The ketogenic diet has become a popular approach for weight loss and potentially improving overall health. However, some individuals experience brain fog during the initial adaptation phase or when key nutrients are lacking. This article explores the causes of brain fog on a keto diet and provides solutions to help regain mental clarity.
Understanding Brain Fog on Keto
Brain fog on a keto diet often occurs when the body is adapting to using fat for energy instead of glucose. This shift can temporarily impair brain function, leading to confusion, forgetfulness, and difficulty focusing. Several factors contribute to this phenomenon:
Electrolyte Imbalance
Reductions in sodium, potassium, and magnesium can disrupt neuron communication. When you switch to keto, your hormones and electrolyte levels go through a transition. A decrease in carbs means your body uses up stored glycogen, which also drags water and minerals out with it. This loss can cause dehydration and a lack of important electrolytes such as magnesium, potassium, and sodium. An extremely low carb keto diet means you end up cutting out some of the richest natural resources of electrolytes, such as starchy fruits and vegetables.
Low Glucose Availability
The brain may struggle to shift from glucose to ketones, leading to sluggish thinking. Glucose is the core source of bioenergy in the body; however, glucose brain metabolism could be affected in aging cells or due to disease development. Ketone bodies are an efficient alternate fuel source that could compensate for the deficient glycolytic metabolism upon their supra-physiologic availability in the blood (ketosis), which, in turn, could promote cognitive benefits and tackle disease progression.
Dehydration
Increased fluid loss in ketosis can impair cognitive performance. A keto diet can cause you to rapidly shed water stores, increasing the risk of dehydration. This is because glycogen, the stored form of carbohydrates, binds to water in the body. When dietary carbohydrates are reduced, glycogen levels plummet, and water is excreted from the body. Water affects every part of your brain and body. Dehydration can cause dizziness, confusion, and difficulty concentrating.
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Insufficient Calories
Under-eating can deprive the brain of needed energy. When on the keto diet, intake of healthy fats is crucial, as low calories can lead to keto flu symptoms. Do not reduce your calorie intake too much, and try not to go low-carb AND low-fat. Ramping up your fat consumption can help speed up the transition of burning fat instead of glucose for fuel.
Vitamin Deficiencies
A poorly planned keto diet may lack B vitamins essential for mental clarity. Certain nutrients are crucial for keeping your brain sharp and your energy high. Key nutrients such as B vitamins, omega-3 fatty acids, vitamin D, and magnesium play essential roles in brain health.
Managing Brain Fog on Keto
Fortunately, brain fog on keto is usually temporary and reversible with the right strategies. Here are some effective ways to manage and alleviate these symptoms:
Replenish Electrolytes
Add magnesium, sodium, and potassium through food or supplements. Along with hydration, be sure to add plenty of electrolytes like salts, potassium and magnesium to your diet. Doing this can stop cramps and nausea. Salting food to taste and including potassium-rich, keto-friendly foods like green leafy vegetables and avocados is an excellent way to ensure a healthy balance of electrolytes. These foods are also high in magnesium, which may help reduce muscle cramps, sleep issues, and headaches.
Stay Hydrated
Drink ample water, especially early in the diet shift. Staying hydrated helps with headaches and boosts your energy levels. One way to help yourself remember to drink water is to set a reminder on your phone, or always keep a full glass of water within reach. Most people don’t know how much water to drink every day, but it’s easy to determine - just take your current body weight and divide it by two. That’ll give you the minimum ounces of water to drink every day.
Read also: Keto Calorie Counting: A Detailed Guide
Ease Into Ketosis
Gradually reduce carbs to allow smoother metabolic adaptation. The best approach would be to start with a typical low-carb diet and give your body time to adjust. Slowly cutting back on carbs while increasing fat and protein in your diet may help make the transition smoother and decrease keto-flu symptoms.
Include Nutrient-Dense Foods
Add leafy greens, organ meats, and eggs to boost vitamin intake.
Monitor Mental Symptoms
If brain fog persists, consider cycling carbs or reassessing the diet plan.
Get Adequate Sleep
Fatigue and irritability are common complaints of people who are adapting to a ketogenic diet. Lack of sleep causes levels of the stress hormone cortisol to rise in the body, which can negatively impact mood and make keto-flu symptoms worse. If you are having a difficult time falling or staying asleep, try one of the following tips:
- Reduce caffeine intake: Caffeine is a stimulant that may negatively impact sleep. If you drink caffeinated beverages, only do so in the morning so your sleep is not affected.
- Cut out ambient light: Shut off cell phones, computers, and televisions in the bedroom to create a dark environment and promote restful sleep.
- Take a bath: Adding Epsom salt or lavender essential oil to your bath is a relaxing way to wind down and get ready for sleep.
- Get up early: Waking at the same time every day and avoiding oversleeping may help normalize your sleep patterns and improve sleep quality over time.
