The ketogenic, or keto, diet has gained immense popularity as a weight-loss strategy. This high-fat, low-carb diet shifts the body's metabolism from burning carbs to burning fat. Dairy products can be incorporated into a low-carb lifestyle to support a keto diet and your overall health.
Understanding the Keto Diet
The ketogenic diet is designed to induce a state of ketosis, where the body burns fat for fuel instead of glucose from carbohydrates and sugar. This metabolic shift can lead to weight loss and improved metabolic efficiency. The keto diet restricts high-carbohydrate foods like grains, sugars, fruits, and starchy vegetables, while emphasizing fats found in meats, fatty fish, nuts, and high-fat dairy products.
The keto diet is popular not only for weight management but also for its potential benefits in improving certain health conditions. However, consulting with a physician or qualified health care provider before starting any new diet regimen is essential.
Dairy's Role in the Keto Diet
To adhere to keto rules, foods must be low enough in carbs to promote ketosis, which is the fat-burning state that drives the potential benefits of this diet. For your body to enter ketosis, your carb intake should not exceed 10% of your daily calories.
Dairy products can be a delicious way to incorporate keto fats into your diet. The naturally occurring nutrients in dairy products help you stay nourished while limiting your intake of other food groups. However, products with added sugar, such as ice cream, flavored yogurt, and flavored milk, are not keto-friendly. Additionally, since lactose is processed as sugar, it's wise to monitor your milk intake. Whole milk, half-and-half, and evaporated milk each contain about 10 grams of lactose per serving. While lactose in milk is a naturally occurring sugar, it can still take you out of ketosis.
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Keto-Friendly Dairy Options
Here are some dairy products you can enjoy as part of the keto diet:
- Butter: With about 11 grams of fat per tablespoon and zero carbs, butter is an ideal source of fat on the keto diet.
- Ghee (Clarified Butter): Ghee is free of the milk protein casein and the milk sugar lactose, making it suitable for those who are extra cautious about their lactose intake or who are sensitive to it.
- Plain Greek Yogurt: Plain Greek yogurt is lower in carbs compared to other yogurts because more of the liquid whey is strained out, which contains lactose.
- Heavy Cream or Heavy Whipping Cream: Made from pure milkfat, heavy cream and heavy whipping cream are high in fat and low in carbs. However, they are also very high in calories, so indulge mindfully.
- Sour Cream: Full-fat sour cream contains about 19 grams of fat and 4.6 grams of carbs per 100-gram serving, making it suitable for use in dips, dressings, or as a thickener.
- Most Cheeses: Many cheese varieties are ideal keto foods due to their high fat, moderate protein, and low carb content. Mozzarella, Gouda, brie, Muenster cheese, Monterey Jack, mascarpone cheese, provolone, cheddar, cream cheese, Parmesan cheese, and ricotta are all considered keto-friendly. Cottage cheese, however, contains more carbs than the keto diet typically allows. If you choose to enjoy it, make sure to pick the full-fat variety.
Incorporating Low-Carb Dairy into Recipes
Changing your diet can be challenging, especially when cravings arise. Here are some delicious keto-friendly alternatives that incorporate keto dairy options into recipes you know and love:
- Keto Pasta: This two-ingredient keto pasta recipe uses the minimal carbs in mozzarella to create a delicious pasta noodle alternative.
- Keto Pizza: Made with almond flour and mozzarella, this keto pizza recipe allows you to enjoy a slice without straying from your diet.
- Low-Carb Cinnamon Muffins: This recipe uses heavy cream and almond flour, topped off with cream cheese frosting, to create keto-friendly cinnamon muffins.
- Low-Carb Sour Cream Biscuits: This recipe uses sour cream to make biscuits that fit into a low-carb diet.
Benefits of Eating Dairy on the Keto Diet
Including dairy in your keto plan is a great way to meet your daily dose of nutrients like calcium, vitamin D, high-quality protein, and more.
- Cheese for Muscle Mass: A 12-week study in adults over 60 years old found that those who ate 7 ounces of ricotta per day experienced less loss of muscle mass and muscle strength than those who didn’t eat this amount of cheese.
- Vitamins in Butter: Butter is a rich source of several fat-soluble vitamins, including vitamin A, vitamin D, vitamin E, B12, and K2.
- Greek Yogurt is High in Protein and Fat: Greek yogurt (unflavored) is a great source of protein and fat with minimal carbs. It is also a fermented dairy product and can keep your gut happy with loads of probiotics.
