Introduction
The latest data from the World Health Organization (WHO) indicates that by the year 2030, approximately 366 million people will suffer from type 2 diabetes making it one of the most common chronic conditions. The US Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) points out that approximately 85% of persons suffering from type 2 diabetes are overweight with approximately 55% of these persons being considered as being obese. Recent studies have linked the idea of having to focus on ketogenic diets to effective management of type 2 diabetes with the focus being towards ensuring that the persons facing risks of the condition being able to manage the condition (1). Ketogenic diets play a critical role towards reversing nephropathy and promoting weight loss as some of the ways through which to help in the effective management of type 2 diabetes.
Physiological Aspect of Ketogenic Diet
One of the key features associated with a ketogenic diet is that it has low levels of carbohydrates, which plays a critical role towards ensuring that the circulation of ketones in the body increases. Abbasi argues that following a ketogenic diet acts as an effective solution to management of diabetes, as the diet is able to provide the much need alternative source of energy for the body away from carbohydrates (1). Ketogenic diets help in the overproduction of acetyl-CoA, which are otherwise referred to as ketone bodies and help in providing alternative sources of energy within the body system. In normal diets, the levels of ketone bodies is less than 0.3 mmol/l, which results in a situation where the ketone bodies cannot be used for purposes of producing energy that would sustain body functionality.
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However, the intake of ketogenic diets increasing the concentration of ketone bodies to the same levels as glucose within normal diets reaching a level of approximately 4 mmol/l; thus, playing a critical role towards ensuring that the body is able to focus on them as the main source of energy. The focus on ketone bodies, which are produced through intake of ketogenic diets creates a situation where the body avoids reliance on glucose for purposes of producing energy for different tissues. Zhang et al. point out that the continued intake of ketogenic diets may increase concentration of the ketone bodies to reach levels of 8 mmol/l that is essential towards ensuring that the body maintains its regular functionality without any notable risks of exposure to chronic health issues (6). From the discussion, it is clear that ketogenic diets serve as key dietary alternatives that would be of great value in the management of type 2 diabetes.
Ketogenic Diet and Type 2 Diabetes
Several studies have sought to expound on the fact that ketogenic diets are essential parts of the dietary plans that people ought to take as part of their approach towards effective management of type 2 diabetes. The studies have sought to expound on some of the key expectations for persons taking ketogenic diets as part of the management plan for this chronic health issue.
Weight Loss
Weight loss is one of the notable strategies that help in the effective management of type 2 diabetes. Feinman et al. argue that ketogenic diets are 3 times more effective in promoting weight loss when compared to engagement in exercises or fasting as part of reducing weight (3). Ketogenic diets help in minimizing the amount of fat and carbohydrates within foods, which reduces the amount of fat stored within the body system contributing to weight increase. The idea of having to focus on ketogenic diets may be considered as being effective in achieving weight loss to help in the effective management of type 2 diabetes.
Reduction of Hba1c Levels
Guidelines for management of type 2 diabetes seek to suggest the need for health professionals to consider the idea of reducing the Hba1c levels within the body system, which would help in minimizing risks of diabetes complications. Ketogenic diets offer a viable solution in reducing the Hba1c levels, as they tend to ensure that the body is able to focus on alternative sources of energy rather than focusing on calories. Westman et al. argue that the increased concentration of ketone bodies decreases glucose metabolism, which reduces dependence on foods with high fat concentration; thus, minimizing Hba1c levels (5).
Reversing Nephropathy
Nephropathy occurs as one of the key complications that can be associated with uncontrolled diabetes. The intake of ketogenic diets may help towards reversing nephropathy by raising the blood sugar levels of 3-betahydroxybutric acid (3-OHB); thus, ensuring that glucose metabolism reduces (2). The ultimate outcome of the continued intake of this diet is that it helps in creating a controlled approach to dealing with the complications associated with type 2 diabetes by ensuring that the blood glucose levels are normalized. Ketogenic diets seek to ensure that the actual of amount of glucose undergoing metabolism is minimized to help in managing some of the risks noted.
