Ketogenic diets in the management of type 1 diabetes: Safe or safety concern?

Abstract

The jury is still out on whether a low-carbohydrate, ketosis-inducing diet is an effective and safe adjunctive therapy to insulin in type 1 diabetes. The limited published literature reports an association with weight loss and improved glycemic control and may, over the long-term, lead to reduced macrovascular and microvascular harm. However, the attendant increased risk of dyslipidemia, diabetic ketoacidosis, and hypoglycemia warrant caution, close monitoring of patients who embark on the diet, and further research.