Although this means a glass of milk is not good for keto, this doesn’t rule out every other dairy product from your low-carb lifestyle. In fact, the most popular keto ingredients are made from milk, but with one crucial difference: Most of the milk sugar is filtered out during production (and no other sugars are added in).

In this guide, we’ll show you exactly how to decipher between dairy that is keto and dairy product that aren’t (as well as how to find out if a specific dairy product is optimal for you).

Throughout our journey into the world of keto dairy, we’ll be taking a closer look at the following topics:

• What is a dairy product exactly?
• Can you have dairy on keto?
• The worst dairy for low carb eating
• The best dairy for ketosis (including a list of the best keto cheeses)
• Dairy products you can have in moderation
• A quick overview of the best and worst keto dairy
• The benefits of keto-friendly dairy
• The potential dairy-based downsides
• Should you eat dairy on keto (or go dairy-free)?
• How much dairy should you have on keto?
• Milk and its keto-friendly substitutes
• Can you do keto without dairy?
• Key takeaways

What is a Dairy Product?

Dairy foods are anything that contains or is made from milk. This is vital information for anyone with dairy allergies and/or dairy intolerance to milk protein or lactose.

However, knowing whether or not something is a dairy product will not tell you if it is keto-friendly. Uncovering the best and worst dairy products for the keto diet requires us to look closer at each product’s carbohydrate content and serving size.

Is Dairy Keto-friendly: Can You Have It on the Keto Diet?

As long as the particular dairy product is low enough in carbs to fit within your daily carb limit, you can have it on keto.  For most people, this limit will be around 35 grams of total carbs and 25 grams of net carbs per day.

Thus, determining if a food is “low enough” in carbs for your keto diet will depend on the other foods you eat throughout the day as well.

For example, one cup of whole milk comes with roughly 12 grams of net carbs, which is technically below the keto carb limit. However, that small glass of milk will take away nearly half of your net carbs for the day, which will make keto significantly more difficult to follow.
(This is why whole milk is often avoided on keto.)

In contrast, if you have a dairy product where the milk sugar is taken out during production, then the carb counts tend to be significantly lower. The perfect example of this is cheddar cheese and butter, which are low enough in carbs to be keto staples.

What Dairy is Not Keto-friendly? The Worst Dairy Products that Will Kick You Out of Ketosis

Overall, the worst dairy products for keto (and virtually every other diet) will be those that have added sugars. Not only does this cause the net carb counts to climb, but it renders the food unhealthy.

Here is a list of the most common examples of this that you’ll find in the dairy aisle:

• Sweetened yogurts — Whether the yogurt is sweetened with pure sugar or a fruit puree, skip this dairy option. This includes yogurt drinks and squeezable pouches that are marketed to kids as well.
• Non-fat unsweetened yogurt — With the fat removed, this leaves extra space for more dairy sugar on your spoon. Though these are healthier than sweetened yogurt products, non-fat plain varieties are best avoided on keto as well. Opt for full-fat unsweetened options in moderation instead.
• Chocolate milk and other flavored milk products — Sugar usually accompanies the added flavorings. In fact, most chocolate milk products have so much added sugar that we should call them “sugar milk with chocolate flavoring added.”
• Ice cream and frozen yogurt — Even the “healthier” frozen desserts are riddled with added sugars. Your best bet is making it yourself with the help of keto recipes. (Give it a try: It’s surprisingly easy.)
• Pudding — From Snack Packs to a fancy restaurant-style pudding dish, most puddings come with high amounts of sugar in every spoonful. To keep it keto-friendly, try experimenting with chia or avocado as a simple low-carb base for a quick sugar-free pudding.
• Premade dairy-based shakes — Most premade shakes, including Muscle Milk, Slim-Fast, and Ensure, are packed with added sugars. Before buying a shake for a quick meal or snack, make sure you double-check the label.

Though these products may seem vastly different, they all share a critical thread in common: Each one contains too much sugar.

Whether the sugar is from naturally occurring lactose or added during processing, these dairy options pack on the net carbs and make it nearly impossible for us to enter and sustain ketosis. Simply put, these dairy products are not keto-friendly.

If your goal is to lose weight and improve overall health, avoiding this list of foods is a great place to start (regardless of what diet you’re following).

The Best Keto Dairy: A List of High-fat, Low-carb Staples

The best of the best keto dairy options will have the three following characteristics:

1. Very low in carbs. In other words, most of the natural milk sugar is filtered out (by bacteria, processing, or both) and no sugar is added back in.
2. Full fat. Fat-reduced and non-fat dairy products tend to be higher in carbs.
3. Sourced from healthy cows. In general, these cows will be pastured-raised in a regenerative way and humanely treated.

Any dairy product with the first two qualities will be good for keto. However, the absolute best keto dairy will have all three.

List of the Best Dairy for the Keto Diet

• Butter and Ghee — Butter only contains trace amounts of milk sugar, making it an excellent option for adding extra fat to your keto meal. If you’re set on having a lot of butter, make sure to get high-quality grass-fed butter, which is a healthier option for you and the cows. For those who are sensitive to any of the proteins found in dairy, ghee (also known as clarified butter) is one of the best butter replacements.
• Heavy cream — A common ingredient in keto baking and cooking, you can use heavy cream (or heavy whipping cream) to add fat to your coffee/tea, make a flavorful low carb cream sauce, or whip up your own low-carb ice cream and keto whipped cream.
• Half-and-Half — Though half-and-half is one part heavy cream with one part whole milk, you’ll only get 1 g of net carbs in every 2-tbsp serving. When buying half-and-half, make sure the ingredients are only milk and cream to ensure you have a keto-friendly dairy product.
• Spreadable cheeses — The three best keto options in this category of cheeses are cream cheese, mascarpone, and creme fraiche. You’ll find that each one is used in some of the most popular keto dessert recipes, while cream cheese serves as a great keto thickener/base for creamy soups and dips.
• Soft-ripened cheese — Brie, Camembert, and other similar soft-ripened cheeses are among the lowest in carbs of all cheeses, with roughly 0.5 gram of carb per 100 grams.
• Hard (aged) cheeses — This includes cheddar, swiss, parmesan, and provolone, which all give the good bacteria in the cheese extra time to use up the net carbs for you. Hard cheese typically contains between 2 and 4g of net carbs per 100 grams.
• Semi-soft cheese — Midway between hard and soft cheese in texture, semi-soft cheeses like mozzarella, monterey jack, feta, and havarti are versatile and widely available in the US. They have slightly more carbs than most hard cheeses, with 3.5 to 4 grams in every 100-gram serving.
• Blue cheese — Whether it is roquefort, gorgonzola, stilton, or blue cheese crumbles, this is flavorful low-carb cheese option at 2-4 grams of carbs per 100-gram serving.
• Curd-based cheeses — Treated with acid-forming bacteria and/or citric acid, milk will form curds, which is the basis of this type of cheese. The lowest carb options in this category are whole milk ricotta, full-fat cottage cheese, and paneer, with around 3-4 g in every 100g.
• Sour cream — Thanks to natural probiotics and the very low carb content of cream, sour cream only has roughly 0.3 g of carbs per tablespoon.

What Cheese is Best for Keto?

What Dairy Products Should I Limit On Keto?

Though cheese, cream, and butter are typically the best keto dairy products, this doesn’t mean you should avoid everything else in the dairy aisle.

In fact, there are several other low-carb dairy products you can incorporate into your keto lifestyle in moderation:

• Whole milk — A glass won’t cut it on keto, but a few tablespoons can be added to recipes if needed. By the tablespoon, whole milk has only 0.8 grams of net carbs.
• Unsweetened full-fat yogurt — Though it is much healthier than sweetened yogurts, the plain variety still has some milk sugar lingering inside. This applies to greek yogurt as well, both adding around 7g of net carbs per ¾ cup serving to your keto diet.
• Kefir — This yogurt-like drink is made by controlling the souring process of milk to form a probiotic beverage. Since Kefir is at a relatively early stage of fermentation, it will tend to have more net carbs. In general, The carb content varies between 4 and 7 grams per 100 grams, depending on how it is made.

As you browse through keto recipes, you may actually find these on the ingredients list. Usually, all it takes is a small amount to provide the right texture and flavor without carb counts climbing too high.

An Overview of the Best and Worst Dairy Products for Keto

To give you a better idea of how all the above information fits together, we’ve included a chart with the net carb counts for every 100g serving of the best and worst keto dairy products for keto:

Now that we know exactly what dairy products are the best, the worst, and what should be limited on keto, let’s take a look at the benefits, the downsides, and other common dairy-related questions.

What are the Benefits of Low Carb Dairy on a Keto Diet?

Other than the fact that keto-friendly dairy provides us with plenty of fat, it comes with several health benefits as well:

• Dairy provides us with essential vitamins and minerals. Keto dairy products have varying amounts of several key nutrients, including vitamin A, vitamin K2, vitamins B6 and B12, calcium, and zinc.
• Dairy consumption is linked to better cardiovascular health. Some studies suggest that a moderate consumption of high-fat dairy may reduce the risk of heart attack and stroke.
• Dairy intake is associated with lower inflammation levels. Though dairy products are often thought of as being inflammatory, the scientific literature points us in the opposite direction. In fact, after conducting a systematic review of 52 clinical trials, the authors of a 2017 study concluded that consuming dairy products may help lower inflammatory markers in people with metabolic diseases, such as diabetes or obesity. A more recent review from 2020 found that dairy products had neutral to beneficial effects on inflammatory markers in healthy subjects and those with metabolic disease. (That being said, dairy is likely to increase inflammation if you have a dairy allergy, lactose intolerance, or a sensitivity to specific dairy proteins.)
• Most cheeses are a good source of protein. Eating more protein, especially dairy protein, can help you feel full, build muscle, and burn more calories. Altogether, this can make fat loss easier to achieve and maintain without having to fight against increasing cravings and hunger pangs.
• Keto dairy is tasty and satisfying. Simply put, cheese and butter can turn a bland, boring meal into a 5-star culinary experience. Cheese, in particular, may also make you feel more satisfied with less food. In fact, one recent study found that cheese tends to reduce hunger and trigger the release of more “fullness hormones” than heavy cream or whipped cream.

The Potential Downsides of Keto Dairy

On the other side of the spectrum, dairy has a few drawbacks to look out for as well:

• Dairy may trigger cravings. Since many of us have consumed dairy alongside high-carb, highly-palatable foods throughout our lives, certain keto dairy products may trigger cravings and overeating. If this is the case for you, adding more low-carb vegetables and protein to your meals may be a better option than packing on the butter and cheese.
• Overeating keto dairy can cause weight gain. Though cheese, butter, and heavy cream are reliable keto-friendly options, don’t fall into the trap of thinking you can eat as much as you want. Unfortunately, when we overeat fat, our bodies will store it as fat. In fact, one of the most common causes of weight gain on keto is adding too much extra butter and cheese to meals. (The same applies to keto weight loss stalls as well.)
• Dairy may worsen acne and other skin issues. In some people, dairy can trigger acne flare-ups. If you notice an increase in acne after starting keto, then dairy might be the culprit.
• You might be sensitive to dairy. Certain individuals may have immune systems that overreact to dairy, which may cause digestive issues, fatigue, inflammation, or other symptoms.
• Lactose intolerance. Up to two-thirds of people worldwide are estimated to lack the enzyme necessary to digest lactose, leading to lactose intolerance. People who are lactose intolerant can usually digest low-lactose dairy products like cheese or yogurt with little to no issues. However, some may be sensitive to lactose regardless of how much they consume.
• People can develop an allergy to one or more of the proteins in milk. Although relatively common in children, a true cow’s milk allergy is rare in adults. Milk allergies can trigger digestive upset, vomiting, hives, or even anaphylaxis after consuming dairy.