Atkins Diet vs. Keto Diet
The keto diet is similar to the Atkins diet, as both restrict carbs to induce weight loss. However, on the keto diet, the goal is to keep your body in ketosis by extremely limiting your carb intake. The Atkins diet involves a gradual increase in your carb intake over time, which would not allow your body to stay in ketosis. If you prefer a less restrictive approach to dieting, Atkins may be for you. For those who are up for the challenge of monitoring ketosis or are seeking specific health outcomes, the keto diet is a great choice.
Making Your Diet Work for You
With all the naturally occurring nutrients, vitamins, and minerals found in dairy products, it’s easy to see why they can benefit almost any kind of diet plan. While managing your weight is important, your body needs certain nutrients from foods, too. The good news is many dairy products fit into the keto diet, so you don’t have to miss out on the wholesome nutrition of dairy.
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The Ketogenic Diet: A Detailed Look
The ketogenic or “keto” diet is a low-carbohydrate, fat-rich eating plan that has been used for centuries to treat specific medical conditions. In the 19th century, it was used to help control diabetes, and in 1920, it was introduced as an effective treatment for epilepsy in children. This diet has gained attention as a potential weight-loss strategy due to the low-carb diet craze.
The premise of the ketogenic diet for weight loss is that if you deprive the body of glucose, the main source of energy, it will produce an alternative fuel called ketones from stored fat. The brain demands the most glucose, about 120 grams daily, because it cannot store glucose. During fasting or when very little carbohydrate is eaten, the body first pulls stored glucose from the liver and temporarily breaks down muscle to release glucose. If this continues for 3-4 days and stored glucose is fully depleted, blood levels of insulin decrease, and the body begins to use fat as its primary fuel. The liver produces ketone bodies from fat, which can be used in the absence of glucose. When ketone bodies accumulate in the blood, this is called ketosis. Healthy individuals naturally experience mild ketosis during periods of fasting and very strenuous exercise. Proponents of the ketogenic diet state that if the diet is carefully followed, blood levels of ketones should not reach a harmful level, as the brain will use ketones for fuel, and healthy individuals will typically produce enough insulin to prevent excessive ketones from forming.
Ketoacidosis: A Potential Danger
Excessive ketone bodies can produce a dangerously toxic level of acid in the blood, called ketoacidosis. During ketoacidosis, the kidneys begin to excrete ketone bodies along with body water in the urine, causing some fluid-related weight loss. Ketoacidosis most often occurs in individuals with type 1 diabetes because they do not produce insulin, a hormone that prevents the overproduction of ketones. However, in a few rare cases, ketoacidosis has been reported to occur in nondiabetic individuals following a prolonged very low carbohydrate diet.
Macronutrient Ratios on the Keto Diet
There is not one “standard” ketogenic diet with a specific ratio of macronutrients (carbohydrates, protein, fat). The ketogenic diet typically reduces total carbohydrate intake to less than 50 grams a day, and can be as low as 20 grams a day. Generally, popular ketogenic resources suggest an average of 70-80% fat from total daily calories, 5-10% carbohydrate, and 10-20% protein. For a 2000-calorie diet, this translates to about 165 grams fat, 40 grams carbohydrate, and 75 grams protein. The protein amount on the ketogenic diet is kept moderate because eating too much protein can prevent ketosis.
Foods to Avoid and Emphasize
Many versions of ketogenic diets exist, but all ban carb-rich foods, including starches from both refined and whole grains, starchy vegetables, fruit juices, beans, legumes, and most fruits. Most ketogenic plans allow foods high in saturated fat, such as fatty cuts of meat, processed meats, lard, and butter, as well as sources of unsaturated fats, such as nuts, seeds, avocados, plant oils, and oily fish. Strong emphasis is placed on fats at each meal and snack to meet the high-fat requirement. Some dairy foods may be allowed, but some are high in natural lactose sugar, such as cream, ice cream, and full-fat milk, so they are restricted.
