Caution With Keto

INFO

In this section, we will look closer at the key benefits of this diet, but before we do it, one crucial note:

Some people must be more mindful with the keto diet

The reason is not a flaw of the keto diet itself but the fact that certain keto-related adaptations can conflict with some medical conditions.

It would be reckless of me to recommend a very low ketogenic diet to people with such conditions, without some warning. Here some scenarios where the keto diet should be approached with extra care.

Caution: If you are a diabetic on medication:

A low carb diet is one of the best things you can do for your health if you have diabetes. However, you must keep a close eye on your blood sugar levels because the keto diet reduces them. If you use your usual insulin dose, your blood sugar may drop too low, leading to hypoglycemia. Just remember that if you are on insulin as a general guide, you may need to lower your doses by 30% or more as you start and progress on a keto diet. Regular tests are needed to monitor your blood sugar levels, this will help ensure they remain within the optimal range.

If you are breastfeeding:

A low carb diet can be an excellent way to lose excess weight, while still eating all the nutritious foods that you and your baby needs.

Howver, it is best to follow a reduced carbohydrate diet rather than a very low carbohydrate ketogenic diet in such a scenario. Once you stop breastfeeding you can adopt any of the other carb restriction levels of LEAN Keto.

If you have irregular menstrual cycles:

If you have irregular periods, a strict very low carbohydrate ketogenic diet (below 20g) could make the situation worse for a time at the begining of your keto diet. The reason is that a keto diet can lower the levels of leptin, an essential hormone for female reproductive health.^[1-3] Instead, follow a low carbohydrate diet (below 50g) and get your carbs from low carb fruits and plenty of green leafy vegetables.

If you suffer from high blood pressure:

If you’re on blood pressure medication and start a keto diet, there’s a risk of getting a low blood pressure (hypotension). Adopting a keto diet is a way to lower your blood pressure, this blood lowering effect can happen with days. If you are also taking medication to lower your blood pressure, it could drop your levels too low and affect your health. With this in mind, you would need to be more mindful and monitor your blood pressure often to ensure it does not drop too low. If you feel weak, tired, dizzy etc. you should check your blood pressure.

Now that we have covered the scenarios where a keto diet should be approached with care, let’s look at the benefits of going keto.

References

[1] Park, S., Kim, D. S., Kang, S., & Daily, J. W., 3rd. (2011). A ketogenic diet impairs energy and glucose homeostasis by the attenuation of hypothalamic leptin signalling and hepatic insulin signalling in a rat model of non-obese type 2 diabetes. Experimental Biology And Medicine, 236(2), 194-204.

[2] Karlsson, C., Lindell, K., Svensson, E., Bergh, C., Lind, P., Billig, H., . . . Carlsson, B. (1997). Expression of functional leptin receptors in the human ovary. The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, 82(12), 4144-8.

[3] Elias, C. F., & Purohit, D. (2013). Leptin signalling and circuits in puberty and fertility. Cellular and Molecular Life Sciences, 70(5), 841-62.