How to Know if You Should Eat Dairy on a Keto or Low-carb Diet?

As is the case with other low-carb food, the response to dairy is highly individual. In general, the keto-friendly dairy products discussed above are a healthy staple of the ketogenic diet.

However, if you have a milk allergy, lactose intolerance, and/or a sensitivity to specific dairy proteins, it is best to listen to your body and either limit or avoid dairy for optimal results.

For those who are among the small subset of people with a dairy allergy, it is best to avoid all dairy products and go 100% dairy-free on keto.

If you’re lactose intolerant, you may be able to enjoy small servings of cheese, butter, and other low-lactose dairy products. That being said, anyone who finds that even tiny amounts of lactose cause digestive issues should steer clear of dairy (or at least take a lactase enzyme with dairy-containing meals).

If you’re not sure whether or not dairy is ideal for you and your keto lifestyle, consider experimenting with dairy-free keto for 3-4 weeks. While you cut out dairy, you’ll be able to figure out if low-carb dairy is triggering cravings, causing weight loss stalls, provoking acne breakouts, or causing fatigue and digestive issues.

You can also fine-tune your experiment by adding in different types of keto dairy products to see if you react negatively to one and not the other. Within a few months of experimenting, you’ll be able to figure out what dairy products are the best fit for your keto or low-carb lifestyle. (For more information on limiting dairy intake, check out our complete guide to going dairy-free.)

How Much Dairy Can You Have on Keto?

As with other keto foods, how much dairy you can eat on keto will depend on the following three factors:

• Food intolerances, sensitivities, and allergies. If you notice you feel fatigued, bloated, or gassy after a meal featuring dairy products, then you may have an issue with lactose, specific dairy proteins, or another component of that ingredient. In this case, it is best to limit or avoid dairy (as explained above).
• Your carb limit. To ensure your meal doesn’t impair ketosis (the hallmark of a ketogenic diet), you must make sure the particular food will keep you below your daily carb limit. This limit will be 35 grams of total carbs and 25 grams of net carbs per day for most people. However, if you want to find your specific carb limit, I recommend following the guidelines in our keto carb limit article.
• Your protein and fat intake goals. Even if all you eat is zero-carb dairy products, you can still gain weight if you overeat high-fat foods like cheese, butter, and cream. Though you will still be burning fat, this fat will come exclusively from the food you eat and not your stored belly fat. Along with optimizing your fat intake, eating the right amount of protein is crucial for getting the results you want as well. If you’d like to find out how much protein and fat you should aim to eat each day, plug your info into our keto calculator.

What About Milk Alternatives for Keto? Finding the Best Dairy-based and Dairy-free Options

Keto-friendly dairy milk alternatives can come with the same issues as other dairy products, particularly regarding high levels of natural sugar and added sugar.

Because of this, finding the right low-carb milk substitute can be time-consuming. Whether you are purchasing canned coconut milk, almond milk, cashew milk, or any other nut milk, make sure to double-check the ingredients and net carbs counts.

To save you time and money, I highly recommend reading through our guide to keto milk substitutes. Not only will you find dairy-free keto milk you can drink by the cup, but you’ll learn about the best dairy milk alternatives for your keto dairy-free recipes.

Can You Do Keto Without Dairy?

Though low-carb dairy is one of the most common keto ingredients, this doesn’t mean that you must include it in your keto lifestyle. Many keto dieters have successfully gone 100% dairy-free with several simple swaps and keto dairy-free recipes.

In fact, you can make a keto-friendly dairy-free version of virtually any dairy-based food with the right recipes and substitutes. For example, you can easily make a keto coconut cream yogurt, a sugar-free chocolate shake, or dairy-free keto ice cream. (You can keep low-carb crepes and chocolate silk pie on your low-carb recipe menu as well.)

When it comes to cooking and frying your low-carb entrees, simply skip the dairy fats like butter and ghee, and use coconut oil and extra virgin olive oil instead. For more keto dairy-free recipes, replacements, and tips, read through our comprehensive guide to the dairy-free ketogenic diet.

Key Takeaways — The Best and Worst Dairy for Your Keto Diet

Dairy follows the same rules as any other food on keto. More specifically, the best keto dairy will have the following characteristics:

1. Very low in carbs
2. High in fat (and can be a good source of protein as well)
3. Comes from a high-quality source. In this case, the dairy should come from healthy cows (pasture-raised and humanely treated, using regenerative methods).

This is why the top three dairy products you’ll find in keto recipes and keto dieter shopping lists are heavy cream, butter, and cheese. Each one contains only a small amount of natural milk sugars and provides us with a great source of healthy fat. (All that’s left is making sure they are made from high-quality dairy milk.)

In contrast, the worst keto dairy products will contain sugary sweeteners (and will usually have a reduced fat content as well). The most popular examples of these unhealthy processed foods are flavored milks and yogurts, such as fruit-at-the-bottom yogurt, squeezable yogurts, yogurt drinks, and chocolate milk.

That said, even if you only have zero-carb dairy products, it is still possible to overeat them, gain fat, and impair health. This is why it is crucial to incorporate other health-promoting foods (like low carb vegetables) and keep your food intake within your daily macro goals to get the results you expect from keto eating.

The easiest way to do this is by using the Ruled.me keto app to calculate your macro goals and personalize a daily meal plan for you.

For those of you who’d like to go 100% dairy-free or experiment with dairy-free keto dieting, make sure to read our dairy-free keto guide first.

Sources

• Association of dairy intake with cardiovascular disease and mortality in 21 countries from five continents (PURE): a prospective cohort study — The Lancet
• Effects of Full-Fat and Fermented Dairy Products on Cardiometabolic Disease: Food Is More Than the Sum of Its Parts — NCBI
• Dairy products and inflammation: A review of the clinical evidence — NCBI
• The Effects of Dairy Product and Dairy Protein Intake on Inflammation: A Systematic Review of the Literature — Journal of the American College of Nutrition
• Dairy products influence gut hormone secretion and appetite differently: A randomized controlled crossover trial — NCBI
• The Dairy Free Keto Diet Guide — Ruled.me
• The Vegan Keto Diet Guide – Ruled Me
• Ketogenic Diet Food List: Everything You Need to Know — Ruled.me
• Can the Ketogenic Diet Improve Acne? — Ruled.me
• Food allergies and food intolerances — Harvard Health

The post Dairy & Keto: Best, Worst, and Substitutes appeared first on Ruled Me.

Simply put, if you make your low carb or ketogenic diet more convenient than grabbing an unhealthy meal, you will be able to create a lifestyle that helps you lose weight and improve health naturally.

One way to do this is by cooking healthy low carb keto freezer meals, so you always have something you can eat when you’re pressed for time.

Whether you are looking for a simple solution for weekly meal prep, a quick instant pot recipe, or a hot and ready dinner fresh from the slow cooker, there are a plethora of low carb frozen meals you can rely on.

Here is a quick overview of what you’ll find in this keto-friendly freezer meal round-up:

• The benefits of freezer meals on keto
• Low carb freezer meals for breakfast
• Keto freezer meals for lunch
• Low carb frozen dinner entrees
• Freezer-friendly keto dessert recipes
• 8 tips for getting the most out of your keto frozen meals
• Key takeaways: Keto freezer meals, easy meal prep, and your low carb lifestyle

The Three Key Benefits of Batch Cooking Keto Freezer Meals

We hinted at the powers of batch cooking low carb freezer meals in the opening paragraphs, so let’s take a closer look at why freezer-friendly recipes are such a powerful tool:

1. Saves you more money than before

Although healthy foods come with the stigma of being more expensive, this does not have to be the case for you. By planning ahead and cooking bigger batches of freezer-friendly meals, your food budget will decrease as you eat out less and waste less food.

If you’d like to save more money on your freezer meals, we recommend checking out our comprehensive guide to eating keto on a budget.

2. Reduces your overall carbon footprint and food waste

The most recent estimates by the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) indicate that Americans waste more than $161 billion each year on food, with dairy products as the food waste frontrunner. Not only is this bad for everyone’s food budget, but it contributes to increased greenhouse gas emissions as the food waste in landfills leaks methane gas into the atmosphere.

With the help of keto freezer meals, you will be able to reduce your body fat %, food budget, and carbon footprint at the same time. Along with that, you’ll be taking steps toward making your new diet plan into a sustainable, healthy lifestyle.

3. Simplifies keto meal prep and planning for easier weight loss results

Willpower and restriction will help you get started, but leveraging convenience to work for you is what will keep you going when you are stressed, hungry, and tired. To illustrate what I mean, imagine having several healthy and delicious keto-friendly frozen meals waiting for you at home.

You no longer have to think, prep, plan, calculate, decide, or negotiate with your cravings when you’re already drained from the day. All you have to do is reheat and eat your freezer meals to reach your keto goals.

Surprisingly enough, there are hundreds of recipes that are healthy, easy-to-make, gluten free, low-carb, and freezer-friendly. To get you started, let’s take a look at the most popular keto freezer meals for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and dessert.

Low Carb Breakfast Freezer Meal Recipes

Here are some great options for batch cooking and freezing breakfasts so you always have something ready to go in the morning.

Keto Sausage Gravy and Biscuit Bake

See the Recipe

Keto Lemon Poppyseed Muffins

See the Recipe

Low Carb Cinnamon Roll Waffle

See the Recipe

Easy Meal Prep Low-Carb Breakfast Burritos

See the Recipe

Keto Zucchini Bread with Walnuts

See the Recipe

Easy Low Carb Freezer Meals for Lunch

If you’re looking for something to keep on hand for lunch, you’ll find some fantastic, freezable ideas below.

See the Recipe

Greek Cauliflower Salad

See the Recipe

Cheesy Cauliflower & Bacon Soup

See the Recipe

Keto Cloud Bread BLT

See the Recipe

Easy Keto Meatballs

See the Recipe

Easy Low Carb Freezer Dinners: Slow Cooker Meals and Healthy Casseroles

There’s sometimes no better feeling than being able to pop something in the oven for an easy dinner when you’re exhausted. Below, you’ll find some great examples of freezable meals that will stock your freezer full of keto meals!