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Net Carbs vs. Total Carbs
“Net carbs” and “impact carbs” are familiar phrases in ketogenic diets as well as diabetic diets. They are unregulated interchangeable terms invented by food manufacturers as a marketing strategy, appearing on some food labels to claim that the product contains less “usable” carbohydrate than is listed. Net carbs or impact carbs are the amount of carbohydrate that are directly absorbed by the body and contribute calories. They are calculated by subtracting the amount of indigestible carbohydrates from the total carbohydrate amount. Indigestible (unabsorbed) carbohydrates include insoluble fibers from whole grains, fruits, and vegetables; and sugar alcohols, such as mannitol, sorbitol, and xylitol commonly used in sugar-free diabetic food products. However, these calculations are not an exact or reliable science because the effect of sugar alcohols on absorption and blood sugar can vary. Some sugar alcohols may still contribute calories and raise blood sugar. The total calorie level also does not change despite the amount of net carbs, which is an important factor with weight loss.
Potential Benefits and Risks
Programs suggest following a ketogenic diet until the desired amount of weight is lost. The ketogenic diet has been shown to produce beneficial metabolic changes in the short-term. Along with weight loss, health parameters associated with carrying excess weight have improved, such as insulin resistance, high blood pressure, and elevated cholesterol and triglycerides. There is also growing interest in the use of low-carbohydrate diets, including the ketogenic diet, for type 2 diabetes.
A meta-analysis of 13 randomized controlled trials following overweight and obese participants for 1-2 years on either low-fat diets or very-low-carbohydrate ketogenic diets found that the ketogenic diet produced a small but significantly greater reduction in weight, triglycerides, and blood pressure, and a greater increase in HDL and LDL cholesterol compared with the low-fat diet at one year. A systematic review of 26 short-term intervention trials (varying from 4-12 weeks) evaluated the appetites of overweight and obese individuals on either a very low calorie (~800 calories daily) or ketogenic diet (no calorie restriction but ≤50 gm carbohydrate daily) using a standardized and validated appetite scale. Despite losing a significant amount of weight on both diets, participants reported less hunger and a reduced desire to eat compared with baseline measures. A study of 39 obese adults placed on a ketogenic very low-calorie diet for 8 weeks found a mean loss of 13% of their starting weight and significant reductions in fat mass, insulin levels, blood pressure, and waist and hip circumferences. A study of 89 obese adults who were placed on a two-phase diet regimen (6 months of a very-low-carbohydrate ketogenic diet and 6 months of a reintroduction phase on a normal calorie Mediterranean diet) showed a significant mean 10% weight loss with no weight regain at one year.
Following a very high-fat diet may be challenging to maintain. Some negative side effects of a long-term ketogenic diet have been suggested, including increased risk of kidney stones and osteoporosis, and increased blood levels of uric acid (a risk factor for gout). Possible nutrient deficiencies may arise if a variety of recommended foods on the ketogenic diet are not included. It is important to not solely focus on eating high-fat foods, but to include a daily variety of the allowed meats, fish, vegetables, fruits, nuts, and seeds to ensure adequate intakes of fiber, B vitamins, and minerals (iron, magnesium, zinc)-nutrients typically found in foods like whole grains that are restricted from the diet.
Research Limitations and Recommendations
Available research on the ketogenic diet for weight loss is still limited. Most of the studies so far have had a small number of participants, were short-term (12 weeks or less), and did not include control groups. A ketogenic diet has been shown to provide short-term benefits in some people including weight loss and improvements in total cholesterol, blood sugar, and blood pressure. However, these effects after one year when compared with the effects of conventional weight loss diets are not significantly different. Eliminating several food groups and the potential for unpleasant symptoms may make compliance difficult. An emphasis on foods high in saturated fat also counters recommendations from the Dietary Guidelines for Americans and the American Heart Association and may have adverse effects on blood LDL cholesterol.
A ketogenic diet may be an option for some people who have had difficulty losing weight with other methods. The exact ratio of fat, carbohydrate, and protein that is needed to achieve health benefits will vary among individuals due to their genetic makeup and body composition. Therefore, if one chooses to start a ketogenic diet, it is recommended to consult with one’s physician and a dietitian to closely monitor any biochemical changes after starting the regimen, and to create a meal plan that is tailored to one’s existing health conditions and to prevent nutritional deficiencies or other health complications. A modified carbohydrate diet following the Healthy Eating Plate model may produce adequate health benefits and weight reduction in the general population.
Butter on Keto: A Closer Look
Butter is rich in anti-inflammatory butyric acid, conjugated linoleic acid, and unsaturated fats, which are linked to various health benefits. Butter is keto-friendly and a perfect addition to a nutritious low-carb diet. It’s rich in health-promoting fats and a staple keto ingredient that’s ideal for pan-frying and sauteing vegetables. Butter works in a wide range of keto recipes, from Keto Buttercream Fat Bombs to Keto Garlic Lemon Butter Steak. Butter is also essential for making keto butter coffee, known as Bulletproof coffee. Drinking coffee mixed with butter and coconut oil-a rich source of medium-chain triglycerides-promotes ketosis and can help to extend fasting periods.
