In recent years, the ketogenic diet has grown in popularity as a means to aid in weight loss, enhance blood sugar and lipid levels, and support brain function. However, its effects on the gut are less well known and possibly controversial due to reports that the diet can impair normal gastrointestinal function.
In fact, like with many other diets, the keto diet has been shown in numerous studies to either disrupt, change, or improve gut health. The quality of the diet and how it compares to the prior diet and lifestyle of the could very well be the difference. Your gut health can be improved by following a well-planned ketogenic diet full of whole foods high in fiber, healthy fats, fruits, and vegetables while avoiding processed foods. Consider include these keto foods for a healthier gut if you’re following a ketogenic diet and want to give your gut a boost.
What Is Keto?
The term “ketogenic” or “keto” refers to a low-carb, high-fat, and moderately-protein diet that induces ketosis in the body. Ketosis is a metabolic condition that differs from the regular state in which your body burns glucose to produce energy. When you are in ketosis, your liver breaks down fat to produce ketones, which you can use instead of glucose as a fuel.
The ketogenic diet gained popularity as a weight-loss and general health-promoting diet after being developed initially to treat epilepsy. Keto, however, is debatable. The diet basically defies everything that is typically associated with good eating and flips the food pyramid on its head.
What do these macro ratios appear like in real life? A lunch with the aforementioned keto ratio might consist of halloumi cheese fried in butter, one sliced avocado, two dollops of sour cream, some cucumbers on the side, drizzled with olive oil, and walnuts.
Are Keto Foods Gut-Friendly?
Most ketogenic foods are low in carbohydrates and high in fat. Numerous studies reveal that eating fat is bad for gut health whereas specific types of carbs are positively beneficial. Does this imply that eating ketogenically harmful for your digestive system? Simply put, no.
According to a study done on MS patients, the quantity and variety of gut flora rose after 12 weeks on the diet. The same study did discover, however, that keto initially lowered gut flora before causing changes over the course of the subsequent 24 weeks.
Additionally, a recent study in mice indicated that the keto diet increased the amount of good gut bacteria including Lactobacillus and Akkermansia muciniphila, the latter of which is known to help reduce inflammation.
An explanation for the keto cold’s ability to improve microbiota might be found in its anti-inflammatory properties. Low-carb diets may reduce inflammation for optimal gut health since it disturbs regular gut function. Additionally, your gut microbiota is more likely to improve if your keto diet includes items that are good for your digestion.
Benefits of Eating Keto Foods for Your Gut
In addition to perhaps enhancing gut flora, there are numerous more ways that keto can promote gut health. Just a few of those advantages are described here.
1. Keto can shield the lining of the stomach
The health and functionality of the gut lining are improved when the intestines and small intestine are less inflamed. Your general health also gets better as a result of a healthy gut lining.
2. Keto can ease IBS symptoms
There is proof that the ketogenic diet is useful for irritable bowel syndrome with a diarrheal predominance (IBS). Inflammation has also been connected to irritable bowel syndrome.
3. Keto can lower the risk of colon cancer.
Cancer cells are known to run out of their main fuel, glucose, when following a ketogenic diet. Studies have shown that low-carb diets, particularly those that are fortified with omega-3 fatty acids, inhibit the progression of colon cancer.
4. Bad bacteria can be starved by keto
Western-style diets frequently cause an overgrowth of harmful gut bacteria and a decrease in the variety of the microbiota. Eliminating processed foods and refined carbohydrates with keto helps fight against harmful germs and increase microbiome diversity.
Keto Foods for a Healthier Gut
While consuming more gut-friendly foods while on the ketogenic diet will surely have a direct impact on gut health, the ketogenic diet indirectly enhances gut health. But what meals are both beneficial for your digestive system and the keto diet? The top 7 options are listed below.
1. Avocados
The powerful avocado is a key component of the keto diet. This well-known fruit is rich in critical nutrients, high in fiber, low in digestible carbohydrates, and high in fat. A whole avocado has about 13g of fiber, or 54% of the recommended daily allowance.
To support healthy gut flora and assist give stool bulk so that it passes more quickly, you need to consume fiber in your diet. Monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFAs), which are abundant in avocados, have been shown in studies to promote the equilibrium of the gut microbiota.
2. Nuts and Seeds
Numerous nuts and seeds are acceptable on a ketogenic diet, at least dozens. The majority are high in MUFAs and fiber, and there is evidence that regular ingestion improves the microbiota. But different nuts and seeds might have quite varied amounts of fat and fiber. For instance, a handful of walnuts only has 1.9g of fiber and more than 2.500 mg of omega-3 fatty acids. Pistachio nuts provide 3g of fiber but just 73mg of omega-3s per serving. To reap the greatest advantages, consume a mix of nuts and seeds.
3. Cruciferous Vegetables
Since most cruciferous veggies are low in carbs, the keto diet suggests using them. Broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, bok choy, kale, and cabbage are cruciferous vegetables. According to studies, cruciferous vegetables have antioxidant chemicals that help maintain the health and immunity of the gut lining. Additionally, they discovered that cruciferous veggies improve intestinal flora.
4. Butter
Butyric acid, a short-chain fatty acid produced by gut bacteria and a natural source of energy for the cells lining the gut, can be found in butter. Butter has a higher butyric acid content than other cultured dairy products, around 3-4%. Goat’s cheese, parmesan cheese, cheddar cheese, and ghee are additional sources of butyric acid.
5. Coconut oil
Coconut oil is a different gut-friendly lipid to incorporate into your keto diet. The gut microbiome, in particular, but also overall health, is uniquely impacted by coconut oil. Virgin coconut oil enhanced the abundance of probiotic bacteria like Lactobacillus, Allobaculum, and Bifidobacterium, according to a recent mouse study. The antifungal properties of coconut oil have also been discovered to lessen candida overgrowth in the intestines.
6. Berries
Some of the uncommon fruits that are permitted on keto include blueberries, strawberries, raspberries, and goji berries. Berries can increase your daily intake of fiber. Berries do, however, also contain phenolic chemicals that, according to research, promote the growth of healthy gut bacteria like Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus acidophilus while inhibiting the formation of harmful bacteria.
7. Kefir
Keto also permits cultured dairy products like kefir. One of the healthiest dairy products to eat for optimum gut health is kefir. While containing more than 50 different bacteria and yeast cultures, it has a comparatively low lactose content. By enhancing digestion and stool frequency, it also lowers the risk of oxidative stress, inflammation, and colon cancer.
Conclusion
Many people believe that adopting to the keto diet will harm their gut health because fat is thought to be detrimental for gut health and keto is a high-fat diet. However, this is absolutely untrue. By lowering inflammation and oxidative stress, keto is known to promote good health, and this clearly affects gut health.
Additionally, there is no risk that the keto diet would disturb your gut flora if you eat a variety of gut-friendly keto diet items. Include these seven foods in your keto diet to promote healthy digestion and microbial diversity.
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