See the Recipe

See the Recipe

See the Recipe

See the Recipe

See the Recipe

Keto Freezer Desserts: Easy, Healthy, and Satisfying Recipes

Dessert can be healthy, keto-approved, and freezer-friendly without missing out on the flavors we love.

And, don’t forget about keto ice cream — the ultimate low-carb freezer treat! For a round-up of our favorites, follow this link to check out our top 10 list of keto-friendly ice cream recipes.

Getting the Most Out of Your Keto Freezer Meals: 8 Meal Prep Tips

To help you squeeze the most out of every dollar, meal, and ingredient that you can, here are some of the top meal prep tips from long-term keto dieters:

1.   Make batch cooking a part of your weekly schedule.

The two most common approaches to batch cooking are (1) having a meal prep day every week and (2) doubling or tripling the recipes each time you cook.

The first option requires some planning ahead and a good chunk of time dictated to making multiple recipes at once.

If you simply can’t carve out an afternoon or morning for meal prep each week, then the second batch cooking approach will be much easier to implement. Just make sure you know what you will make before you go to the grocery store, so you know how much of each ingredient you need to get.

2.   Batch cook recipes that call for similar ingredients.

One simple way to cut down on food spending and waste is by batch cooking recipes with ingredient crossover. This will also help you capitalize on bulk buying deals at the store and reduce the amount of prep time needed for each recipe.

3.   Keep it airtight.

Your freezer meals can easily be damaged when the cold air is allowed to come in direct contact with the food. This can steal the tenderness and flavor away for your favorite keto recipes.

To keep this from happening, I recommend buying airtight containers, freezer bags, or a vacuum sealer. If you plan on cooking some meals to store in your freezer for several months, then vacuum sealing will be the best option.

Regardless of what storage option you choose, make sure you allow the meal to cool down to room temperature before freezing.

4.   Label and date your freezer meals.

When the meals start piling up in your freezer, you may find yourself forgetting what’s what and how long each meal has been there. This is why it is so important to label each container/bag, including the name, prep date, and expected expiration date. (Bonus tip: use painter’s tape for removable labels)

To help you estimate your expiration dates, here is a quick list of how long different keto meals last in the freezer:

• Soups, stews, casseroles, and most other keto recipes will keep for around three months.
• Most meat and seafood can be frozen for around three months.
• Low-carb vegetables typically last for up to eight months.

5.   Separate your servings before freezing.

Most foods shouldn’t be defrosted and re-frozen. To best preserve the integrity of your meals, freeze your recipes in meal-sized portions and only thaw/reheat what you will eat within the next 2-3 days.

6.    Become an expert slow-cooker.

Slow cookers, crockpots, and instant pots can be used to simplify almost any keto meal. Essentially, all you need to do is add the ingredients, close the lid, pick a setting, and it’ll be ready 6-8 hours later.

Many delicious keto-friendly dishes can be prepared in this way, including:

• Bone broth
• Chili
• Chicken soup
• Curries and other Indian dishes
• Casseroles
• Meat or seafood stews
• Slow-cooked beef, lamb, chicken, or pork
• Keto lasagna
• Meatballs

For a list of keto recipes that you can make in the slow cooker, follow this link.

7.   Freeze in microwave-safe dishes when possible.

If you plan to eat a freezer meal within a few weeks, store directly in a microwave-safe glass container in the freezer.

With this simple hack, all you have to do is thaw, heat, and eat — no need to transfer the food into a separate bowl or waste a freezer bag.

8.   Make your casseroles portable.

Freezing and reheating casseroles can be a bit tricky when you only have one or two mouths to feed. A simple storage hack is to line the tray with parchment paper before freezing, lift the casserole out, and cut it into portions after it is frozen. Then, wrap each serving in foil and store them in a freezer bag for easy storing, thawing, and reheating.

The Bigger Picture — Low Carb Freezer Meals, Weight Loss Results, and Your Keto Lifestyle

Freezer-friendly keto recipes have been the secret ingredient behind sustainable weight loss results for hundreds (if not thousands) of keto and low-carb dieters. By using the recipes and tips above, you will be one step closer to transforming your health and body composition for the better as well.

As you make more low-carb freezer meals, it is also crucial to consider what you eat in the context of your overall keto lifestyle to get the results you want. For more information on how to create the optimal weight loss approach for you, we’ve included several tools and resources below:

• Keto Calculator — Find out how much you need to eat to meet your goals
• A Comprehensive Guide to the Ketogenic Diet — Keto guidelines, benefits, tips, food list, and recipes
• Eating Keto On A Budget — How to keep keto cheap, convenient, and easy
• Long-Term Keto Weight Loss Results— A guide to losing weight and maintaining your results for life

Sources

• How to Lose Weight on a Ketogenic Diet — Ruled.me
• Food Waste in America in 2020: Statistics & Facts — RTS
• US Food Waste Challenge | FAQ’s — USDA

The post 15+ Low Carb Freezer Meals for Easy Keto: Recipes and Meal Prep Tips appeared first on Ruled Me.

There is no doubt that carb restriction can promote substantial amounts of fat loss for many women, but its impact on hormone levels, fertility, pregnancy, and menopause is often misunderstood.

This naturally begs the question: Do keto weight loss results come at a cost, or is the diet a win-win for women’s health? To help answer this critical question, we’ve developed this comprehensive guide to keto for women.

Here is a quick overview of the topics covered below:

• What is the keto diet, and how does it work?
• Is it healthy, safe, and effective for all women?
• Before & after keto results and success stories
• Important women’s health considerations throughout life
• Menopause & fat loss: keto for women in their 40s, 50s, and beyond
• Keto diet plans and macros for women
• Top 10 tips for long-lasting keto results
• How to find out if the keto lifestyle is right for you
• A closer look at keto for PCOS, PMS, Hot flashes, and UTIs
• Mythbusting: Dispelling false claims about keto and women’s health
• Key takeaways: Success principles and resources for women

What is the Keto Diet? A Brief Overview of How It Works

The keto diet is a high-fat, low-carb, low-to-moderate protein diet that helps you enter and sustain ketosis (i.e., the consistent production of an alternative energy source known as ketones).

Overall, this unique way of eating has been found to yield the same amount or slightly more fat loss than many other weight loss diets for both men and women. Furthermore, the current research also indicates that keto can help with many common conditions that women often struggle with, including heart disease, type 2 diabetes, PCOS, and Alzheimer’s disease.

There are many promising theories behind the powerful potential of following the ketogenic diet. After decades of research, the following two mechanisms have garnered the strongest evidence to explain keto’s therapeutic effects:

1. Keto-friendly foods can help reduce overall calorie intake. By encouraging the consumption of highly-satiating whole foods and restricting appetite-stimulating highly-processed foods, keto helps us feel full throughout the day without needing to eat as much food as before. This spontaneous reduction in calorie consumption typically triggers fat loss and improves various biomarkers linked to heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and PCOS.
2. Keto increases ketone utilization. The keto diet is designed to promote as much ketone burning as possible. When we burn ketones for fuel, they have many positive effects throughout our body, including brain health optimization, increased energy levels, decreased inflammation, and many other benefits you can learn about by following this link.

These two mechanisms can also play a role in alleviating many other women’s health issues (which we will learn more about later). However, we must also consider the other side of the story: Can keto be risky and unhealthy for some women?

Is Keto Safe, Healthy, and Effective for All Women?

According to the research literature and the abundance of success stories, the keto diet can be a safe and effective weight loss approach that helps improve many common women’s health struggles.

The keto diet may be most effective for women who are struggling with:

• Weight loss and yo-yo dieting
• Epilepsy
• Polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS)
• Yeast overgrowth
• Insulin resistance, type 1 diabetes, or type 2 diabetes
• Heart disease
• Neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s or Parkinson’s
• Certain forms of cancer

That being said, some groups of women may find a different low-carb approach to be better for their overall health. This may include women who are:

• Female athletes/lifters that notice a significant drop in performance and recovery on keto 2-3 months.
• Struggling with a hypothyroid condition that isn’t responding well to keto.
• Notice a worsening in blood lipid levels when they eat high amounts of saturated fat.
• Gain fat on a keto diet after tracking macros
• Have stopped menstruating or are having an irregular cycle
• Are pregnant or breastfeeding before their body has adapted to keto
• Notice an increase in menopause-related symptoms after 2-3 months of keto

Regardless of your current health condition, we must also keep in mind that the success of any diet depends significantly on the person. It will take some self-experimentation before you find out what approach to keto is the right fit for you.

Although this implies there will be some ups and downs along the way, this also means that you are not destined to be less healthy and gain fat as you age. Even if you are over 50 and struggling with menopause, you will still be able to achieve your health and weight loss goals.

What Results are Possible for Women? Before and After Keto Success Stories

The beauty of the keto way of eating is that women of all ages can experience tremendous results. From boosting fertility during the childbearing years to losing fat and improving health after 50, you’ll find a keto success story from virtually any background.

For example, check out Elena’s before and after. Not only was she able to drop over 80 pounds, but her 9-year old daughter experienced a positive change in her health as well.

Many postmenopausal women have witnessed wonderful transformations as well. One of the most inspiring success stories I’ve read is from Kathleen.

After struggling with weight loss, high cholesterol, and autoimmune issues for decades, she decided to give keto a try. Now, at the age of 65, she is down 40 pounds and continues to use her keto lifestyle to manage her heart health and autoimmune-related symptoms.

These are just two examples of the thousands of keto success stories for women. After giving it a try, you may find the keto way of eating to be the missing piece as well.

Now that you know what’s possible with keto and why it works, let’s take a closer look at how it affects each phase of a woman’s life.

Important Keto Considerations Throughout a Woman’s Life: From Menstruation to Menopause and Everything in Between

Diet plans, weight loss pills, and other “fat burning” supplements rarely consider issues most relevant to a woman’s health, even when they are marketed exclusively toward women. The promise of immediate results often becomes the primary focus, while more important issues, such as fertility, the menstrual cycle, mental health, and menopause, are left unaddressed.

To formulate a diet that helps you improve your health and body composition in a sustainable way, we must take the following factors into consideration:

Key Evolutionary Differences Between Men and Women: Why Women Lose Weight Slower than Men

Women are gifted with the power to foster, grow, and birth new life into this world. To protect our ability to have children, women have evolved several adaptations to resist rapid fat loss and infertility. These adaptations include:

• Increased body fat %. Women tend to have at least 10% more body fat stores and less muscle than men. Though this is crucial for fertility and childbearing, having less muscle mass also decreases metabolic rate, making weight loss more difficult. One way to counteract this (while improving overall health) is with resistance training and adequate protein intake (two powerful tips we will learn about later). Not only will this strategy help you gain muscle, but it will make it easier to control your appetite and lose fat.
• Increased sensitivity to diet and lifestyle changes. Significant decreases in calorie and/or carb consumption can cause rapid fluctuations in sex hormones, stress hormones, and thyroid function that can impair fertility, mood, and fat loss. If you find the keto diet to be too stressful for your body, then you may want to decrease carb consumption little by little until you find a carb limit that works for you. The same logic applies to calorie consumption as well. Rather than focusing on rapid fat loss, aim for a gentle calorie deficit that helps you maintain your health, vitality, and fertility while losing weight at a steady pace (1 to 2 pounds per week).
• Ravenous cravings and appetite changes throughout your menstrual cycle. Research has found that women tend to eat more during the luteal phase of their menstrual cycle than during the follicular phase (which leads up to ovulation). Typically, we reach for a calorie-dense combination of fat and sweet, which is why candy bars and ice cream tend to find their way into your stomach around the beginning of your cycle. The best way to counteract these powerful cravings is to make sure you have healthy, keto-friendly alternatives at the ready. Allow yourself some room to enjoy keto desserts and snacks during this phase, knowing that you’ll find it easier to eat less and lose more fat as you progress through ovulation. (Just make sure you keep any high-carb, unhealthy snacks, desserts, and candy bars out of sight.)

