inevitably lead to a drop in blood glucose, which is beneficial for patients with diabetes at first glance. But a sharp drop is fraught with serious consequences, so you need to give up carbohydrates gradually. To avoid hypoglycemia, regularly measure your sugar. The optimal level in a healthy person usually ranges from 4.7 to 4.9 mmol / l (8.5 mg / dl) on an empty stomach. However, in diabetics it may be slightly higher. On a keto diet, blood sugar can even fluctuate around 6 mmol / l. This condition is called physiological insulin resistance in medicine and should not cause concern. With a deficiency of carbohydrates, the body begins to adapt and release more glucose into the blood. In a word, slightly elevated but stable sugar should not be a threat.
What the studies say
The effect of the keto diet on blood sugar levels has been studied repeatedly and positive results have been noted everywhere. Diabetics lost weight while controlling glucose better. The last such study was undertaken in 2017 by scientists from the School of Medicine at the University of New York. Diabetes volunteers have been on a keto diet for 32 weeks and, as noted in the final report, “have made significant progress in losing excess weight.” Their glycated hemoglobin (A1c) assays were also more stable compared to the control group. However, scientists also noted the usefulness of a plant (vegan) diet for patients with diabetes. It can become an alternative to ketogenic nutrition, however, with its nuances.
The Atkins Diet for diabetes
Keto diets have analogues that profess similar principles. The Kremlin diet, the Ducan diet – all of them are, to one degree or another, based on a complete rejection or restriction of carbohydrates. Another variety is the diet of the American cardiologist Robert Atkins. It is she who is most often associated with ketogenic nutrition, but in fact, the similarities between them are minimal.
Differences between the Atkins diet and keto
The differences between the ketogenic diet and what Dr. Atkins suggested begin with the fact that Atkins designed his system specifically for weight loss, and not for optimizing the nutrition of diabetics. He has never stated anywhere that the diet he developed is suitable for such a disease.
For example, in a keto diet, it is proposed to cut back on the amount of protein in favor of unsaturated fats and vegetables. According to Atkins, you can eat it unlimitedly. Why is it important? The fact is that ketosis is not a long-term goal in the Atkins diet. As soon as the weight returns to normal, a person can from time to time arrange for himself cheat codes and deviate from a healthy diet. Unlimited protein in this diet is needed for better saturation, and less drawn to sweets. The difference between the Atkins diet and the keto diet is also in a different number of meals. According to Atkins, five meals a day are available, on a keto diet – you can eat three or two times a day, and even practice short-term fasting.
ATTENTION! Starvation is not recommended for diabetics! Be sure to consult your doctor and do not try such a radical method on yourself without the recommendations of a specialist. Carbohydrate reduction, of course, will be useful for diabetes, however, the goals of the Atkins diet are still different – losing weight.
Conclusion
A ketogenic diet is a great help for people with diabetes who have difficulty regulating sugar. Serious improvement may not occur, but at least the patient will be less dependent on drugs, although he will not be able to refuse insulin injections. However, not all diabetics may have success in a keto diet. To some, such restrictions may seem too stringent. Switching to a ketogenic diet for diabetes should only be if you are confident that you can follow it all your life. Before that, be sure to work out an individual nutrition plan with a nutritionist. Switching to plant foods can be a more reasonable alternative. But, of course, you can’t do this without drawing up an individual plan and consulting a nutritionist, especially if you are taking diabetes medications.