Ever Tried Keto and Detox at the Same Time?

Have you ever tried to eat a ketogenic diet while during a detoxification process and found that it was harder than usual? If so, this article may provides clues as to why.

A ketogenic diet has many advantages, but amid all of the hype about keto diets, some disadvantages are not discussed enough, such as the effects of ketosis on detoxification processes.

Here are some ways in which ketosis may impair detoxification ...

Ketosis May Lower Glutathione Production

One of the main reasons people go keto is to lower their blood sugar and insulin. In general, lowering blood sugar and insulin is a good idea, especially if there is insulin resistance. But insulin promotes the production of glutathione.

In fact, insulin resistance is probably why type 2 diabetics produce less glutathioane. Their insulin signaling does not work properly. So if insulin signaling is impaired (insulin resistance), gluthathione production is inhibited.

In people with insulin resistance, a ketogenic diet could help them recover insulin sensitivity and increase glutathione production. However, in people without insulin resistance, a ketogenic diet suppresses insulin and insulin signaling, potentially lowering glutathione production.

Since glutathione is extremely important in detoxification proceses, in people that do not have insulin resistance, a ketogenic diet could impair detocification processes by lowering gluthatione production.

However, this alone is probably not enough of a reason to avoid a ketogenic diet. But it may be a good reason to cycle on and off of a ketogenic diet and to not attempt a ketogenic diet during periods when promoting detoxification may be more important than obtaining the benefits of being in ketosis.

Ketosis Increases Acid Load

Ketones are acids, so elevating ketones elevates the body's acid load and tends to acidify the urine. Acidic urine reduces the ability of the kidneys to excrete toxins, causing toxins to remain in the body longer before they are eliminated.

This can potentially be overcome by consuming bicarbonates in moderation (too much can cause potassium loss), high quantities of alkaline-formimg foods like vegetables, and maintaining high electronegative charge / voltage in the body since voltage and alkaline pH are closely related, as discussed in Healing is Voltage (Part 1): A Deeper Truth Behind Acidity & Akalinity in Your Body.

Ketosis, Carbs, Heme, and Detox

Heme is a protein that is a component of many larger proteins, including the cytochrome P450 enzymes that do most of the heavy lifting in phase 1 detoxification processes.

Some people have challenges producing heme due to genetic variants (e.g. mutation in the ALAD gene), and/or due to stressors that have altered their biochemistry. For example, people that have had psychological trauma or have Lyme disease often develop issues with producing heme. 

Ketosis requires a functional heme pathway, so somebody with a dysfunctional heme pathway, due to genetic influences, trauma, and/or illness, will typically struggle to get into ketosis.

In addition, carbohydrate consumption supports the heme pathway, and it seems that people with dysfunctional heme pathways need more carbohydrates in their diet than the amount in a ketogenic diet in order to support their heme production.

Fat, LPS, Liver Inflammation, and Detox

A type of bacteria called gram-negative bacteria produces a substance called lipopolysaccharide (LPS) as part of its outer membrane, and LPS is one of the most inflammatory influences on the body including the liver.

Inflammation caused by LPS is a major cause of cholestasis, which is the stagnation of bile flow out of liver cells into the bile canals. Bile is the means by which the body excretes a lot of its toxins 

"Leaky gut" (intestinal hyperpermeability) increases the amount of LPS transported from the gut into the blood (and liver, brain, etc). Some dietary fats, especially long-chain saturated fats, also increase the transport of LPS transported from the gut into the body. However, saturated fat seems to have a protective effect against LPS transported in this way versus LPS that enters the body more directly through the lining of the intestional tract. So it's not clear that ketogenic diet high in saturated fat would worsen the effect of LPS on the body.

If you have a "leaky gut", you typically have dysbiosis (imbalance of intestinal bacteria) involving a higher population of gram-negative bacteria and therefore a higher production of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) from gram-negative bacteria. 

So in the presence of leaky gut (and dysbiosis), a high-fat diet (such as a ketogenic diet) might increase the absorption of LPS, cause liver inflammation, and impair detoxification in the liver. In general, people with dysbiosis and/or leaky gut may need to avoid a high-fat diet (e.g. keto diet) until they have rebalanced their gut microbiome and resolved their leaky gut.

On the other hand, LPS is produced mainly from the portions of certain starches that are resistant to digestion, so a keto diet might actually reduce LPS production and LPS-generated inflammation because it is low in starches that might be resistant to digestion and available to feed gram-negative bacteria in the lower digestive tract.

One Way of Hacking or "Faking" Keto

Medium chain triglycerides (MCTs), such as those derived from coconut or palm oil in the firm of medium chain triglycerides are readily converted by the body to ketones, even when the body is not in ketosis. So you can increase your body's ketone production without restricting carbohydrates or calories. 

And much of the benefit of a ketogenic diet comes from the elevation of ketones. This is because ketones promote a process in the mitochondrial called "uncoupling", which leads to better overall mitochondrial function and number.

MCTs also do not raise the issue of elevated LPS transport from the gut into the body and should be safe to use any time to help the body produce some ketones.

Ketosis Depletes Selenium

Selenium depletion caused by ketosis has resulted in cardiomyopathy and death in some children following a ketogenic diet for their epilepsy. And online keto forums include commentaries by people who experienced arrhythmias that went away as soon as they supplemented with selenium.

Selenium directly protects the body from mercury and oxidative stress induced by heavy metals. aflatoxin (from mold), and other causes.

If you are already deficient in selenium, and many people are, ketosis can impair your detoxification processes by depleting your already deficient selenium. And if you push it too far, it could kill you.

Ketosis Causes Magnesium Loss

At least in the early stages of ketoadaptation, there is an increased loss of magnesium in the urine. Magnesium is involved directly and indirectly in some detoxification processes, and most people are already deficient in magnesium.

So going into ketosis can impair detoxification in many people by causing loss of already deficient magnesium. 

Ketosis has its reasons and seasons, but it may not mix well with detox, at least for some people and situatioms.

Where to Go From Here?

If you are struggling with keto, or detox, or another health concern, or just want to bio-individualize your diet or optimize your already good health, check out the Bio-Individual Blueprint Roadmap,