The Connection Between Keto Diet for Women’s Weight Loss and Your Menstrual Cycle

Women have a significant advantage over men when it comes to dieting: the menstrual cycle. If it becomes erratic or non-existent after making a specific dietary change, this is a clear sign that your current approach is too stressful for your body.

In response to any form of consistent stress, the hormones that start and maintain your menstrual cycle will decrease significantly. This will happen if you are consistently eating too few calories, restricting carbs too low, getting too much exercise, getting too little sleep, or experiencing excess emotional stress.

One way to ensure optimal health, fertility, and sustainability with your diet is by going slow and steady with each adjustment you make. Slow and steady changes may not lead to rapid results, but they will help you achieve long-lasting transformations.

If, after following a slow and steady keto approach for 2-3 months, you find it to cause menstrual cycle irregularities and negative symptoms, then your body is telling you to monitor your diet more closely. Double-check to make sure you are meeting your macronutrient and micronutrient needs.

In some cases, it may be necessary to increase carbohydrate intake until the menstrual cycle is normalized. Experts suggest that women who struggle with keto should consume around 75 to 150 grams of carbohydrates per day.

That being said, If you have PCOS or other issues that cause menstrual cycle irregularities or infertility, a keto diet may be the approach you need to improve your health and boost reproductive success. To learn more, scroll down to “The Keto Diet for Other Women’s Health Issues” section.

Keto Dieting During Pregnancy and Breastfeeding

Throughout your pregnancy and while nursing, it is best to focus on nourishing your body with plenty of macronutrients, vitamins, and minerals. Never aim to lose weight or implement weight-loss strategies (like intermittent fasting) while pregnant or breastfeeding.

If you are pregnant or breastfeeding and want to stay on a keto or low carb diet, here are some recommendations that will help:

• Eat micronutrient-dense foods every day. The most nutrient-rich foods are pasture-raised organ meat, wild-caught sardines, and low-carbohydrate vegetables like spinach, kale, and broccoli. During early pregnancy and before conception, foods higher in folate, such as liver and dark leafy greens, are essential. Vitamin D, iodine, and DHA are crucial as well.
• Increase your protein intake. You should aim to eat between 1 and 1.2 grams per pound of lean mass throughout pregnancy and breastfeeding. Use our keto calculator to find the right amount of protein for you.
• Up your carb and fat intake later in pregnancy. during the last trimester and while your breastfeeding, consume an extra 30-50g of carbs from fruit and dark green vegetables per day to aid milk production. Adding extra calories from fat (300-500 calories worth) is recommended as well.
• Consult your healthcare practitioner before making changes. Always make sure you are working together with your doctor to ensure the best health for you and your child.

Please note: These recommendations are only for women who have followed keto for several months and have found it to be a healthy and effective approach for them prior to conception. Don’t start keto while you are pregnant or breastfeeding.

Family Life and the Keto Diet

Though keto can be a healthy diet for the whole family, it may be challenging to stay keto-friendly with all the carb-laden temptations around us. Plus, the vast difference in food preferences between you and your children can make it even more difficult to stay strict.

Fortunately, there are many ways to achieve your health and weight loss goals without forcing everyone to eat keto all the time. Let’s take a look at some of the easiest options:

• Make keto-friendly meals that the whole family loves. We offer hundreds of keto recipes that have become family favorites throughout the keto community. The beauty of keto-friendly cooking is that you can mimic almost any flavor and texture that we often crave in an unhealthy, carb-laden package. For some inspiration, check out our keto recipe catalog.
• Opt for easily-customizable meals. You may find that the whole family will enjoy a keto-friendly meat dish, but won’t touch the low-carb vegetables. This is when you can mix and match sides, serving carb-rich favorites to your family while making delicious keto options for yourself. Your sides might also inspire them to try more keto-friendly recipes.
• Make a keto-approved version of classic favorites. Pizza, pasta, muffins, cookies, sushi, pancakes, ice cream, and even chicken nuggets can be made in a keto-friendly way. These recipes are so flavorful that your family may start requesting the keto version instead.
• Follow strict keto whenever you can. When all else fails, you can always fall back on a more relaxed approach to keto. Rather than forcing 100% strict keto eating into your lifestyle, try making changes to your diet that you have the most control over first. For example, you can try intermittent fasting through breakfast, eating keto-friendly options at work, or using keto snacks as a way to keep you from overeating at dinner or during family parties. You may not be able to get all the benefits of keto by following this relaxed style, but it can still help you improve health, lose weight, and sustain your results.

What About Menopause? Keto for Women Over 40, 50, and Beyond

Hormones play a significant role in determining how much fat you store and where that fat is stored. As you transition through perimenopause into menopause, you may experience a shift in your health, mood, and how your body looks.

This happens because the female sex hormones that are declining during this time influence how we feel and where we store fat.

As these hormones decrease, body fat is more likely to be stored around the belly rather than the hips, thighs, butt, and breast tissue like before. If you notice an increase in belly fat during menopause, this is one of the reasons why.

Along with this shift in body composition, we are more likely to lose muscle mass and experience sleep abnormalities as well. This is one of the major factors that makes it more challenging to improve health and lose weight as we age.

There is, however, a silver lining to all of these changes. Though menopause may make it more challenging to achieve your goals,  it can’t keep you from losing fat and improving your overall health.

In fact, the same weight loss principles that have helped women in their 20’s and 30’s transform their bodies apply directly to women going through menopause as well. The only difference between the two is that, as you get older and your female sex hormones decrease, it is even more crucial that you stay consistent with the diet and lifestyle changes that work best for you.

Keto Diet Plan and Macros for Women: How to Get Started

One of the simplest ways to see if keto works for you is by following a short-term diet plan. Not only will this approach help you lose weight, but it will serve as a brief trial with keto eating to find out if it is a good fit for your health, lifestyle, and food preferences.

If you are looking to get started, we offer several keto diet plans that women of all ages have used to get the results they want:

• Our 14-day meal plan — One month of keto meals mapped out for you.
• Our Keto Diet App — An easy-to-use app that makes you an entirely personalized meal plan based on your goals and preferences. All you’ll need to do is cook the recipes and eat them.

As you follow a keto diet plan, make sure you customize the servings to fit your personal macro intake goals. The easiest way to do this is to plug your information into our keto calculator and adjust the recipes accordingly. (If you are using our keto diet app, this will be done for you.)

It is also important to think about what you will do after your trial with keto eating comes to an end. What changes will you need to make to achieve and maintain your results?

To help you turn your short-term diet plan into a lifelong keto lifestyle, we’ve included ten success tips and several resources in the next section.

10 Keto Success Tips for Women of All Ages

If you’d like to transition from a strict meal plan to a keto lifestyle that will make your results easier to maintain, try implementing the following tips:

1. Set Realistic Goals and Prioritize Lifelong Success.

When it comes to following a weight loss plan, we often expect the numbers on the scale to decrease every morning until we reach our goal. Then, we will be able to eat what we want while our weight stays the same.

It may sound ridiculous to you, but this is often how weight loss plans and pills are sold to us, creating a false representation of what to expect. In reality, the path to getting the results you want will have its ups and downs as you figure out what strategies work best for you, your health, and your lifestyle.

This is why we recommend considering your short-term goals in the context of a long-term lifestyle that will help you maintain your results. Rather than looking for the perfect diet plan, focus on changing your lifestyle in a way that makes healthy eating convenient and easy.

To make sure you are trending in the right direction, we recommend monitoring your weight, body composition, and overall health only once a month in the beginning. Checking every day or even just once a week can be misleading as your weight naturally fluctuates with changing hormone levels.

In general, a healthy weight loss goal to strive for is 4 to 8 pounds per month. If your weight loss stalls for two consecutive months, try implementing some of the other tips below.

2. Start Simple and Build Your Keto Lifestyle from There.

Sometimes all it takes is one simple rule to get you the results you want. For many women, this rule is “eat keto foods” — that’s it.

To give this a try, eat as much as you want from our keto food list and avoid high-carb foods like grains, starches, sugary beverages, and sugar-filled processed foods. Keeping your lifestyle this simple may be all you need to get the results you want.

3. Engineer Your Food Environment to Feed Your Results.

In other words, make keto food as convenient to consume as possible and turn unhealthy choices into a painfully inconvenient experience. By doing so, you can increase the likelihood that you will make the right choice in the future, even when you are stressed, tired, and hungry.

For an in-depth look at how to transform your food environment, check out our guide to maintaining your keto weight loss results for life.

4. Track What You Eat for 1-2 Months.

Though eating less is often regarded as the key to weight loss, eating too little can impair long-term results and overall health, particularly for women. In contrast, overeating will cause us to gain body fat, regardless of how much you restrict carbs.

This is why it is crucial to develop a greater awareness of what goes on your plate and what your body needs for optimal results.

To learn more about how to track your keto meals, we put together a comprehensive guide to macro tracking that you can find by following this link.

5. Make Sure You’re Getting Enough Protein.

Eating the right amount of protein each day is crucial to your success on any diet, especially keto. When protein consumption is too low, we tend to experience intense cravings, decreased energy levels, and less satisfaction from our meals.

On top of that, protein helps us maintain and build muscle mass, which not only makes us look better but helps accelerate fat loss results as well.

If you tend to struggle against a ravenous appetite when you diet, then low protein intake may be the culprit. Follow these protein guidelines to reap the benefits of this essential macronutrient:

• If you are sedentary — consume 0.6 – 0.8g of protein per pound of lean body mass.
• If you are regularly active — have 0.8 – 1.0g of protein per pound of lean body mass.
• If you lift weights — eat 1.0 – 1.2g of protein per pound of lean body mass.

Or,  if you’d like the math to be done for you, use our keto calculator instead.

6. Try Intermittent Fasting.

Intermittent fasting goes against two common food myths that are often marketed toward women: (1) breakfast is the most important meal of the day, and (2) if you skip a meal, your metabolism will crash, and you’ll gain fat.

Fortunately, the extensive literature on intermittent fasting has found both assertions to be false. In fact, many women on keto have found skipping breakfast or fasting for 14-16 hours each day to be a key component of their long-term weight loss success.

To learn more about this popular fat loss tip and how to add it to your keto lifestyle, check out our keto guide to IF.

