The ketogenic diet has been used since 1924 in pediatrics as a treatment for epilepsy. A ketogenic (keto) diet is one that is high in fat and low in carbs. The ketogenic diet is designed to switch the body’s metabolic fuel from burning carbohydrates to fat. With the keto diet, the body turns fat into energy instead of sugar. Ketones are a byproduct of that process.
For years, the ketogenic diet has been used to treat diabetes. One justification was that it treats diabetes at its root cause by reducing blood sugar by reducing carbohydrate intake, which in turn reduces the need for insulin which reduces insulin resistance and the associated metabolic syndrome. In this way, a ketogenic diet can improve blood glucose (sugar) levels as well as reduce the need for insulin. This approach presents the keto diet as a safer and more effective plan than injecting insulin to combat the consumption of high-carbohydrate foods.
The keto diet is actually a very restrictive diet. For example in the classic keto diet, a person needs about 80 percent of their calories from fat and 20 percent from protein and carbohydrates. This is a clear departure from the norm where the body runs on energy from sugar derived from carbohydrate digestion but by severely limiting carbohydrates, the body is forced to use fat instead.
A ketogenic diet requires healthy food intake with beneficial fats, such as coconut oil, grass-fed butter, organic pastured eggs, avocados, fish such as salmon, cottage cheese, avocados, almond butter and raw nuts (raw pecans). and macadamia). People on a ketogenic diet avoid all bread, rice, potatoes, pasta, flour, starchy vegetables, and dairy. The diet is low in vitamins, minerals and nutrients and supplementation is needed.
A low-carbohydrate diet is often recommended for people with type 2 diabetes because carbohydrates turn into blood sugar, which increases blood sugar by a large amount. Thus, for a diabetic who already has high blood sugar, eating additional sugar-producing foods is tantalizing. By shifting the focus from sugar to fat, some patients may experience low blood sugar.
The switch from carbohydrates to fat, the body’s primary energy source, leaves behind a byproduct of fat metabolism, ketones, in the blood. For some diabetics, this can be dangerous because a buildup of ketones can pose a risk for developing diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA). DKA is a medical emergency that requires immediate medical attention. DKA signs include persistent high blood sugar, dry mouth, polyuria, nausea, breath that smells fruity, and difficulty breathing. Complications can lead to diabetic coma.
Source by Moses Igono
