A lot of people swear by the keto diet. With it’s ultra-low carb contents, it tends to lead to weight loss. But is it good to control diabetes?
We can compare the keto diet to other similar diets, e.g. Mediterranean and low carb diets. The evidence is that both keto and Mediterranean diets achieve roughly the same results over a 1 year period.
The Mediterranean diet has been shown to be effective in T2 diabetes management, with reduced HbA1c, higher rate of remission, a reduction in LDL, and a delayed need for diabetes medication. It has also been shown to be more effective than low-fat diets in T2 diabetics.
Keto has been shown to be slightly more effective at reducing HbA1c and weight loss, but doesn’t show the same glucose tolerance improvement.
However, keto has been shown to have a few problems:
– It has potential untoward risks from elevated LDL cholesterol.
– It has been associated to elevated risks of heart disease.
– It leads to a lower intake of nutrients via the elimination of certain food groups (e.g. fruit).
– It is much less sustainable in the long run (do you know someone that has stuck to keto for more than 12 months?)
In studies, it has been found that participants drifted naturally from keto to a more Mediterranean diet during and after the observation period. So, keto and the Mediterranean diet being so similar, participants found it easier to maintain with similar benefits.
For these reasons, I stick to a mainly Mediterranean-style diet, minus the meat and with limited grain intake.
