Beneficial effects of a ketogenic diet can be enhanced by regular, planned breaks.
The ketogenic diet, commonly known as keto, is a diet that focuses on increasing the consumption of foods high in both saturated and unsaturated fats, while decreasing the amount of carbs consumed.
The diet is popular for weight loss, diabetes, and other health issues. Most who follow the diet, hold fast to its rigid requirements.
However, people who eat a strict keto diet are at risk for an accumulation of aged cells in their organs, according to research from UT Health San Antonio. But that’s not the main takeaway for the study’s lead author, David Gius, MD, PhD.
“The most important finding from our research is you don't see any of those negative findings if you do what we refer to as an intermittent ketogenic diet,” said Gius. "And we are very strong proponents of—if you're going to do a ketogenic diet, it should be an intermittent ketogenic diet.”
The keto diet is a high fat diet, and that high fat content isn’t optimal for mitochondria, considered to be the powerhouse of the cell.
Assistant Dean of Research and Professor with the Department of Radiation Oncology
Joe R. and Teresa Lozano Long School of Medicine at UT Health San Antonio
Associate Cancer Director of Translation Research at the Mays Cancer Center
“And we think that there's mitochondrial lipid toxicity [for]some people if [they’re] on a keto diet for too long,” said Gius. “So it's that yin and yang between the good properties from the ketones and the potentially less good properties from being very high cholesterol levels, or very high lipid levels.
However, taking breaks and making a keto diet an intermittent plan can help. For example, one can consider being on the diet for four days and off for three, or on the diet for five days and off for two.
“Then you can go on a keto diet and get the beneficial effects of it, but then you give your body a chance a few days to reset itself,” said Gius. “So when you go back on that ketogenic diet, your body is open right to the beneficial effects, and then you go off it. If you're in a very small subgroup of people who might have a detrimental effect, you don't have to worry about it, because you've reset the system,” added Gius.
Research shows that some 13 million Americans are living a ketogenic lifestyle, but taking a break is important.
“As we like to say, take a keto break,” said Gius. “You need a keto vacation. If you take one, you'll be healthier.”
