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The keto diet is a high-fat, adequate-protein and low-carbohydrate dietary therapy used in traditional medicine primarily to treat epilepsy.
The keto diet induces your body to use fat instead of sugar as fuel source, helping reduce both blood sugar and insulin levels.
1. Those with diabetes
If you are experiencing high blood sugar and insulin resistance, a keto diet may be an effective way to manage these conditions. By restricting carb intake and encouraging your body to burn fat for energy instead of glucose, keto diet can help manage these conditions more easily.
Low-carb diets have also proven successful at aiding weight loss for some individuals with diabetes, but it’s important to maintain them alongside medications and insulin treatments.
Followers of the keto diet must carefully monitor their blood sugar and seek medical care if they experience symptoms of diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA), an extremely serious health problem which could lead to hypoglycemia that could prove lethal.
2. Those with high blood pressure
High blood pressure (also known as hypertension) is a growing health concern, affecting one out of every four adults in America. Hypertension narrows arteries, restricting their ability to transport blood.
Diet is key when it comes to managing blood pressure; specifically, eating potassium-rich vegetables and seafood with lower sodium content.
A keto diet consists of eating an abundance of fats while restricting carbohydrates. This causes your body to enter ketosis and start burning fat instead of glucose as energy source.
Over time, a keto diet may help lower LDL cholesterol, which is damaging to heart health. But this benefit may not last.
3. Those with high cholesterol
For anyone suffering from high cholesterol levels, the keto diet could be an excellent way to enhance their lipid profile and decrease both total and LDL cholesterol while increasing HDL (high-density lipoprotein) cholesterol.
Anti-inflammatories also help decrease inflammation levels, which are major risk factors for heart disease and stroke.
Finally, eating less carbs may help lower triglycerides. Triglycerides are made up of fatty acids in your bloodstream that form when too many carbohydrates enter the system, according to Soffer.
Low-carb diets such as the keto diet may help raise HDL cholesterol to combat any elevated triglycerides. But be sure to regularly get tested for total and triglyceride cholesterol levels to be safe.
4. Those with fibromyalgia
Fibromyalgia patients experience pain in various parts of their bodies, as well as fatigue and difficulty sleeping. While no cure exists for the condition, diet changes may help some manage symptoms better.
Some individuals living with fibromyalgia are sensitive to gluten. Although this cannot be proven through blood tests, if you suspect having non-celiac gluten sensitivity (not related to celiac disease), eliminating gluten may help you feel better.
People living with fibromyalgia should avoid high-fat diets and foods containing unhealthy oils, like vegetable oils used to fry food. According to medical literature, such foods can increase inflammation and make symptoms worse.
5. Those with chronic fatigue
If you suffer from chronic fatigue, a keto diet could help increase energy and decrease inflammation. But for best results, work with a registered dietitian nutritionist who can tailor a plan specifically to your needs.
A low carbohydrate diet, commonly referred to as keto, involves restricting carbohydrates while replacing them with healthy fats and proteins in your diet. Researchers claim this type of eating regimen may increase ATP production for those suffering from chronic fatigue syndrome.