You’re hearing a lot about ketogenic diets these days. A ketogenic diet is very high in fat and very low in carbohydrates. As you saw last week, it’s a diet I use to effectively fight cancer.
It’s truly an amazing diet for some people. But because it’s so low in carbohydrate foods (fruit, grains, legumes, tubers, and sugars), some have wondered whether it might cause nutritional deficiencies. A recent study looked into that.
The authors started by saying, “A 12-week ketogenic diet was found to have many beneficial effects in healthy obese adults, but it is not clear if the supply of micronutrients is adequate.”
To determine whether the diet was associated with micronutrient deficiencies, the researchers studied 35 adult men and women with a body mass index (BMI) >30. A BMI of 30 or higher is typical of obesity. During the three-month study, the researchers examined the blood's antioxidant capacity and the levels of the critical minerals magnesium, calcium, iron, phosphorus, and potassium. Here’s what they found.
Throughout the study, the blood antioxidant capacity and mineral levels remained within the reference range at all times. They didn’t find any micronutrient deficiencies. The authors caution that because the study lasted only 12 weeks, staying on a ketogenic diet for longer than that might pose problems.
They expressed some concern about staying on the diet for longer than 12 weeks because, even though micronutrient blood levels were good, the intake of several nutrients (including B vitamins) among those on the diet was less than optimal.
I love the ketogenic diet. It’s not for everyone. But for certain metabolic types, it can be a real game changer.
Just in case, whenever I have a patient who is going to be on the diet for longer than two to three months, I make sure that they’re taking a good multivitamin along with extra fiber. One supplement that does both of these things and more is Super Immune QuickStart.
Yours for better health,
Frank Shallenberger, MD
REF:
Kenig S, Petelin A, et al. Assessment of micronutrients in a 12-wk ketogenic diet in obese adults. Nutrition. 2019 Jun 14;67-68:110522.