Who Should Follow Ketogenic Diet and Who Should NOT?

A ketogenic diet is not for every tom and dick, there are specific people who should follow a ketogenic diet and those who should not follow a keto diet.

In this article, you will know the recommended people to use keto diet and those who are not recommended to use a ketogenic diet.

With the keto diet, consultation with a doctor or physician is very important before starting your keto diet.

 The doctor will guide you and ensures that you get enough water and minerals to avoid the side effects of keto flu.

Note that the keto diet is not good for long-term use.

There are some nutrients that it lacks which may cause micronutrient deficiencies leading to health complications in long-term use.

This article provides you with the kind of people who should follow a ketogenic diet

What is keto diet?

Keto diet is a diet that causes the body to release ketones into the bloodstream during the metabolic process.

The body breaks down stored fat into molecules called ketone bodies through the process called ketosis.

A ketogenic diet is rich in proteins, healthy fats but low in carbs and calories. It acts as an appetite suppressant as it reduces your appetite. This helps reduce the amount of calorie and carb intake. 

Related: See the foods to eat on keto diet.

Who should follow keto diet and who should not follow ketogenic diet

 

The diet is weight loss oriented and helps improves metabolic state. However, it is not recommended for everyone

Who should follow a ketogenic diet?

Here are people who are recommended for a ketogenic diet

  1. Overweight Individuals

Overweight are people with a BMI of 25 or more. It can also be referred to as pre-obesity a BMI between 25 and 30.

These people need to reduce their weight and keto diet is the best way to help reduce or maintain healthy weight.

Studies show that people with unhealthy weight gain are likely to get certain chronic diseases such as cancer, diabetes, heart diseases, and other health complications.

While many studies show that overweight people taking or following a ketogenic diet can help reduce unhealthy fat deposits, excess carbs and reduce body calories and carb intake.

This results in the loss of extra pounds that help in maintaining a healthy weight and prevent the risk of cardiovascular disease.

Therefore, overweight people are recommended to follow a ketogenic diet for better health.

Summary

People who are overweight should follow keto diet to help them lose weight and improve their overall health.Studies support the use of a keto diet for overweight people as they could lose extra weight.

            2. Obese Individuals

Obesity means having too much body fat by a BMI of 30 or more. It’s about much more than your clothing size or how you look.

It can seriously affect your health. Your whole body feels it, from your joints to your heart, blood pressure, blood sugar, and other systems

Studies show that obese people following the keto diet can able to lose extra weight more effectively.

The low-carb diet foods, healthy fats, and adequate protein helps in weight loss and prevent chronic illnesses like cardiovascular diseases.

Therefore, obese people are best to follow a ketogenic diet for faster weight loss.

Summary

A keto diet is good for those who are obese. It helps burn body fats and helps reduce appetite that aids in weight loss. It can help reduce the risk of obese people from a wide array of chronic illnesses.

             3. Big belly bulges

Those with big belly are also shown to reduce belly fats. 

Actually, there are different causes of belly bulges such as constipation, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) certain gynecological conditions like ovarian cysts, bacterial infections, and gastroparesis, which causes delayed stomach emptying.  

This can head to the big stomach and may cause other chronic illnesses.

However, following a keto diet can help prevent the risk of these chronic disorders.

It is shown that keto helps reduce appetite and helps in burning excess body fats, and carbs into energy that is used to enable you to stay active and fit.

It also helps minimize the risk associated with excess fats in the abdominal cavity like cancer, ulcers, and other digestive disorders.

Summary 

People with big belly bulges should follow the keto diet to help them burn excess belly fats and prevent the risk of chronic diseases like stomach cancer, colon cancer, ulcers, and other digestive disorders.

               4. May be used by people with blood pressure 

Keto diet is shown to increase insulin sensitivity and lowers the blood sugar levels in the bloodstream.

It also helps regulates cholesterol levels and triglycerides. This helps reduces high blood pressure and diabetes.

In fact, healthy fats, low calorie, and protein intake are good for lowering blood sugar levels and reducing the risk of insulin resistance.

However, you need to consult with your doctor before following the ketogenic diet.

Summary

A keto diet can be good for reducing blood pressure. The presence of low calories, low carbs and healthy fats can help reduce the blood sugar levels. However, you need to seek advice from your doctor before using keto diet.

          5.  People with type 2 diabetes

Keto diet is low in carbs, the low carb diet is very essential for those with type-2 diabetes and not type-1 diabetes(12).

Actually, a high carb diet can lead to a high risk of death if you have diabetes.

High carb and calories and high unhealthy fats can lead to a high risk of developing low insulin sensitivity, high blood sugar level, high bad cholesterol levels in the bloodstream.

All are linked to diabetes, cancer, hypertension and more health problems.

While keto diet is a restrictive diet that aims in low-carbs, low, calorie, lack of unhealthy fats, optimal proteins that promotes better living as they prevent diseases(13).

However, you need to see the doctor before taking a step into keto diet.

Keto diet is shown to be effective for those with diabetes. However, you need to keep on track of your ketone level and visit the doctor before starting following keto diet if you re diabetic.

                6. People with metabolic issues

A keto diet is good for those with metabolic problems.