Avoid Strenuous Exercise
While exercise is important for staying healthy, strenuous exercise should be avoided when experiencing keto-flu symptoms. Fatigue, muscle cramps, and stomach discomfort are common in the first week of following a ketogenic diet, so it may be a good idea to give your body a rest. Activities like intense biking, running, weightlifting, and strenuous workouts may have to be put on the back burner while your system adapts to new fuel sources. While these types of exercise should be avoided if you are experiencing the keto flu, light activities like walking, yoga, or leisurely biking may improve symptoms.
Read also: Magnesium Supplements for Keto
Ensure Adequate Fat Intake
Eating enough fat, the primary fuel source on the ketogenic diet, will help reduce cravings and keep you feeling satisfied. Ramping up your fat consumption can help speed up the transition of burning fat instead of glucose for fuel.
Identify and Eliminate Food Sensitivities
Common culprits include dairy, nuts, or artificial sweeteners. Additionally, processed foods, sauces, and condiments often have hidden sugars or starches.
The Keto Flu: A Broader Perspective
The keto flu, also known as the "carb flu," is a real phenomenon that can occur when drastically reducing carbs. Your body’s response to entering ketosis can often mimic symptoms of the flu. Essentially, you’re feeling the symptoms of withdrawal from carbs. Your body burns carbohydrates (glucose) for energy by default, so switching to a fat-burning process confuses your body.
Symptoms of the Keto Flu
Signs of the keto flu may start popping up within the first few days of cutting back on carbs. Symptoms can range from mild to severe and vary from person to person. While some people may transition to a ketogenic diet without any side effects, others report symptoms such as:
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Constipation
- Diarrhea
- Headache
- Irritability
- Weakness
- Muscle cramps
- Dizziness
- Brain fog
- Stomach or intestinal pain
- Muscle soreness
- Difficulty sleeping
- Food cravings
Duration of the Keto Flu
Symptoms of the keto flu generally begin within the first day or two of removing carbs. For an average person, the keto flu can last a week or less, but in extreme cases, the keto flu can last up to a month. However, depending on your genetics, you may never experience the keto flu.
Prevention and Relief Strategies
- Ease into the diet: When making harsh diet changes, it’s always helpful to ease into it.
- Hydrate: Make sure you’re drinking lots of water.
- Replace electrolytes: Be sure to add plenty of electrolytes like salts, potassium, and magnesium to your diet.
- Increase healthy fats: Intake of healthy fats is crucial, as low calories can lead to keto flu symptoms.
- Take Epsom salt baths: This will help soothe and relax your muscles as well as improve electrolyte absorption.
- Engage in light exercise: Light exercise will help relieve muscle pain and tension.
Keto and Cognitive Function: A Deeper Dive
Optimal cognitive functions are necessary for activities of daily living and self-independence. Cognitive abilities are acquired during early childhood as part of progressive neurodevelopmental milestones; unfortunately, regressive changes can occur as part of physiological aging, or more ominously, pathological diseases, such as Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Cases of AD and its milder subset, mild cognitive impairment (MCI), are rising and would impose a burdensome impact beyond the individual level.
Ketone Bodies as an Alternative Fuel Source
Glucose is the core source of bioenergy in the body; however, glucose brain metabolism could be affected in aging cells or due to disease development. Ketone bodies are an efficient alternate fuel source that could compensate for the deficient glycolytic metabolism upon their supra-physiologic availability in the blood (ketosis), which, in turn, could promote cognitive benefits and tackle disease progression.
Ketogenic Diets and Neurological Illnesses
Ketogenic diets (KD), which rely on low-carbohydrate and high-fat intake, were first described by Wilder [29] to treat epilepsy in children. The diet was also listed among dietary approaches that have been previously demonstrated to aid cognitive impairment prevention and improve cognition [19]. The literature contains several animal and human studies that confirm the favorable contribution of KD to multiple neurological illnesses, including AD and related dementias. Physiological ketosis achieved by KD is believed to be the core process responsible for favorable neurological outcomes [26].
Molecular Mechanisms of Ketosis
At the molecular level, ketosis can produce an efficient antioxidative effect by enhancing mitochondrial biogenesis and reducing reactive oxygen species through numerous modulations of intracellular signaling factors, such as the nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) and AMPK/mTOR pathways. Ketosis can also drive anti-inflammatory processes, promote key synaptic transmission modulations, and protect against amyloid and tau protein deposition [30,31,32].
MCTs and Ketosis
Since the ingestion of MCT can promote the rapid production of ketone bodies [41], MCT products may be considered a feasible option for some cohorts. When the liver is packed with fatty acids and their β-oxidation product (i.e., acetyl CoA), ketogenesis occurs [26,27]. The ketones are released into the circulation thereafter and enter the peripheral tissues for ketolysis and utilization [26,27].