Butter and Cholesterol
Butter contains saturated fats, and it has previously been thought that this type of fat can elevate cholesterol levels and increase the risk of heart disease. However, a recent study published in Progress in Cardiovascular Disease has since refuted this claim and found that saturated fat intake doesn’t elevate low-density lipoprotein (LDL), the type of cholesterol associated with an increased risk of heart disease. In fact, the study found that high-carb diets, not saturated fatty acids, are linked to increased cholesterol production and cardiovascular disease, which explains why a ketogenic diet can lower cholesterol levels and promote heart health. Consuming carbs and sugars stimulates enzymes in the liver to produce cholesterol, which can cause significantly elevated blood cholesterol levels. In contrast, fatty acids don’t stimulate hepatic cholesterol production. What’s more, one tablespoon of butter contains around 30 milligrams of cholesterol, which is minimal compared to the 1500 milligrams of cholesterol produced in the liver daily.
Benefits of Butter on Keto
Butter contains a complex mix of more than 400 fatty acids and phospholipids, including butyric acid and conjugated linoleic acid (CLA), two potent anti-inflammatory food compounds with impressive health benefits. Regularly consuming butter helps you lose weight, may lower your risk of colon cancer, and has been found to improve metabolic health and insulin sensitivity.
Here are five reasons why you should eat butter on keto:
- Promotes Metabolic Health: Butter can enhance the body’s ability to regulate blood sugar and insulin levels, a crucial aspect of metabolic health. Both butyric acid and CLA have been found to promote insulin sensitivity, a measure of how well your cells respond to insulin. This can significantly lower the risk of insulin resistance, diabetes, metabolic syndrome, and fatty liver disease.
- Aids Weight Loss: Butter is rich in healthy fats, promotes satiety, and may boost fat-burning, which explains why eating butter can make you thin. CLA is needed to transport fats within the body and increases the activity of enzymes necessary to break down and utilize fats for energy production. This fat-burning effect of CLA has been studied extensively, and research published in The Journal of Food Science found that “CLA may be effective at protecting against fat mass regain following weight loss.”
- May Lower the Risk of Cancer: Evidence published in Agricultural and Biological Sciences suggests that eating butter may play a role in reducing the risk of colorectal cancer. Butyric acid in butter has been found to promote normal cellular function and may inhibit the growth of cancerous cells in the colon, which is linked to a lower risk of colon polyps associated with cancer development.
- Natural Antimicrobial: Butyric acid is an antimicrobial short-chain fatty acid that may be effective against bacterial strains linked to food poisoning and gastrointestinal infections such as E. Coli and Salmonella.
- Promotes Gut Health: Butyric acid is a fuel source for friendly gut bacteria, which promote balanced immune responses and lower the risk of intestinal health issues, including inflammatory bowel disease and small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO).
Best Type of Butter
Grass-fed butter has more nutritional benefits than grain-fed butter and is an excellent choice for Healthy Keto. Grass-fed cattle have access to pasture and forage on a natural diet of grasses and weeds, which results in butter that contains more nutrients such as beta-carotene and vitamin K and has more unsaturated fatty acids than conventional butter. Grass-fed butter also contains omega-3 fats, making it a great alternative to salmon and mackerel for people who don’t like the taste of fatty fish.
How Much Butter?
Butter contains no carbs and won’t kick you out of ketosis. However, it’s an energy-dense food that’s high in calories, and eating too much butter can slow down your weight loss. The liver utilizes dietary fats before breaking down stored body fat. Consuming large amounts of butter can shift your metabolism away from burning body fat as an energy source, which can hinder weight loss. How much butter you can consume on keto also depends on your daily caloric needs and metabolic health. One tablespoon of butter contains 14 grams of fat, which can be as much as ten percent of your daily fat requirements.
Both unsalted and salted butter can be suitable choices on a keto diet. Eating moderate amounts of butter on keto won’t cause weight gain. Clarified butter, also known as ghee, is also keto-friendly. Butter has a richer flavor and works great in baking, frying, and sautéing.