It helps improve the digestive system and makes you achieve the normal metabolic process.

For instance, those with big belly bulges and excess stomach fats can burn the fats and remain slimmer and energetic.

Study shows that keto diet can help boost metabolic health.

Therefore, if you have metabolic syndromes you may follow keto diet, but you have to see your doctor first.

Summary

Keto diet is shown to improve metabolic health and helps prevent digestive disorders. It helps in burning carbs and fats. 

  7. Those who want to Lose Weight

Keto diet is best for weight loss since it helps in reducing your appetite, it helps in burning carbs and calories. 

It also helps in promoting a healthy metabolic process that aids in weight management. 

The optimal protein intake in keto diet helps in weight loss.

Furthermore, keto contains a low carb diet food, and low calories that are good for weight reduction.

Therefore, it is recommended for anyone who wants to lose weight, but does not have certain chronic illnesses like cancer and must consult from the doctor in case of chronic illnesses. 

Summary

Keto diet is weight loss oriented and is good for anyone who wants to lose weight after doctor’s consultation. It is not good for those with serious chronic illness.

Reasons to use ketogenic diet

  1. Reduce appetite and burn carbs

The main reason why obese and overweight people should use a ketogenic diet is to help them lose weight faster.

Ketogenic diet improves metabolic rate and reduces appetite(15).

This helps burn excess body fats and calories. It is also low in carb diet and rich in protein.

Protein makes you full, satisfied and enables you to build lean muscles.

Ketogenic diet also helps them to reduce the rich of heart attack, stroke, cancer, blood pressure, and type-2 diabetes.

  1. Keto diet helps  insulin regulation

Ketogenic diet boosts insulin sensitivity and lowers blood sugar levels that are linked to diabetes.

It also provides the body with ketones that provide energy to the liver and boost the immune system.

Ketones also reduce insulin resistance, thereby, helps diabetic people to recover.

Furthermore, protein and healthy fats like MCTs oil are rich in antioxidants, and anti-inflammatory properties that fight against toxin infections.

  1. It reduces blood sugar levels

A ketogenic diet helps reduce blood pressure.

In fact, the keto diet contains a low-carb diet, high healthy fats, enough protein, and low in calories.

This helps boost blood flow, which increases insulin sensitivity, reduces blood sugar and triglycerides levels in the bloodstream.

Therefore, reduces blood pressure in diabetic people and reduces the risk of hypertension in obese and overweight people(17).

  1. It improves the digestive system

People with metabolic syndromes can improve their metabolic health by following a ketogenic diet.

It can prevent certain digestive disorders like bowel syndromes and other digestive problems being that it contains healthy fats, ketones, protein and low-carbs, and few calories.

This helps prevent metabolic dysfunctions

Who should NOT follow a keto diet

As mentioned earlier, keto is not for everyone, therefore, here are people who should not use the keto diet any way if possible.

  1. Any Pregnant women or breastfeeding mothers

Keto is not recommended for any pregnancy stage, whether breastfeeding or just pregnant.

As it can cause low energy levels and it can lead to micronutrient deficiency that may result in more complicated health problems to the developing baby and the mother.

      2.  Anyone with decreased kidney function

Some studies show that a keto diet can lead to kidney problems being that is rich in high-fat foods that can lead to kidney impairments.

Therefore, keep off from keto diet unless you get more advice from your doctor.

      3. If you have type 1 diabetes

Keto diet is not recommended for those with type1 diabetes. It can lead to health complications that can result to sudden death.

Actually, Type 1 diabetes is a condition in which your immune system destroys insulin-making cells in your pancreas.

While with the keto diet, it can affect your immune functions that may make it difficult to control type 1 diabetes.

      4. Anyone on medications that decrease kidney or liver function (i.e. metformin)

A keto diet is not recommended for people who are under medications, especially when using metformin(23).

Who should Not follow Keto diet

Therefore, it is important to talk with your doctor before using keto when you are on any kind of medication or drugs to ensure there are no contraindications with keto.

        5. Women with irregular menses

Keto diet is not recommended for those women with irregular periods as it can further cause other risks of illnesses.

Therefore, if you are a woman, then you need to ensure that you visit your doctor before using keto for medical checkups. 

       6.If you have eating disorder 

People who are underweight or have an eating disorder are not recommended to follow keto diet.

You may have a big body though you have current eating disorders, then you should not follow the keto diet.

    7. Anyone with chronic respiratory conditions

People with COPD and other restrictive lung diseases are not supposed to follow the keto diet. It is advisable to seek medical advice in case you have any cardiovascular disease.

Furthermore, those who are recovering from surgery are not recommended to follow a ketogenic diet.

Summing It Up

A ketogenic diet is best for people who are obese and overweight and some patients with type2 diabetes, blood pressure and those who want to improve their metabolic condition.

On the other hand, keto diet is not recommended for pregnant and breastfeeding women, people with type 1 diabetes, kidney disease, liver disease, and those under medication. 

Furthermore, the keto diet can help in preventing several chronic illnesses such as cancer, brain disorders, and many more.

However, you need to consult with your doctor before using a keto diet to lose weight.