Does Keto Affect Your Gut Health?
- Dietitian.Lauren Hmede
- Jul 31, 2019
- 2 min read
Does Keto Affect Your Gut Health?
The ketogenic diet is a very low carbs diet which focus on high fat consumption to put your body on a fat-burning state.
The keto diet has been shown to benefit cholesterol levels, blood sugar control, weight loss, and brain health.
This article examines how the keto diet affects gut health.
Potential downsides
Several studies indicate that the keto diet may harm your digestion in the following ways.
May be lower in fiber
The keto diet eliminates high-carb foods like fruits, starchy vegetables, grains, and legumes and then it becomes low in fiber.
Fiber passes through your digestive tract slowly, helping maintain bowel regularity.
Insufficient fiber intake could increase your risk of constipation.
High fiber intake is also thought to protect against several digestive disorders, including hemorrhoids, stomach ulcers, gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), and diverticulitis.
May alter your gut microbiome
The keto diet is often low in fiber and may harm the health of your gut microbiome, potentially increasing inflammation and reducing your concentration of good bacteria. That said, research yields mixed results.
Potential benefits
Interestingly, some research suggests that the keto diet could benefit digestive health.
May reduce inflammation
Acute inflammation is an immune response that protects your body against illness and infection.
However, chronic inflammation may contribute to inflammatory disorders, including digestive issues like Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis.
Some studies suggest that the keto diet could help decrease inflammation in your body.
May benefit some digestive disorders
Some studies suggest that the keto diet may reduce inflammation and help treat conditions like IBS and Crohn’s disease, although more research is needed.
Keto-friendly foods for gut health
You can easily enjoy several gut-friendly foods as part of a healthy keto diet. Foods low in carbs but high in gut-boosting benefits include:
Avocados: They are not only rich in heart-healthy fats but also fiber, supplying a whopping 10 grams of fiber per cup (150 grams).
Leafy greens. Vegetables like arugula, spinach, kale, and cabbage are low in carbs while high in fiber and other beneficial nutrients like antioxidants and vitamins C and K.
Coconut oil. Some animal studies suggest that coconut oil may reduce inflammation and boost the gut microbiome.
Kimchi. This staple Korean dish is made from vegetables like cabbage that have undergone fermentation which boosts their content of beneficial bacteria to support gut health.
Butter. Butter contains butyric acid, a short-chain fatty acid (SCFA) that may improve digestive health, as well as reduce intestinal inflammation and symptoms of inflammatory bowel disease.
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