As with any other diet change, make sure you monitor your health when you start implementing this strategy. If it causes menstrual cycle irregularities or triggers any other negative symptoms, you may need to eat more food with each meal or increase your meal frequency.

7. Cut Out the Alcohol.

Unfortunately, alcohol is a poison that forces the body to put hormonal regulation on hold while your liver focuses on detoxifying the toxin.

As a result, women who drink alcohol regularly tend to have higher estrogen levels than non-drinkers, which can worsen symptoms related to premenstrual syndrome (PMS) and menopause.

Even if you aren’t struggling with PMS or menopause, the calories from alcohol and the sugar found in many alcoholic drinks can still impair your health and weight loss results.

In fact, cutting out alcohol (or keeping your intake to a minimum) may be all you need to break through your weight-loss plateau and keep PMS or menopause under control.

8. Increase Your Activity Levels and Start Resistance Training.

Exercise may not directly cause weight loss, but it is one of the secret ingredients behind preventing weight regain. Several studies have found that those who are most likely to lose weight and keep it off are the ones who exercise regularly.

If you want to get the most bang for your buck, I recommend doing some form of resistance training 2-3x a week. Not only will this increase your activity level each week, but it will help you build precious muscle, improve overall health, and make fat loss easier.

9. Prioritize Sleep and Stress Relief Practices.

Poor sleep can single-handedly derail any diet plan by robbing us of our precious willpower and increasing our cravings for unhealthy foods. Chronic emotional stress can trigger the same struggles, along with making it harder to get quality sleep and fend off symptoms related to PMS or menopause.

If you’ve struggled a lot with weight loss and female health issues in the past, poor sleep and chronic stress may be at the root of it. Here are some guidelines you can follow to improve your sleep quality and stress resilience:

• Sleep in a quiet, dark, and cool room (between 60 and 67 degrees Fahrenheit).
• Wear ear plugs and an eye mask if you can’t keep your bedroom dark and quiet.
• Limit screen time and blue light from your tv, phone, and other electronic devices after the sun sets.
• Go to bed and get up at the same time each day.
• Stop consuming caffeine by noon.
• Avoid using marijuana, alcohol, or over-the-counter drugs to help you sleep.
• Get sunlight exposure in the morning each day.
• Do some form of exercise daily.
• Try taking a yoga, tai chi, or qi gong class.
• Use meditation and mindfulness techniques before bed to help you transition to sleep.
• Eat each meal slowly, tasting and chewing each bite thoroughly.
• Make sure you are eating the right amount of macros each day.

10. Do Keto with Friends, Family, And Other Keto Women.

Making changes is much more challenging when we don’t have any social support. To help you on your keto journey,  let your friends and family know about the shift you are making and see if anyone wants to join you.

Or, if your loved ones aren’t on the keto train yet, try reaching out to our online keto community. There you’ll find thousands of women that can help you with each step of the way.

Bonus Tip: How to Identify and Remedy Common Keto Side Effects

Other than the important woman’s health considerations we learned about above, there are a few short-term side effects to be aware of as well.

As your body adapts to the keto diet, it will expel more water and electrolytes than usual. This can cause fatigue, headaches, constipation, diarrhea, and other flu-like symptoms, which are collectively known as the keto flu.

In most cases, the keto flu can be remedied/avoided by:

• Drinking more water
• Salting your food
• Eating more high-fiber, mineral-rich keto-friendly foods, such as avocado, low-carb vegetables, nuts, and seeds
• Boosting ketosis with MCT oil (this is our favorite brand – use coupon RULEDME for 15% off)
• Using an electrolyte supplement (like this one)

Not only will these changes help with common low carb side effects, but they can help improve overall health and wellbeing as well. To ensure that your keto diet is doing this for you, follow the guidelines in the next section.

The Bigger Picture: How to Find Out If Keto is Right for You

The secret to improving your health and achieving weight loss results that last a lifetime is not a perfect diet plan or keto fat loss supplement. The truth is that the best diet will be one that is the right fit for you, your health, and your lifestyle.

The optimal approach will be one that you create for yourself as you learn what works for you and what doesn’t. To help you accelerate this process, make sure you are monitoring these three aspects of your health as you make changes:

• Your mental wellbeing. After a month of following keto, reassess how you are feeling. Are you feeling better than you did with your previous lifestyle? Or, are you feeling down and drained most of the time? If you are really struggling with keto after 1-2 months, then consider adjusting your way of eating so that it enhances your sense of wellbeing.
• Body composition. One of the simplest ways to keep track of your fat loss is by using the scale and measuring your waist circumference. Monitoring these numbers once a month will provide you with a much more accurate representation of how well your diet is working for you. In other words, if you aren’t losing weight or inches after a week, don’t panic. Stick with your diet plan for at least one month before you check your progress and adjust your diet (if you need to) from there.
• Blood biomarkers. Pay close attention to how your blood-work changes after you’ve followed keto for 1-2 months. Make sure your blood sugar, cholesterol, A1C, triglycerides, and other biomarkers relevant to your condition are trending in the right direction.

As you monitor your results and adjust your diet from there, you will be able to reach your goals in a way that is healthy and sustainable for you.

That being said, there are a few other topics we have yet to explore in-depth. Before we close out our keto guide for women, let’s take a closer look at several important issues that millions of women are struggling with.

The Keto Diet for Other Women’s Health Issues: Severe PMS, PCOS, Hot Flashes, etc.

Although the information above covers the most important aspects of women’s health, there are several other conditions that deserve their own section as well:

• Keto for PCOS and infertility
• Keto for PMS, PME, and PMDD
• Keto and UTIs
• Keto for Hot Flashes

Keto for PCOS and Infertility

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is responsible for as much as 70 percent of infertility issues in women. On top of that, it can cause acne, male-pattern baldness, mood swings, weight gain, and fatigue.

Fortunately, many women can stop their PCOS with the right combination of diet and lifestyle changes. The ketogenic diet, for example, may be one of the best diets for PCOS because it reduces insulin levels and insulin resistance (one of the main causes of PCOS).

For more information on how to use the keto lifestyle for PCOS, follow this link.

Keto for PMS, PME, & PMDD

Premenstrual syndrome (PMS) is the combination of symptoms that some women suffer from a week or so before their period. Many women also experience severe psychological symptoms before their period, which will either be diagnosed as PMDD (premenstrual dysphoric disorder) or PME (premenstrual exacerbation).

PMDD is a direct result of hormonal fluctuations and hormone receptor shifts, which manifest as extreme psychological distress and dysphoria during the last week of the luteal phase.

PME refers to the premenstrual worsening of the symptoms of another mental health disorder, such as major depressive disorder or generalized anxiety disorder.

Whether you are suffering from symptoms characteristic of PMS, PME, or PMDD, the cause of each one appears to be highly individual, and no diet has been found to help consistently. That being said, there is still hope!

Current data suggests that poor diet and lifestyle habits are associated with PMS and its psychological symptoms. Smoking and the consumption of processed foods, in particular, were found to be the strongest risk factors.

This indicates that making healthy changes to your lifestyle and eating habits may help reduce the severity of your PMS, PME, or PMDD.

Regarding the keto diet specifically, the current research suggests that this approach:

• Can decrease inflammation. Inflammation has been associated with many premenstrual symptoms. The ketones, calorie restriction, and fat loss have all been found to reduce inflammation levels. The keto diet can help us reap the benefits of all three.
• May help balance hormone levels. Unhealthy foods and chronic stress can trigger massive fluctuations in hormones throughout your cycle, which may cause and/or exacerbate the symptoms you experience. By following the keto diet, you might be able to prevent these hormonal fluctuations and minimize the resulting symptoms.
• May modulate neurochemistry for better wellbeing. Emerging research findings indicate that ketones can shift brain chemistry in a way that can decrease feelings of anxiety and depression. This might be helpful for women with PME and PMDD.

Although these findings are promising, they are only speculative. If you are suffering from one of these issues, it is best to consult with a health care practitioner that understands your condition and can help you make the appropriate lifestyle changes.

Keto and Urinary Tract Infections (UTIs )

The only study regarding the impact of keto on UTIs was a collection of case reports from 1933, suggesting that keto may be helpful. The mechanism proposed in the study is that ketone excretion increased the acidity of the urine. This acidity may make it more difficult for bacteria to infect the urinary tract.

That being said, if you are struggling with chronic UTIs,  it is best to prioritize hygiene and proven treatments before looking to keto for help.

Keto for Hot Flashes

Hot flashes and night sweats can occur during your transition through menopause, as fluctuating hormone levels cause changes in body temperature regulation.

Current evidence suggests that weight loss and healthy food choices can reduce the likelihood of experiencing hot flashes and other common menopause symptoms. This means that keto can help ease your transition through menopause as long as it enables you to lose fat and improve your overall health.

However, it is also possible for the keto diet to cause a temporary increase in hot flashes and other menopause-like symptoms as your body adjusts to a lower carb intake and ketosis. This tends to go away within the first week of keto, but you can remedy many of the symptoms by following the tips in our guide to the keto flu.

Mythbusting: False Claims about Keto Diet for Women’s Weight Loss and Health

Popular media and advertisements are often riddled with false claims that may discourage you from making the right changes for your health. To help you separate fact from fiction, let’s address some of the most common myths regarding keto for women:

Myth #1: “You’ll get keto crotch!”

“Keto crotch” refers to a temporary change in vaginal odor in women who are adapting to the ketogenic diet. This change in odor, however, is relatively rare — and even the worst-case tends to go away as the body adjusts to keto.

Myth #2: “Can’t lose fat? Your metabolism and hormones are broken!”

Fortunately, your diet and lifestyle are what will make the biggest impact on body fat levels and overall health. Studies continuously show that the combination of a healthy diet and exercise is the most effective weight loss approach for women and men of any age.

The main culprit behind subpar results is an unsustainable approach, not a broken metabolism or faulty hormone balance. We tend to rely on restriction and willpower to lose weight, only to gain most of it back when we lose the motivation to force another salad down.

This repetitive cycle of weight loss and fat gain is the inevitable result of using a short-term approach to transform the body you’ll have for the rest of your life.

To make a lasting change, you must focus on creating a dietary approach that is both healthy for you and sustainable for long-term dieting. For practical examples and tips on how to do this, read through our comprehensive guide to maintaining keto results for life.

Myth #3: “You will gain fat during menopause.”

Although there are several changes during menopause that can increase your likelihood of gaining body fat, this doesn’t mean you are destined to grow a gut.

Regardless of what stage of menopause you are going through, the diet and lifestyle tips we’ve discussed throughout this guide can help you burn fat and improve health. In fact, many women have reported feeling and looking better than ever before after switching to a keto-friendly lifestyle.

Myth #4: “You must restrict carbs as low as possible to lose fat and improve health.”

Despite how keto-centric this guide has been, it is important to remember that cutting carbs is not the only way to achieve your goals. There are plenty of dietary approaches you can try if your keto experiment doesn’t go as expected.

