Introduction
A keto diet or ketogenic diet outperformed a Mediterranean diet in improving metabolic health metrics in a new, very small study in people who had recently received a diabetes diagnosis.
The study found that a keto diet improved blood sugar, gut microbiota composition, body mass index (BMI), and waist circumference more than a Mediterranean diet. The keto diet has proven to be successful in weight loss but has been associated with numerous adverse effects. It involves a radical reduction in carbohydrates and changes the way the body accesses energy.
The advantages the keto diet exhibited over the Mediterranean diet were not long-lasting in the year-long study, fading after 6 months. Compared to a Mediterranean diet, a ketogenic (keto) diet produced more immediate beneficial changes in people with type 2 diabetes during a 12-month study. However, the keto diet’s relative advantages appeared to wane beyond 6 months. The diets resulted in similar improvements in participants’ health by the end of the study.
The small study, conducted by researchers in Italy and Brazil, and whose findings appeared in the journal Metabolites, recorded short-term improvements in gut microbial diversity, various anthropometric measures, and metabolic indicators.
The keto diet is a weight-loss diet based on the principle that by dramatically limiting the presence of carbohydrates (sugars) available to the body, the body will instead burn away fat for energy. The diet can produce significant weight loss and has been linked to other benefits. However, the keto diet has also been associated with various serious adverse effects, especially with long-term use, making it difficult to study human subjects safely.
Metabolic benifits
At the start of the study and throughout the year, the researchers took stool samples from participants and used next-generation genetic sequencing to identify the microbiota they contained. They also took anthropometric measurements such as body mass index (BMI) and waist circumference and measured key metabolic values such as hemoglobin A1C (HbA1c), a key indicator of blood sugar, and triglycerides, a marker of cholesterol.
At month 6, those in the low-calorie keto group exhibited significant improvements beyond the Mediterranean diet group in HbA1c levels, BMI, waist circumference, and beneficial gut bacteria. Among the low-calorie keto group’s enhanced gut bacteria was the Akkermansia species, which is involved in metabolic health and gut barrier protection.
After 6 months, however, most of these indicators of health improvement receded, though they never fell back to where participants were at the start of the study, leaving the researchers encouraged about keto.
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What are the Concerns about Kito diets?
Nutrient deficiencies can occur from not eating a variety of vegetables and grains that may have nutrients. Liver and kidney issues can occur because of the high demand for metabolizing fat and proteins that can overload those organs. Constipation occurs from not eating fibrous foods that can keep bowel movements regular. Mood swings and difficulty thinking can occur sometimes when your brain is deprived of sugar.
Potential role of kito diets
Potential weight loss and possible improvement in gut microbiota from keto diets may be possible in carefully selected patients who are healthy otherwise, and with close monitoring to ensure minimization of those side effects,” he noted.
For those with type 2 diabetes, in particular, he agreed that “a keto diet may be a valuable tool in the management of obesity and improvement in insulin resistance in patients who cannot lose weight or have variable sugar control.”
However, Routhenstein did not “ recommend a keto diet for individuals with type 2 diabetes, as the condition already heightens the risk of heart disease.” Both framed a Mediterranean diet as a safer bet.
A Mediterranean diet noted Ng, is a valuable resource and tool to help people with [type 2 diabetes] control their sugars, and improve weight loss, and is likely easier to maintain than a keto diet, and is an established diet that can improve the health of patients with this condition.
Rather than following fad diets, Routhenstein advised, “I recommend focusing on nutrient adequacy, effective meal planning, and a balanced approach that includes proper timing for meals. This strategy is more sustainable for managing type 2 diabetes and improving overall health.”