Is The Keto Diet Good for Older Adults?
The high-fat, low-carb keto diet is hugely popular. But is it a good diet for older adults? Learn whether the keto diet really is the key to losing weight after 50 or whether it’s a passing fad.
What to Know Before You Go Keto
The keto diet, also known as a ketogenic diet, is a variety of low-carbohydrate diet. A typical Western diet includes 225 to 325 grams of carbohydrates per day. For reference, a slice of white bread contains 15 grams of carbs. In general, low-carb diets advocate for restricting carbohydrates to no more than 20% of your daily caloric intake. That often means around 100 grams per day. The keto diet requires even greater carbohydrate restriction, to 50 or even 30 grams per day. It requires cutting out items like whole grains, pasta, rice and other common foods.
The goal of the keto diet is to put your body into a metabolic state known as ketosis. In normal circumstances, your body relies on glucose (sugar) as its primary fuel source. Carbohydrates include simple sugars as well as starches, which consist of long chains of sugar molecules strung together. Your stomach and small intestine break down carbohydrates and absorb sugar molecules from them. You may use some of the sugar right away, while other sugar is stored in the liver to use later.
Once you run out of glucose to burn, your liver starts turning fat into ketones. These ketone bodies include beta-hydroxybutyrate (BHB), acetone, and acetoacetate. Ketosis is a normal part of your metabolism, and you may cycle in and out of ketosis regardless of your diet. However, sustained periods of ketosis are not typical unless you severely restrict your carb intake. When ketone bodies build up to a certain level, they supply 50% of your overall energy. This means that your body is primarily burning fat for energy, not glucose.
How to Get to Ketosis
Wondering how you know once you’ve reached nutritional ketosis? There are some tell-tale signs. You can use an inexpensive blood test for BHB, one of the ketone bodies. Levels between 0.5 and 3 mmol/L mean that your body is in ketosis. Breathalyzer tests can also test for ketone bodies on your breath. You may notice that your breath gets worse and is sweet or fruity when you’re in ketosis.
The exact number of carbohydrates you can eat per day depends on your age, sex, weight, height, and other metabolic factors. Many people start the keto diet by restricting carbs to no more than 35 grams per day. It typically takes one to four weeks to enter ketosis.
The other major part of the keto diet is increasing your fat consumption. The keto diet asks you to aim for 65 to 80% of calories from fat. Many of us have been conditioned to think that fat is bad. However, there are several different kinds of fat. Polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats actually improve heart health, while trans fats are bad for your heart. It can be a major lifestyle adjustment to eat that much fat. Fatty meats, fatty fish, full-fat dairy products, butter, cheese and other fat-rich foods are good places to start. The good news is that eating fat makes you feel full more quickly. That prevents you from snacking unnecessarily or binging on carbohydrates. Following the optimal ratio of fat and carbohydrates can help with losing weight after 50.
Benefits of Following a Ketogenic Diet as an Older Adult
Proponents of the keto diet point to its many benefits on health for older adults. Following are some of the benefits of this diet for optimal nutrition after 50:
Maintaining weight after weight loss.
Improved heart health.
Better energy.
Better glycemic control, meaning fewer blood sugar swings.
Clearer skin.
Lower inflammation levels, which could reduce risk of arthritis, Alzheimer’s disease, and heart disease.
Many of these benefits of the keto diet are still being investigated by researchers. As more scientific studies are done, we will learn more about the potential benefits of the keto diet compared to other diet plans.
Downsides of the Ketogenic Diet for Older Adults
The best diet is one that you are able to sustain over a long period of time. Unfortunately, there have been relatively few long-term randomized trials of the keto diet compared to other diet plans. Most studies focus on the effectiveness of the diet over several weeks to a year. That means that health experts are still not sure how effective the ketogenic diet is in promoting long-term health. Because the diet is so restrictive, some people find it difficult to stick with it for months or years at a time.
The keto diet often comes with some unpleasant side effects, including bad breath, fatigue, low energy, digestive trouble, or insomnia. Most of these side effects go away within a few weeks or months, though the bad breath lingers as long as you stay in ketosis.
Another concern is whether you get enough micronutrients when on the ketogenic diet. Older adults are at risk for nutrient deficiencies in iron, zinc, vitamin B12, vitamin C, and vitamin D. Fruits and vegetables are good sources for many of these vitamins and minerals. However, fruits and vegetables like potatoes, avocados and broccoli often contain too many carbohydrates to be eaten while on the keto diet. This can prevent you from getting all of the nutrients your body needs. If you're thinking of switching to the keto diet, it is a good idea to talk to a nutritionist to make sure you follow healthy eating recommendations for older adults.
Controlling Blood Sugar with a Keto Diet
The keto diet can be a way to manage your blood sugar levels. Whether you have diabetes, prediabetes, insulin sensitivity or are simply worried about blood sugar levels, a low-carb diet is often a good solution. The keto diet severely restricts carbs, meaning your body releases less insulin to shuttle glucose into cells. This lowers your risk of insulin resistance, a risk factor for diabetes and heart problems.
If you already have diabetes, it is good to get the go-ahead from your medical provider first. When you begin the keto diet, you may be at risk for a hypoglycemic (low blood sugar) episode. Make sure you test your blood sugar regularly when changing your diet. Understanding how the foods you eat affect your blood sugar will help you keep your sugar levels within a healthy range.
Take Home Message
The keto diet can help older adults lose weight and improve their health. However, it requires considerable willpower to sustain over the long term. It is one of the more restrictive diets for older adults, so some people find it difficult to adapt to their lifestyle. Even if the keto diet isn't for you, a less restrictive low-carb diet may be a healthy choice.
If you’re thinking about starting the keto diet or a low-carb lifestyle, Mighty Health can help. We offer personalized online health coaching to help you learn how to lose weight, manage blood sugar, and find a healthy nutrition plan that you can maintain for life.