For example,  a non-ketogenic, low carb diet (with over 100 grams of carbs per day) may be a better option for women who:

• Do high-intensity training several times per week and notice a drop in performance and recovery on keto
• Have an underactive thyroid that isn’t responding well to keto
• Have familial hypercholesterolemia
• Struggle to lose weight or start gaining weight after 1-2 months of the keto diet
• Have stopped menstruating or are having an irregular cycle
• Are pregnant or breastfeeding
• Notice an increase in menopause-related symptoms after 1-2 months of keto

This is why it is crucial to monitor your health and wellbeing as well as your body composition while you follow keto. Sometimes upping your carb intake or using a cyclical keto approach can be a healthier option than decreasing your net carb limit.

Key Takeaways — Principles of Keto for Women

The current research literature (and hundreds of success stories) indicate that the ketogenic diet can be helpful for women who are struggling with:

• Repetitive cycles of weight loss and regain
• Fat loss plateaus
• Fat gain during menopause
• Epilepsy
• Polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS)
• Yeast overgrowth
• Heart disease
• Insulin resistance, type 1 diabetes, or type 2 diabetes
• Neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s or Parkinson’s
• Certain forms of cancer
• The symptoms of PMS, PME, PMDD, or menopause

Regardless of your health goals or the condition you may be struggling with, always make sure to monitor your overall health and stick with the changes that work best for you. This will take some trial and error, but after several months, you’ll be able to create a keto lifestyle that is the right fit for you.

To help you on your keto journey, here is a quick recap of the tips and strategies we mentioned throughout the guide:

• Set realistic goals and prioritize lifelong success.
• Engineer your food environment in a way that feeds your results.
• Track what you eat to develop a better awareness of your meals and macros.
• Try intermittent fasting.
• Make sure you eat enough protein and fat each day. (Use our keto calculator to help you find out how much you should aim to eat.)
• Cut alcohol out of your diet.
• Increase your daily activity levels.
• Do resistance training 2-3x per week to make fat loss easier to achieve and sustain.
• Prioritize sleep and add stress relief practices to your day.
• Join our online keto community and make lifestyle changes with a friend or family member.

If you’re not sure where to begin, try starting with a comprehensive keto meal plan. This will give you a chance to experiment with the keto diet for a couple of months and find out if it is an effective approach for you.

To help you get started, we’ve included links to our most popular diet plans for women below:

• Our 14-day Meal Plan — one month of keto meals mapped out for you
• Our Keto Diet App — An app that makes you a fully personalized meal plan based on your goals and preferences. All you need to do is cook the recipes and eat them.

Sources

• Gender Differences in the Appetite Response to a Satiating Diet — Journal of Obesity
• The Benefits of The Ketogenic Diet — Ruled.me
• Effects of dietary composition on energy expenditure during weight-loss maintenance. — NCBI
• Keto & Weight Loss — Ruled.me
• The role of stress and the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis in the pathogenesis of the metabolic syndrome: neuro-endocrine and target tissue-related causes. — NCBI
• How to Lose Weight on a Ketogenic Diet — Ruled.me
• Functional hypothalamic amenorrhea and its influence on women’s health — NCBI
• The ketogenic diet: adolescents can do it, too. — NCBI
• Learn How To Avoid The Keto Flu [Symptoms & Remedies] — Ruled.me
• Regulation of body composition and bioenergetics by estrogens — NCBI
• The Role of Estrogens in Control of Energy Balance and Glucose Homeostasis — NCBI
• Premenstrual Syndrome — American Family Physician
• Therapeutic Potential of Exogenous Ketone Supplement Induced Ketosis in the Treatment of Psychiatric Disorders: Review of Current Literature — frontiers in Psychiatry
• The ketone metabolite β-hydroxybutyrate blocks NLRP3 inflammasome-mediated inflammatory disease. — NCBI
• The Association of Inflammation with Premenstrual Symptoms — NCBI
• MENOPAUSAL HOT FLASHES: MECHANISMS, ENDOCRINOLOGY, TREATMENT — NCBI
• Premenstrual Syndrome Is Associated with Dietary and Lifestyle Behaviors among University Students — NCBI
• THE KETOGENIC DIET IN THE TREATMENT OF INFECTIONS OF THE URINARY TRACT — NCBI
• Effects of a dietary intervention and weight change on vasomotor symptoms in the Women’s Health Initiative — NCBI
• Dietary Protein and Exercise Have Additive Effects on Body Composition during Weight Loss in Adult Women — The Journal of Nutrition
• Circulating sex hormones and breast cancer risk factors in postmenopausal women: reanalysis of 13 studies. — British Journal of Cancer
• Exercise is more critical than diet to maintain weight loss — ScienceDaily
• Consequences of physical inactivity in older adults: A systematic review of reviews and meta‐analyses — Wiley Online Library
• Men and women respond differently to rapid weight loss: Metabolic outcomes of a multi‐centre intervention study after a low‐energy diet in 2500 overweight, individuals with pre‐diabetes — Diabetes, Obesity and Metabolism

The post The Guide to Keto For Women: Lose Weight & Improve Health at Any Age appeared first on Ruled Me.

Unfortunately, these success stories are often followed by an overwhelming amount of misleading information regarding the benefits and risks of eliminating plants from your meals.

To help uncover the truth behind carnivorism and what this means for you, let’s take a closer look at the following topics:

• What is the carnivore diet?
• Science-backed benefits
• Downsides, risks, and dangers of eating only animal products
• Carnivore diet results
• Should you follow it?
• Carnivore food list: Only meat?
• Carnivore diet meal plan with recipes
• Carnivore vs. keto
• Key takeaways

What is the Carnivore Diet?

The carnivore diet involves eating only animal products. This means eliminating all plants and consuming mostly meat, water, and salt.

Many proponents of carnivorism also recommend limiting dairy intake as much as possible. Only foods that are low in lactose (milk sugar) such as butter and hard cheeses are permitted in small amounts.

This restrictive eating approach has been claimed to help induce rapid fat loss, reduce inflammation, reverse certain autoimmune conditions, heal chronic digestive issues, build muscle, and increase testosterone levels.

The Hypothesis Behind The Carnivorous Claims

Carnivore advocates tend to support their claims with a simple hypothesis: Plants are not optimal for human health because they contain compounds designed to harm animals.

Nuts and seeds, for example, tend to be the most heavily defended plant foods. They contain compounds that can provoke nutrient deficiencies and immune reactions.

Meat, on the other hand, doesn’t contain these potentially “toxic” compounds. Instead, you get highly bioavailable micronutrients, healthy fats, and complete proteins without excess carbs.

Equipped with this information, it may seem obvious that we should restrict plant foods. By doing so, however, we would have to ignore the preponderance of evidence supporting the health benefits of whole plant foods, including those that are heavily-defended.

Though a small group of people with specific autoimmune conditions or plant-triggered digestive issues may thrive on a carnivore diet, this doesn’t mean that it is the ideal approach for everyone. As with every other diet, there are several shades of grey we must consider so you can find the optimal approach for you.

Let’s take a closer look at the nuances behind carnivorism by uncovering the potential benefits, results, and risks of going plant-free.

The Science-backed Benefits of Following a Carnivore Diet

Since the carnivore diet has recently become a popular trend, there is no high-quality research on all-meat or 100% animal-based diets. We can, however, use the current literature on other diets and eating habits to better understand why going 100% carnivorous has gotten such glowing reviews:

●     It promotes fat loss and muscle preservation.

No plants and more meat also means more protein and fewer carbs. This combination of carb restriction and higher protein consumption can help keep hunger under control.

Along with that, consuming more animal protein with each meal will stimulate muscle protein synthesis which helps build muscle and prevent muscle loss.

In other words, following a carnivore diet can help us achieve a more sculpted physique by promoting fat loss and muscle maintenance.

●      It can help reduce inflammation and increase autophagy.

Calorie and carb restriction can help reduce inflammation levels and promote autophagy (the natural process of cell repair and damage cleanup). This can have a significant impact on someone’s overall wellbeing if they struggle with chronic inflammation and weight loss.

Keep in mind, however, that consuming high amounts of protein multiple times throughout the day can prevent autophagy. Without incorporating intermittent fasting with your carnivore diet, you may not experience these effects to the fullest.

●     It has the potential to reduce autoimmune-related symptoms.

Adopting a meat-only carnivore approach eliminates most food allergens and sensitivities. This can help the body recover from chronic immune responses that are triggered by plant foods.

Mikhaila Peterson is a well-known advocate for this potential benefit.  After suffering from chronic depression and rheumatoid arthritis for most of her life, she adopted an all-meat diet which helped clear up her debilitating symptoms.

●     It may be helpful for digestive issues provoked by certain plant foods.

The Carnivore diet consists of easily digestible foods with minimal residue left behind.  This type of low-residue diet can be helpful for symptoms of inflammatory bowel disease and irritable bowel syndrome that are provoked by plant fibers and other compounds.

Meat is made primarily of protein and fat, which are absorbed in the small intestine, leaving little residue leftover to irritate or inflame the gut. This can give the gut a chance to recover and rebuild.

The long-term effects of an all-meat diet on gut health and the microbiome, however, are not known.

●     The carnivore diet typically promotes ketosis.

The carnivore diet is likely to induce nutritional ketosis for most people. That being said, it is possible to prevent high levels of ketone production by eating too much protein.

Since ketosis comes with a host of unique benefits that extend beyond what a carnivore diet can provide, we recommend following a keto-friendly approach if you are looking to give carnivorism a try. (We’ll learn how to implement a keto carnivore diet after considering the potential risks.)

The Other Side of the Story: Risk and Concerns

Due to its highly restrictive nature, there are many downsides to the carnivore diet. Though the potential for profound results may inspire hope, we must consider the benefits in light of the rest of the research literature.

By doing so, many risks emerge that should not be taken lightly:

●     Increased risk of heart disease for some.

Given that the carnivore diet consists solely of animal foods, it tends to be higher in saturated fat. Saturated fat can raise LDL particle count (as well as total-to-HDL cholesterol ratio), which significantly increases the risk of heart disease.

Since there is a lot of misinformation surrounding how diet affects heart disease risk, we’ve included a link to our comprehensive article on the topic: The Ketogenic Diet and Heart Disease.

●     May contribute to nutrient deficiencies.

While meat is nutritious and provides a diverse array of micronutrients, it doesn’t nourish our needs for every vitamin and mineral.

On a meat-only diet, these four nutrients will be particularly difficult to obtain in high quantities:

• Calcium — A mineral required for bone, muscle, and nerve health.
• Vitamin C — An antioxidant that boosts immune cell function and is crucial for collagen synthesis. Without consuming adequate amounts, we can develop scurvy and it’s unpleasant symptoms (i.e., weakness, fatigue, gum disease, skin problems, and joint pain).
• Vitamin E — An antioxidant that helps protect LDL particles from oxidizing and contributing to atherosclerosis.
• Vitamin K2 — A fat-soluble vitamin helps reduce the calcification of blood vessels.

