Are Keto Diets Good for Us?

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• Compared to low-fat diets, ketogenic (low-carb) diets resulted in participants losing fat-free mass (including muscle) rather than body fat, and low-carb diets were ranked the worst by the American Heart Association for heart health alignment.  Copied to clipboard!
• Low-carbohydrate diets, particularly animal-based ones, may worsen the underlying disease of carbohydrate intolerance in Type 2 diabetes, despite lowering blood sugar symptoms, and studies showed no significant remission effect at six months and increased LDL cholesterol at twelve months.  Copied to clipboard!
• Keto diets may paradoxically increase the formation of methylglyoxal, a precursor to harmful AGEs implicated in diabetic complications, because the ketone acetone produced during ketosis can oxidize into a precursor for this toxin.  Copied to clipboard!

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Keto vs Low-Fat Weight Loss

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(00:00:30)

• Key Takeaway: Low-carb diets resulted in loss of fat-free mass, while low-fat diets promoted actual fat loss.
• Summary: A comparison between plant-based, low-fat diets and animal-based ketogenic diets showed that participants on the low-carb diet lost more body weight initially, but those on the low-fat diet lost more body fat. The low-carb group lost fat-free mass, including muscle, whereas the low-fat group preserved fat-free mass while losing two pounds of fat over two weeks.

Diabetes Remission Definition

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(00:01:45)

• Key Takeaway: True diabetes remission requires eating carbohydrates normally without adverse effects, not just managing symptoms by avoiding carbs.
• Summary: Type 2 diabetes remission is defined clinically as an HbA1C below 6.5% after stopping blood sugar medications. However, avoiding carbohydrates only manages the symptom (high blood sugar) of carbohydrate intolerance, similar to avoiding peanuts when allergic. True cure means being able to consume carbohydrates without negative consequences.

Keto Impact on Diabetes Remission

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(00:02:58)

• Key Takeaway: Low-carb diets showed no significant diabetes remission effect at six months and worsened outcomes at twelve months, including increased LDL cholesterol.
• Summary: Studies using the strict definition of diabetes remission showed no significant effect at six months on low-carb diets. At 12 months, there was less remission in the low-carb groups, accompanied by harms to quality of life and an increase in LDL cholesterol.

LDL Cholesterol Importance

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(00:03:22)

• Key Takeaway: LDL cholesterol is the principal driver of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease, making its control paramount for longevity.
• Summary: LDL cholesterol is unequivocally recognized as the main factor driving the development of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease, the leading cause of death. Therefore, the most important question to ask about any diet is what it does to LDL cholesterol, aiming to keep it as low as possible for longer.

Low-Carb Diet Ranking and Risks

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(00:04:48)

• Key Takeaway: Low-carbohydrate diets ranked worst among dietary patterns aligned with American Heart Association guidance due to restricting beneficial foods and including high saturated fat.
• Summary: When ranked by the American Heart Association for heart health alignment, low-carbohydrate diets ranked the worst. Optimal low-carb diets necessitate restricting heart-healthy foods like legumes and whole grains while including high-saturated fat sources like meat and dairy, which are discouraged.

Keto Worsens Underlying Diabetes

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(00:05:25)

• Key Takeaway: Keto diets can worsen carbohydrate intolerance, the underlying disease of Type 2 diabetes, even while lowering blood sugar symptoms.
• Summary: While keto diets lower blood sugars, they can make the underlying disease worse by increasing carbohydrate intolerance; one week on an 80% fat diet can quintuple the blood sugar spike response to a carb load compared to a low-fat diet. Even a single fatty meal can adversely affect diabetes test results the next day by worsening carbohydrate intolerance within four hours.

Keto Metaphors for Disease Management

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(00:07:01)

• Key Takeaway: Treating diabetes with keto is worse than just managing symptoms; it actively worsens the underlying disease, like amputating a hand to cure a finger stub.
• Summary: A keto diet for diabetes is likened to treating pneumonia fever with aspirin instead of antibiotics, but worse, as it actively worsens the disease while treating symptoms. True reversal involves fixing the underlying problem (unlocking the steering wheel) rather than just sticking to straight, deserted roads (a restrictive diet).

True Diabetes Reversal

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(00:09:14)

• Key Takeaway: True diabetes reversal is achieved when individuals can eat a normal diet, including high amounts of carbohydrates, without needing insulin.
• Summary: Proponents claiming keto reverses diabetes by weaning patients off insulin are compared to making someone lie in bed so they don’t need a wheelchair. True reversal means weaning people off insulin while eating a normal diet, with some diabetics achieving this while eating over 300 grams of carbs daily.

Methylglyoxal and Keto Diets

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(00:10:10)

• Key Takeaway: Keto diets can increase the formation of methylglyoxal, a toxin that causes diabetic complications, potentially through the ketone acetone.
• Summary: Methylglyoxal is a potent creator of AGEs, implicated in degenerative diseases, formed internally from high blood sugar or eaten preformed in the diet. Researchers found that Atkins and active ketosis significantly increased methylglyoxal levels, possibly because the ketone acetone oxidizes into a precursor for this toxin, mimicking diabetic damage.

Podcast Outro and Resources

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(00:12:08)

• Key Takeaway: The irony of keto treating diabetes may extend to mimicking its dire consequences, and resources are available at NutritionFacts.org.
• Summary: The potential for keto dieters to suffer nerve and blood vessel damage by increasing glycotoxins like methylglyoxal is another way the diet mimics diabetes consequences. Listeners can find video links, sources, and book information at NutritionFacts.org, which is a non-commercial, science-based nonprofit.