Cardiac Benefits
Diabetes increases risks of cardiovascular conditions for individual patients, which exposes them to serious health risks as a result of their conditions. The intake of ketogenic diets helps towards reducing reliance on myocardial energy, which results from mitochondrial oxidative metabolism (4). Instead, it offers a different source of energy that body tissues would be able to use as part of their regulation of body functions. The consequence of this is that the risk of cardiovascular conditions for patients with diabetes tends to reduce significantly with most of these patients leading healthy lifestyles.
Lipid Profile
Dyslipidemia is one of the most likely complications that can be associated with diabetes, which affects the lipid profile within the body system; thus, contributing to exposure of the patients to a wide array of risks. The continued intake of ketogenic diets results in a significant decrease and low density lipoprotein level, which serves as one of the key expectations towards improving the patient’s lipid profile (2). On the other hand, ketogenic diets result in a significant reduction of triglyceride levels, which are common when taking low fat diets affecting the lipid profile for the patients significantly.
Disadvantages Associated with Ketogenic Diet
From the analysis, presented above, it is clear that ketogenic diets have a wide array of benefits towards promoting effective management of type 2 diabetes, as the diets play a critical role towards promoting dietary manipulations (3). However, it is important to consider some of the underlying disadvantages that can be associated with this type of diet when taken for long periods. The first key disadvantage is that it exposes consumers to unwanted iatrogenic effects, which may have serious implications for the patients (5). To help in management of this unwanted effect, it would be important to reduce intake of hypoglycemic agents.
The second disadvantage associated with ketogenic diets is that they are likely to have fatal outcomes for patients intend to undergo surgical procedures considering that these diets are limited in terms of carbohydrates (6). Patients that are to go through surgical procedures may experience metabolic side effects taking into account that the preoperative period results in an increased catabolic state (4). Additionally, patients that are to go through surgical procedures are much more likely to experience increased oxidative stress, which affects the general state of their body as part of its preparation for them surgical procedure. The most likely outcome is that these patients are likely to experience unwanted side effects during or after the surgery, which may have fatal implications for the patients.
Conclusion
In summary, the intake of ketogenic diets can be seen as key towards promoting effective management of type 2 diabetes, as it helps towards increasing the concentration of ketone bodies to help in providing alternative sources of energy. The benefits can be seen from the fact that patients with type 2 diabetes are in a better position allowing them engage in effective management of the condition through the intake of these diets. The World Health Organization (WHO) and the US Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have alluded to the fact that type 2 diabetes is expected to become one of the notable chronic conditions affecting millions of people around the world. From that view, it is clear that the idea of having to focus on ketogenic diets may serve as a valid outcome towards promoting effective management of the health condition.
References
Abbasi J. Interest in the Ketogenic Diet Grows for Weight Loss and Type 2 Diabetes. JAMA: The Journal of the American Medical Association . 2018;319(3):215.
Al-Khalifa A, Mathew T, Al-Zaid N, Mathew E, Dashti H. Therapeutic role of low-carbohydrate ketogenic diet in diabetes. Nutrition . 2009;25(11-12):1177-1185.
Feinman R, Pogozelski W, Astrup A et al. Dietary carbohydrate restriction as the first approach in diabetes management: Critical review and evidence base. Nutrition . 2015;31(1):1-13.
Hussain T, Mathew T, Dashti A, Asfar S, Al-Zaid N, Dashti H. Effect of low-calorie versus low-carbohydrate ketogenic diet in type 2 diabetes. Nutrition . 2012;28(10):1016-1021.
Westman E, Tondt J, Maguire E, Yancy W. Implementing a low-carbohydrate, ketogenic diet to manage type 2 diabetes mellitus. Expert Rev Endocrinol Metab . 2018;13(5):263-272.
Zhang X, Qin J, Zhao Y et al. Long-term ketogenic diet contributes to glycemic control but promotes lipid accumulation and hepatic steatosis in type 2 diabetic mice. Nutrition Research . 2016;36(4):349-358.