Other Keto-Friendly Fats
When following a high-fat, very-low-carb ketogenic (keto) diet, it’s important to remember that not all fats are created equal. Some sources of fat are better for you than others, and it’s critical that you fill your plate with the most wholesome options to successfully reach your health goals.
Here are some healthy sources of fat to enjoy on the keto diet:
- Avocados and Avocado Oil: Avocados are not only an excellent source of heart-healthy fats but also provide a hefty dose of fiber and essential vitamins and minerals. Research suggests that avocados and their oil may support heart health, balanced blood sugar, and healthy aging.
- Nuts: Including different kinds of nuts in your diet is a great way to boost your intake of healthy fats, plant-based protein, and fiber. Additionally, a higher intake of nuts is associated with a reduced risk of heart disease and deaths associated with cancer, diabetes, and respiratory illnesses.
- Nut and Seed Butters: Nut and seed butters offer the same benefits as eating whole nuts and seeds - but in a more versatile package.
- Flax Seeds: Flax seeds are an excellent source of anti-inflammatory omega-3 fats, fiber, and health-promoting plant compounds. Research indicates that flax seeds and their oil may help prevent heart disease, cancer, diabetes, and degenerative brain diseases.
- Hemp Hearts: Hemp hearts, or seeds, are another great, nutrient-dense option for boosting fat intake on the ketogenic diet. They’re one of very few complete plant-based protein sources that contain all nine essential amino acids. Plus, they pack a variety of vitamins and minerals, including vitamin E, calcium, iron, and potassium.
- Chia Seeds: Chia seeds are rich in healthy fats and fiber, making them a perfect candidate for a keto diet. These seeds also contain a variety of plant compounds, including quercetin and kaempferol, that may reduce inflammation and prevent chronic conditions, such as cancer, heart disease, and diabetes.
- Olives and Cold-Pressed Olive Oil: Olives are not only loaded with heart-healthy fats but also contain vitamin E and various plant compounds known to reduce inflammation and your risk of chronic conditions like heart disease, cancer, and osteoporosis.
- Coconuts and Unrefined Coconut Oil: Coconuts and coconut oil are popular keto fat sources because they offer a natural source of medium-chain triglycerides (MCTs), a type of fat that your body can easily absorb and use. Research suggests that MCTs may ease your transition into ketosis, a state in which your body burns fats for fuel rather than glucose. What’s more, MCTs are more likely to be burned as energy and less likely to be stored as fat, which may aid weight loss.
- Cacao Nibs: Cacao nibs are a form of unsweetened, unprocessed raw chocolate. Dark chocolate is also well known for its rich supply of polyphenols, which are plant compounds with strong anti-inflammatory effects that may encourage the growth of healthy gut bacteria.
- Full-Fat Greek Yogurt: Though it contains some carbs, unsweetened, full-fat Greek yogurt can be a healthy addition to a ketogenic diet. Yogurt is also a great source of beneficial bacteria known as probiotics, which promote healthy digestive function.
- Fatty Fish: Fatty fish like salmon, tuna, anchovies, and sardines are great additions to a healthy ketogenic diet. They’re rich in high-quality protein and heart-healthy omega-3 fats. Certain types like salmon also provide a substantial dose of vitamin D, a nutrient critical for immune function, bone health, and more.
- Whole Eggs: Eggs are as nutritious as they are versatile, making them an easy addition to a ketogenic diet. Make sure to eat the whole egg, as the yolk is rich in B vitamins and the potent antioxidants lutein and zeaxanthin, which support eye health.
- Cheese: Cheese is another good high-fat, low-carb option for keto dieters, and with hundreds of varieties on the market, there’s no shortage of options to choose from. Though exact nutrient composition varies depending on the type of cheese, many types are good sources of protein and calcium. Certain fermented varieties like cheddar or gouda also provide probiotics.
Fats to Limit on Keto
Though fat makes up the majority of the calories on a ketogenic diet, not all sources of fat are good for your health - even if they fit into the macronutrient distribution of your diet plan.
- Artificial Trans Fats: Artificially produced trans fats are known for significantly increasing heart disease risk and should be avoided, regardless of the type of diet you’re following. Trans fats are frequently found in highly refined oils and commercially prepared processed foods.
- Processed Meats: While processed meats are frequently advertised as keto friendly, several studies have found an association between high intake of processed meats and an increased risk of cancers of the digestive tract.
- Fried Foods: Fried foods tend to be high in trans fats, which can increase your risk of heart disease. Certain types of highly refined oils typically used for frying often contain small amounts of trans fats.