However, this list assumes that you are eating organ meats and fatty fish. If you aren’t consuming organ meats (liver in particular) and seafood, we must add four more micronutrients to list:

• Vitamin A — crucial for eye health, skin health, and proper immune system function.
• Folate — A B vitamin that plays a key role in cell growth, metabolism, and methylation.
• Manganese — A trace mineral that is essential for detoxification.
• Magnesium — Supports more than 300 biochemical reactions, involving energy production, DNA repair, and muscle contraction.

That being said, it is possible to follow the diet for several years without any clear signs of nutrient deficiencies. Since nutrient requirements vary for each person, it is best to monitor your diet and health for nutrient deficiencies and their specific symptoms.

●     Does not provide fiber.

Fiber is a non-digestible carb that promotes gut health, feeds our microbiome, and promotes healthy bowel movements. Since fiber solely exists in plant foods, the carnivore diet will not come with its benefits.

This may also provoke digestive issues as well, including constipation, diarrhea, and an increased risk of colon cancer for some. Though there is a lack of research on how an all-meat diet affects gut health, the current evidence suggests that it is healthier to have fiber in our diets.

That being said, I have come across anecdotal reports that suggest some people may benefit from cutting out fiber (and the compounds that accompany it) for a short period of time. This might alter the microbiome, gut, and immune system positively for those with certain gut conditions.

●     Lacks health-promoting phytonutrients.

Advocates of the carnivore diet typically argue that phytonutrients (which includes the plant-defense compounds we learned about earlier) are unhealthy regardless of the dose.

This assertion, however, goes against the extensive literature on phytonutrients. In general, they have been found to reduce inflammation, enhance immunity, promote DNA repair, detoxify potential carcinogens, and reduce the risk of heart disease.

Though certain phytonutrients might be toxic in high doses, the current research suggests that the dose we get from whole plant foods is beneficial for most people.

●     May have a significant impact on hormone levels.

Though there isn’t any long-term data on how an all-meat diet affects hormone levels, it is likely to impact thyroid function and fertility.

The combination of carbohydrate and calorie restriction, which commonly occurs with carnivorism, can reduce T3 levels and increase reverse T3. This indicates suboptimal thyroid function and may trigger symptoms like fatigue and brain fog.

With regards to fertility, the carnivore can be helpful or harmful depending on the person. On one end of the spectrum, an all-meat diet has the potential to promote fertility in women with PCOS (according to the research on the keto diet and PCOS)  or severe autoimmune conditions (according to Mikhaila Peterson’s success story).

On the other hand, Shawn Baker — one of the most well-known carnivore advocates — ended up with low testosterone levels after following the diet, which may not be ideal for health and fertility.

As you can see, we don’t have much data to work with on this topic, so much more research is needed.

●     Increased exposure to harmful compounds from high-heat cooking.

Meat cooked at high temperatures, particularly above 300 ºF (as in grilling or pan-frying), tends to contain more heterocyclic amines (HCAs). HCAs are mutagenic compounds that may increase the risk of cancer.

In other words, the quintessential carnivore meal, grilled steak, will come with high concentrations of potentially toxic compounds.

Along with HCAs, you are likely to find another mutagenic compound, known as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), sticking to the surface of the steak as well. This is because PAHs are created during the process of grilling or smoking meat.

Fortunately, there are two safe and easy ways to reduce your consumption of these toxins: (1) cook your meat low and slow (below 300 ºF) or (2) use a marinade that consists of herbs and spices.

Ideally, for the healthiest meat dish, you would cook it low and slow with herbs and spices. Consider using rosemary and/or thyme in your marinades, broths, and sauces as these herbs have been found to decrease the formation of HCAs the most.

●     May not be suited for certain populations.

There are a few groups of people who may only be harmed by following the carnivore diet. This includes:

• People who have chronic kidney disease
• People who have familial hypercholesterolemia
• Anyone with particular nutrient requirements that are difficult to fulfill without plant foods (i.e., children and pregnant or lactating women)

What Are the Results of the Carnivore Diet? A Look at the Before and After

If you were to convert from a standard American diet to a 100% carnivorous approach for 2-3 months, the results would be similar to what you’d experience with the keto diet. At first, you would go through an adaptation period that may cause flu-like symptoms.

The number on the scale will go down rapidly as you shed off water weight. If the dietary shift naturally causes you to eat less food than before, then you will start losing fat as well. (The amount of fat lost will depend on the person.)

On most diets, some muscle is lost along with the fat. However, since the carnivore diet is typically higher in protein, a greater percentage of body fat will be lost. This can help us achieve a more sculpted physique.

Chronic inflammation, autoimmune-related symptoms, and digestive issues may also decrease significantly as well. This is where the differences between a mixed keto diet and a carnivore diet can shine through for anyone who feels worse after consuming plant foods.

Keep in mind, however, that the long-term effects of a 100% animal-based diet are not yet known. Given the fact that you won’t be getting fiber and may be deficient in key vitamins and minerals, this diet may only be feasible for a short-term trial of a few months.

The only data we have to rely on for the long-term health impact of this diet is from the popular carnivore proponent, Shawn Baker.

In a podcast interview with Robb Wolf, he shared his test results after converting to carnivore from a mixed ketogenic diet.

After one year without plants, this is what his numbers looked like:

• His total-to-HDL cholesterol ratio was 4.7, which indicates an increased heart disease risk.
• His fasting glucose level was 127. A healthy fasting blood glucose level is generally less than 100, and the American Diabetes Association considers anything 126 or over to be a sign of type 2 diabetes.
• His total testosterone was 237, which is low enough to medically classify him as having “low testosterone.”

Simply put, his results indicate a worsening of objective health across the board. Though he may feel good subjectively, the ideal diet for him would be one that improves both his well-being and objective health markers at the same time.

The same applies to us as well. This why is it important to be aware of the potential downsides and risks of following such a restrictive diet before giving it a try.

What This Means for You: Should You Go Carnivore?

As with any major diet change, it is crucial to consult with your healthcare practitioner and monitor your health throughout the process.

The safest approach would be to use the carnivore diet as part of a short-term treatment protocol for a specific condition instead of a long-term lifestyle.

At this point, there are only two conditions that may benefit most from a short-term trial with this diet:

• Autoimmune conditions that are aggravated by a variety of plant foods
• Chronic gut issues that are relieved after reducing plant intake

In these cases, a nutrient-dense carnivore diet has the potential to decrease symptom flare-ups and promote recovery. A healthcare practitioner would then guide the patient through an incremental reintroduction of plant foods with the end goal of creating a less restrictive diet that doesn’t trigger symptoms.

As an example, a carnivore diet may be implemented for 1-3 months followed by a slow transition into a Mediterranean-style keto diet that features low-carb vegetables, healthy fats, and high-quality meats & fish.

Ideally, the carnivore diet will be composed of nutrient-dense animal foods like organ meats and well-tolerated seafood rather than the beef, salt, and water approach followed by Mikhaila Peterson. To give you a better idea of what this would look like, let’s take a deeper dive into the world of carnivorism.

The Different Types of Carnivore Diets: Land to Sea and Everything in Between

As with the keto diet, there are many variations of carnivorism. Mikhalia Peterson popularized a strict version of carnivore dieting that only includes meat (specifically ruminant meat), water, and salt. Her and her father, Jordan Peterson, attribute this diet as the cause of their miraculous mental and physical health transformations.

In contrast, Shawn Baker recommends a diet that incorporates a wider variety of animal foods as well as some herbs. Though he authored “The Carnivore Diet,” this may not be the optimal approach to carnivorism.

The most promising take on the diet is Dr. Paul Saladino’s tier-based model. He recommends a diversity of high-quality animal-based foods, emphasizing the importance of organ meats and nutrient-dense seafood.

Though this is the most nuanced of the carnivore diet plans, it does mitigate some of the risks while bolstering its benefits.

The Carnivore Diet Food List: What’s on the Menu?

In general, these foods will be on the carnivore menu*:

• Meat — beef, chicken, turkey, lamb, pork, etc.
• Fish — salmon, mackerel, sardines, herring, etc.
• Shellfish — oysters, scallops, clams, shrimp, crab, lobster, etc.
• Other animal products — eggs, lard, bone marrow, bone broth, etc.
• Organ meats — suets, liver, kidney, heart, etc.
• Water — unflavored, sparkling or still

*Opt for 100% pasture-raised or wild-caught animal products whenever possible for a healthier variation of the carnivore diet.

Processed meats like bacon, sausage, and beef jerky are also allowed, but not recommended in high quantities.

These foods may be included in small amounts:

• Low-lactose dairy — heavy cream, hard cheese, butter, etc.
• Processed or smoked meats — bacon, sausage, beef jerky, etc.
• Seasonings — salt, pepper, and seasonings with no carbs are allowed in some cases.
• “Low-toxin” plants — according to Dr. Saladino, this includes olives, avocado, lettuce, cucumbers (without the skin and seeds), and various squashes.

Foods that are typically avoided on the carnivore diet include*:

• Vegetables — broccoli, cauliflower, potatoes, green beans, peppers, etc.
• Fruits — apples, berries, bananas, kiwi, oranges, etc.
• High-lactose dairy — milk, yogurt, soft cheese, etc.
• Legumes — beans, lentils, chickpeas, etc.
• Nuts and seeds — almonds, chia seeds, sunflower seeds, pistachios, etc.
• Grains — rice, wheat, quinoa, etc.
• Alcohol — beer, wine, liquor, etc.
• Added sugars — table sugar, maple syrup, honey, evaporated cane syrup, etc.
• Beverages other than water — soda, coffee, tea, fruit juice, etc.

When & How Much Should You Eat for Best Results?

Most proponents of the diet suggest eating as often as you desire. Many carnivore dieters incorporate a form of intermittent fasting where they only eat one or two meals a day.

How much you eat and when you eat depends on what is sustainable for you. Since this diet can suppress your appetite in many ways, you will naturally eat fewer calories. This can lead to a significant amount of fat loss without having to track carbs and calories.

That being said, it is possible to eat so much meat and animal fat that you gain fat and prevent yourself from getting into ketosis. To help you fine-tune your diet and increase your chances of success, let’s take a look at a sample keto carnivore meal plan along with some tips and strategies on how to customize it for your needs.

A Transitional Keto Carnivore Diet Meal Plan With Recipes (>80% Carnivore)

With this sample meal plan, I’ll give you a few options that you can tailor to your lifestyle, preferences, and nutrient needs. The serving size will vary depending on your hunger levels and body composition goals. To help you personalize your serving sizes for best results, use our keto calculator.

Breakfast (choose one of the following):

1. 3-4 scrambled eggs with half an avocado and sea salt
2. 1-2 cups of Ketoproof Coffee
3. Continue to fast until lunch (Feel free to drink water, black coffee, and unsweetened tea as much as you want during this time.)

