This is Your Health on Keto

A well-formulated ketogenic diet (WFKD) improves insulin resistance. Insulin resistance is the condition connected to nearly every chronic disease: from type 2 diabetes to cancer to heart disease to Alzheimer’s and more. Most American adults today are insulin resistant. About 9 out of 10. Therefore nearly everybody could benefit from eating a ketogenic diet. A full description of a WFKD is beyond the scope of this post, but at its essence, a WFKD is a low-carbohydrate diet consisting of whole foods (=/= 50 grams of carbohydrate or less per day, eat until full, no calorie counting).

To highlight what happens to real people when they go on a ketogenic diet, it is helpful to look at a couple interesting cases: (1) the Virta Health study, and (2) dual lab values between twins: one eats the standard American diet, one eats a ketogenic diet.

Virta Health Study

In one year, using the ketogenic diet, the Virta Health program reversed Type 2 Diabetes in 60% of its patients. Yes, that’s right: type 2 diabetes, commonly thought to be chronic and progressive, can be reversed. In the same peer-reviewed study, 94% of patients reduced or eliminated their usage of injected insulin.

Nearly all health markers improved for the patients treated with the ketogenic diet. This includes reduced inflammation, weight loss, improved blood pressure, improved liver function, and improved cardiovascular health markers. (Despite the common belief that saturated fat is unhealthy, it turns out that a low-carbohydrate diet with a significant amount of saturated fats is likely very good for heart health.)

That all sounds abstract, but the Virta ketogenic intervention was performed on 218 real people who greatly improved their health by modifying their diet. Many of these people reversed their diabetes and greatly improved their quality of life. That is the power of nutrition; and specifically, that is the potential of a well-formulated ketogenic diet. You can read some of their testimonials here.

Lab Values of Twins (One Keto, One Standard American Diet)

This video details the lab value differences between two 16-year-old twin sisters. One twin eats a ketogenic diet. The other eats something akin to the standard American diet (some meals are ketogenic because the meals eaten with her family are low-carb). They share the same genetics but different diets.

The twins have remarkably similar lab values for most health biomarkers. Even their blood glucose levels were nearly identical. However, the standard American diet twin is significantly more insulin resistant. The keto twin’s fasting insulin is significantly lower than the other twin’s. Likewise, the keto twin’s C-peptide measurement (a proxy for insulin resistance) is significantly lower. As discussed in this post on insulin resistance, elevated insulin levels are an indicator of impending health problems. These elevated insulin levels may appear decades before blood glucose levels rise to prediabetic or diabetic levels.

Measurement	Standard American Diet Twin	Keto Diet Twin	Note
LDL Cholesterol (mg/dL)	61	98	For more on proper context for interpreting LDL-C results on keto diet, visit www.cholesterolcode.com
HDL Cholesterol (mg/dL)	53	57
Triglycerides (mg/dL)	38	42	Both excellent
Glucose (mg/dL)	87	88
Hemoglobin A1C	4.90%	4.80%
hsCRP (mg/L)	0.25	0.17	This is a marker of inflammation. Both have excellent results, extremely low inflammation.
C-peptide (ng/mL)	2.6	1.3	Significant difference-- and generally, the higher the C-peptide, the greater the insulin resistance.
Insulin (uIU/mL)	13.4	4.6	Wow, what a difference. And in the (arguably) most important health marker measurement of the lab results.

Summary

• Most modern people are insulin resistant, which is likely at the heart of most chronic diseases.
• A well-formulated ketogenic diet improves insulin resistance.
• Therefore, eating a WFKD is likely a good way for most people to improve existing conditions related to insulin resistance and to reduce the risk of developing such conditions.
• On a related note, eating a WKFD is likely to lower an individual's inflammation, improve cardiovascular health, and improve liver function.

This post looks at lab values to utilize common objective measurements. However, in real life, subjective experiences are what count. In other words, I don't care if my triglycerides look great on a lab sheet if I feel like crap. For the keto dieters with improved insulin resistance markers, what do you think happened to their moods and energy levels? (If you want a hint, try Googling "keto mood")

The results listed here are a small sample size; they are just from one study and one twin vs. twin comparison. The sample size is small but meaningful. (And remember, you yourself are a small but damn important sample size.) The Virta info is peer-reviewed science carried out in the real world. The twin comparison is a look at two teenagers sharing common genetics but different diets in the real world. I showcase them because they reflect broader truths about what typically happens when people in the real world adopt ketogenic diets. Ketogenic diets improve insulin resistance and therefore they improve people's health, often to an incredible degree.


*Disclaimer: I am not guaranteeing that a ketogenic diet is appropriate for every person, nor that it is the only way to improve insulin resistance. However, the ketogenic diet is so reliable at improving health for the vast majority of the population that it is more appropriate to get that message across as opposed to discussing every rare exception. Focusing on rare exceptions would be missing the forest for the trees. For what it’s worth, Virta Health medical director Dr. Sarah Hallberg says the only type of person she has found that is not a good candidate for a ketogenic diet is someone who has hyperchylomicronemia (1 in 1-2 million people). Regardless, if considering a change, do your own research and always consult a medical professional where appropriate.

References that Dig Deeper

The Ketogenic Diet as a Treatment for Metabolic Syndrome

Complete Guide to Ketogenic Diet for Beginners
Diet Doctor Podcast with Guest Dr. Sarah Hallberg
BioHackers Lab Podcast with Dr. James McCarter
Virta Health
HEAL Clinics (treats Type 2 Diabetes with keto, claims 98% success at eliminating injected insulin)
My Notes (Part 1) on August 2018 Keto Science Conference
My Notes (Part 2) on August 2018 Keto Science Conference
My Notes (Part 3) on August 2018 Keto Science Conference
My Notes (Part 4) on August 2018 Keto Science Conference