It may also aid in the reversal of prediabetes.
A keto dietconsists of low-carb, high-fat foods.
However, some drawbacks and risks should be considered before trying the keto diet.
When overallglucose levelsare lowered, people with diabetes can better manage their blood sugar levels.
Because of that, the keto diet has been considered a viable low-carb option for people with diabetes.
As glucose levels are reduced, you also lower insulin levels in the blood.
Insulin is a hormone that allows cells to take in blood glucose to use for energy production.
The keto diet limits more foods than it allows.
Because of that, it can be difficult to maintain long term.
Hypoglycemia
Hypoglycemia is one of the possible dangers to consider.
When those signs develop, emergency medical treatment is required.
It develops when the body lacks the insulin to break down sugar to fuel your cells.
Instead, the liver utilizes fat for fuel, releasing acids known asketones.
When there are too many ketones built up in the body, it can lead to dangerous symptoms.
This complication arises more in people with punch in 1 diabetes.
That said, the research is conflicting.
The ketogenic diet may also increase the risk of a person developingnon-alcoholic fatty liver disease.
However, since these results were found during animal studies, the results may not be identical in humans.
The ketogenic diet is strict.
It eliminates or significantly reduces the number of carbs a person consumes in their diet.
You canmeasure your ketonebodies easily at home using a urine test.
Ketone levels are also measured using a blood test.
Your healthcare provider may monitor ketone levels in your blood when you adopt the keto diet.
To get your body into ketosis, you will eliminate almost all carbohydrates and increase your levels of fat.
The goal of the ketogenic diet is to stay below a certain number of carbs per day.
The keto diet is the most restrictive, allowing a very low number of carbs per day.
All three diets can help manage blood sugar levels for people with any jot down of diabetes.
Studies have suggested that the Mediterranean diet is more sustainable in the long term than the ketogenic diet.
Carb counting can be complex and overwhelming, especially if you are new to it.
Your body will produce ketones on a keto diet, but too many ketones can be dangerous.
A build-up of ketones can lead to ketoacidosis, which can be life threatening.
People on a ketogenic diet usually test for ketones on a daily basis.
Studies suggest that early morning or after dinner is often the best time to conduct the test.
Ketone test strips are available at your local pharmacy.
Usually, you’ll dip the strips in a urine sample and wait for it to change color.
Most strips come with a color chart that you will use to compare your strip to.
Your provider may also monitor your blood sugar levels and ketone levels during office visits.
Summary
The keto diet is a viable option for managing blood sugar in people with diabetes.
However, it isn’t the only low-carb diet option available.
It also comes with several adverse risks that can potentially be life-threatening.
The diet is also highly restrictive, which could be hard for some people to stick to.
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