Scientists from Universitat Autonoma de Barcelona have found that a short-term keto diet program can help people with type 2 diabetes lose weight and control blood sugar with good safety and tolerability.
A keto diet is a high-fat diet that centers on fat, which supplies as much as 90% of daily calories. The keto diet is primarily used to help reduce the frequency of epileptic seizures in children.
The diet aims to force your body into using a different type of fuel.
Instead of relying on sugar (glucose) that comes from carbohydrates, such as grains, legumes, vegetables, and fruits, the keto diet relies on ketone bodies, a type of fuel that the liver produces from stored fat.
While the keto diet has been tried for weight loss, only short-term results have been studied, and the safety and tolerability of very low-calorie keto diets have been a big concern in the treatment of obese people with type 2 diabetes.
In this study, researchers aimed to evaluate the safety and tolerability of a short-term keto diet in an interventional weight loss program that included lifestyle and behavioral changes in people with type 2 diabetes.
The team tested 89 men and women, aged between 30 and 65 years, with type 2 diabetes and obesity.
Forty-five people were assigned to the keto diet interventional weight loss program, and 44 to the standard low-calorie diet program. Both programs lasted four months.
The researchers did not find big differences in the safety markers between the two diet groups.
The blood urea nitrogen did not change strongly relative to baseline nor between groups, suggesting the people eating the keto diet had good kidney functions.
The team also found that the keto diet group showed much larger weight loss and reduction in waist circumference than the control diet group.
In addition, the decline in HbA1c and blood sugar control was larger in the keto diet group.
No serious adverse effects were reported in both diet groups.
These findings suggest that the weight loss program based on a keto diet is most effective in reducing body weight and improving blood sugar control than a standard diet program.
The keto diet program has safety and good tolerance for people with type 2 diabetes.
If you have type 2 diabetes and are considering trying the keto diet, it’s important to talk to your healthcare provider before making any changes to your diet.
The keto diet can be challenging to follow, and it’s important to ensure that you are getting all of the nutrients your body needs to stay healthy.
Your healthcare provider can help you decide if the keto diet is right for you and can provide guidance on how to safely follow the diet.
How to eat a healthy keto diet
If you are planning to try a keto diet, here are some tips to ensure that you have a healthy and well-rounded diet:
Focus on whole foods: Choose nutrient-dense foods such as vegetables, fruits, nuts, seeds, healthy fats, and protein sources.
Monitor your carb intake: A keto diet typically limits carb intake to around 20-50 grams per day. It’s important to track your carb intake and make sure you’re not consuming too many carbs.
Stay hydrated: Drink plenty of water to stay hydrated and prevent constipation, which is a common side effect of a low-carb diet.
Don’t forget about fiber: A keto diet can be low in fiber, so it’s important to include high-fiber foods such as vegetables, nuts, and seeds in your diet.
Choose healthy fats: While a keto diet is high in fat, it’s important to choose healthy sources of fat such as avocado, nuts, seeds, and olive oil.
Consider supplements: A keto diet can be low in certain vitamins and minerals, so consider taking a multivitamin or supplement to ensure you’re getting all the nutrients you need.
Consult with a healthcare professional: Before starting a keto diet, it’s important to consult with a healthcare professional to ensure it’s safe for you and to discuss any potential risks or side effects.
If you care about diabetes, please read studies about a major breakthrough in diabetes treatment, and this drug for inflammation may increase your diabetes risk within days.
For more information about diabetes, please see recent studies about a better way to treat obesity and diabetes, and results showing cruciferous vegetables may help reverse kidney damage in diabetes.
The research is published in Nutrition & Diabetes and was conducted by A Goday et al.
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