Type 2 Diabetes: Should You Use a Ketogenic Diet Plan?

As someone who works hard to control or prevent type 2 diabetes, one diet you may have heard of is the keto or ketogenic diet plan. This diet is a very low carb diet plan that consists of around…

  • 5% total carbohydrates,
  • 30% protein and a
  • a whopping 65% dietary fat.

If there’s one thing this diet will do, it’s help control blood sugar levels. That said, there’s more to eating right than just controlling your blood sugar.

Let’s go over some of the top reasons this diet doesn’t always stack up to be as good as it seems…

1. You will lack dietary fiber. The first big problem with the ketogenic diet is that you will be lacking in dietary fiber. Nearly all vegetables are eliminated from this plan (apart from very low-carb varieties), and fruits are definitely not allowed. Fiber-rich grains are also out of the equation, so this leaves you with mostly protein and fat, two foods that contain no fiber at all.

Follow this diet and you will see that you start to feel supported in no time.

2. You will be low on energy. Another big problem with the ketogenic diet is that you will have little energy to carry out your exercise program. Your body can only use glucose as a fuel source for very intense exercise, and if you don’t eat carbohydrates, you won’t have glucose available.

Therefore, the ketogenic diet is not for everyone who wants to lead an active lifestyle with regular exercise sessions.

3. You may suffer from brain fog. Those who are using the ketogenic diet may also find that they suffer from brain fog. Again, this is due to the fact that your brain primarily uses glucose.

Some people may notice that after a week or two of using the diet they start to feel better as their brain can switch to using ketones as a fuel source, but others may never find that they start to feel better.

All in all, this diet just doesn’t work for some people for this very reason.

4. Your antioxidant status will decrease. Finally, the last problem with the ketogenic diet is due to the lack of fruit and vegetable content – ​​your antioxidant status will drop dramatically.

Antioxidants are important in defending against free radical damage, so this is not something to be taken lightly. If you don’t welcome them, you could end up sick in the future.

So keep these points in mind, as the diet carries some risks. The ketogenic diet converts fat instead of sugar into energy. It was first created as a treatment for epilepsy, but now the effects of diet are being studied to help type 2 diabetics lower blood sugar. Be sure to discuss the diet with your doctor before making any dietary changes.

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