Lunch (choose one of the following):

1. A cup of Ketoproof Coffee (for those who prefer to have one meal per day)
2. 1 serving of Lemon & Rosemary Roasted Chicken Thighs
3. 1-2 servings of Egg Salad Stuffed Avocado

Dinner (choose one of the following):

1. A Perfect Ribeye Steak with a side of romaine lettuce, cucumbers, olives, and extra virgin olive oil dressing.
2. Seared Skirt Steak with Cilantro Paste
3. Salmon with Tarragon Dill Cream Sauce

A Simple 100% Keto Carnivore Meal Plan With Recipes

Once again, I’ll give you several options for each meal. To ensure that the meal plan is keto-friendly for you, keep your protein intake within the ranges recommended in the following section.

Breakfast (choose one of the following):

1. 4 oz striploin steak and 2-3 eggs cooked in tallow, ghee, or bacon fat*
2. Bacon and Eggs (prepared without any plant foods)*
3. Continue to fast until lunch. (drink water with sea salt during this time — no coffee or tea allowed.)

Lunch (choose one of the following):

1. 1 serving of Reverse Seared Ribeye Steak*
2. 6-8oz lamb burgers cooked in tallow, ghee, or bacon fat*
3. Bacon and Eggs (prepared without any plant foods)*

Dinner (choose one of the following):

1. 1 serving of Reverse Seared Ribeye Steak*
2. 1-2 servings of Slow-cooked Lamb Leg (prepared without any plant foods)*
3. 6-8oz of Chinook (King) Salmon cooked in tallow or bacon fat*

*Supplement your meal with a few ounces of organ meats (especially liver), oysters, and/or wild-caught whole sardines for a healthier carnivore diet.

Discover more keto friendly carnivore diet recipes here.

Carnivore vs. The Keto Diet: Is the Carnivore Diet Keto?

Any diet that promotes sustained ketosis is technically a ketogenic diet. You can do this by eating all plant foods (i.e., with a vegan ketogenic diet), a mix of healthy animal and plant foods (i.e., with a Mediterranean keto diet), or with 100% meat diet (i.e., a keto carnivore diet).

As long as you restrict carbs low enough and eat the right amount of fat and protein to sustain ketosis, your diet is technically a keto diet.

The carnivore diet, in particular, primarily consists of food with almost zero carbs, which will restrict carb intake lower than a mixed keto diet. Though this can put you on the fast track to ketosis, strict carnivorism is not the golden ticket to a keto lifestyle. It is crucial that you monitor your protein intake as well.

Optimizing Your Carnivore Diet for Ketosis: Protein Intake Essentials

Without consuming the right balance of protein and fats, you may keep yourself from ketosis if your protein intake is high enough to increase insulin levels and suppress ketogenesis. The right strategy, however, is not to restrict protein.

By limiting protein intake, appetite levels and cravings tend to increase while precious muscle mass is broken down and repurposed. Over time, the underconsumption of protein can promote a skinny fat body composition by causing us to lose weight from all the wrong places.

The optimal strategy for protein intake is to eat the right amount based on your activity levels and body composition goals. You can find out what this means for you by using our keto calculator.

In general, most keto dieters will have no issue sustaining ketosis when they follow these guidelines:

• If you are sedentary — consume 0.6 – 0.8g of protein per pound of lean body mass.
• If you are regularly active — have 0.8 – 1.0g of protein per pound of lean body mass.
• If you lift weights — eat 1.0 – 1.2g of protein per pound of lean body mass.

Since carnivore dieters typically consume fewer carbs and calories, you may be able to eat slightly more protein than the top end of the above ranges without suppressing ketosis.

That being said, the effect of protein consumption on ketosis varies significantly from person to person. If you’d like to learn more about the relationship between protein & keto and how this applies to you, check out our guide to protein consumption and ketosis.

Key Takeaways: The Carnivore Diet & You

Given the highly restrictive nature of the carnivore diet, this approach comes with a massive potential for risks and benefits, depending on who adopts the diet.

According to the before & after anecdotes, the carnivore diet can help those with certain autoimmune conditions and digestive issues that are provoked by plant foods. It also has the potential to suppress appetite, promote significant amounts of fat loss, and preserve more muscle mass than other popular diets.

However, the research literature on other dietary patterns indicates that a carnivore diet comes with several risks as well. Among the potential harms are an increased risk of heart disease, cancer (with meat cooked at high temperatures), nutrient deficiencies, gut issues, and hormonal dysregulation.

If you decide to experiment with carnivorism, it is crucial that you consult your healthcare practitioner and monitor your health and well-being throughout the process. After 1-2 months of following your new approach, you will have a good idea of whether or not the diet is right for you.

To help you formulate the optimal plan for your health and fat loss goals, we’ve included several resources that will help you get the results you want:

• How to know if keto, carnivore, or any other diet is right for you
• How to lose weight
• A guide to weight loss plateaus
• Use our keto calculator to help personalize your diet

Sources

• Carnivore Diet Review: Benefits, Downsides, and Sample Menu — Healthline
• The Ketogenic Mediterranean Diet: Optimal Health and Weight Loss — Ruled.me
• What to Eat on a Carnivore Diet. Your Carnivore Diet Meal Plan! — Carnivore MD
• The Ketogenic Diet and Heart Disease — Ruled.me
• Vitamin E and cardiovascular disease. — NCBI
• High-protein, reduced-carbohydrate weight-loss diets promote metabolite profiles likely to be detrimental to colonic health. — NCBI
• Learn How To Avoid The Keto Flu [Symptoms & Remedies] — Ruled.me
• Well-done Meat Intake, Heterocyclic Amine Exposure, and Cancer Risk — NCBI
• Classification and Diagnosis of Diabetes: Standards of Medical Care in Diabetes—2018 | Diabetes Care — American Diabetes Association
• What is Ketosis? — Ruled.me
• Episode 385 – Dr. Shawn Baker – Carnivore Diet and Dr. Baker’s Blood Work — Robb Wolf
• A practical guide to male hypogonadism in the primary care setting — NCBI
• Phytonutrients as therapeutic agents. — NCBI
• Brush On The Marinade, Hold Off The Cancerous Compounds — Science Daily

The post Guide to the Carnivore Diet: Risks, Benefits, Food List, and Keto Meal Plan appeared first on Ruled Me.

The way of eating that you end up following ultimately depends on two crucial factors: (1) how healthy, sustainable, and effective the diet is for you and  (2) the values that drive your decisions (e.g.,  your budget, your health, religious beliefs, environmental/animal welfare concerns, and anything else that you prioritize when making a decision about what to eat).

In this comprehensive guide to dirty vs. clean keto, we will take these key factors into consideration as we discover what keto approach may be best for you. For your convenience, we’ve included a clickable list of the topics we’ll be covering:

• Clean vs. dirty keto — what is the difference?
• What is lazy, dirty keto? A simple definition
• Dirty keto vs. lazy keto: Is there a difference?
• The risks and benefits of going dirty
• Lazy keto food list
• Dirty, lazy keto recipes and meal plan template
• What is clean keto?
• Clean keto food list
• Clean keto recipes
• Benefits and downsides of going clean
• Lazy and clean keto: Is it the best version of the keto diet?
• Key takeaways and free keto resources

Clean vs. Dirty Keto — What is the Difference?

Dirty vs. clean diets naturally evolve out of how we prioritize what we value most when it comes to making food choices.

On one side of the spectrum, we have the clean keto diet. With this approach, high-quality keto-friendly foods take the wheel, while convenience and expense sit in the back.

Instead of getting just any kind of beef, for example, squeaky clean keto dieters will go out of their way to find 100% grass-fed and grass-finished beef that is raised sustainably. In contrast, someone on a dirty lazy keto diet will go with whatever beef is the cheapest and easiest to consume.

On dirty lazy keto, convenience and cost are the key concerns. In this case, food quality doesn’t matter nearly as much as eating cheap and convenient keto-friendly foods.

In general, where you fall on this clean-dirty keto spectrum will depend on how your diet affects your health and body composition as well as how sustainable it is for you, your bank account, and the environment in the long run. To help you find the ideal approach for you, let’s take a closer look at these two keto diet variations.

What is Lazy, Dirty Keto? A General Overview

With this keto diet approach, the primary focus is eating the right amount of macronutrients from fat, protein, and carbs to stimulate and maintain ketosis.

It doesn’t matter what you eat to get there, as long as you do. This approach is pretty seductive because almost anything goes as long as the carbs are low.

Want a fast-food burger? Indulge as you wish — Just make sure you ditch the bun, sugary ketchup, and sauce.

Want fried cheese wrapped in bacon that is wrapped in fried cheese and another layer of bacon? Go for it (and you can even fry it in butter if you’d like)!

The Difference Between Dirty Keto vs. Lazy Keto

Dirty keto and lazy keto are often treated as if they are interchangeable. However, the terms “lazy” and “dirty” refer to different characteristics of the diet that are worth understanding as you develop your keto lifestyle.

Essentially,  a “lazy” approach is one that prioritizes your convenience. In other words, this diet will be formulated in a way that makes it as easy as possible for you to lose weight and improve overall health. Most diets can be followed in a lazier way, including keto and other low carb diets.

In contrast, dirty keto is focused on eating high fat, low carb foods that’ll help promote ketosis. Other nutrients, such as vitamins, minerals, and fiber, aren’t taken into consideration.

Lazy and dirty are often combined into the same diet because low-quality, dirty foods are usually more convenient for our budgets, busy schedules, and taste buds. (As we’ll learn later, however, high-quality clean keto foods can be incorporated in a lazy way as well.)

On dirty lazy keto, you can easily meet your macronutrient needs without touching a vegetable or cooking a single meal. Unfortunately, this straightforward diet approach comes with several potential downsides despite the fact that it can help us lose weight and improve some aspects of health.

The Risks and Benefits of Going Dirty with Your Keto Diet

The dirty keto approach receives a great deal of criticism, but it does have its benefits. Depending on where you start, this simple and convenient diet strategy can be used to help you take a step toward improving your health, losing weight, and cleaning up the eating patterns you are trying to change.

Since keto requires you to keep carbs as low as possible, it is nearly impossible to fit common diet staples (such as bread, pasta, sugar, flour, potato chips, candy, soda, juice, and cereal)  into your meals. For some, this simple shift in food choices can be all they need to lose weight, reduce cardiovascular disease risk, decrease blood sugar levels, and improve overall well being.

Another potential benefit for many keto beginners is that a dirty keto diet can be cheaper and more convenient. Since your food decisions only depend on how keto-friendly a food is (will this fit into my carb limit and macros for the day?) and how cheap the food is (will this fit into my budget?), it will be easier to make the change to a keto lifestyle.

Keep in mind, however, that if your diet is already relatively clean, then the benefits you experience from dirty keto will be much more limited. Going from clean to dirty is not recommended, but the occasional dirty meal won’t cause you to lose all of your progress.

Using dirty, lazy keto as your primary way of eating is not recommended either. Though you will save money and time in the short-term, this approach will not be ideal for your overall health. This is because eating low-quality, keto-friendly food comes with the following risks:

• Increased consumption of unhealthy, toxic oils. Refined vegetable and seed oils (like soybean oil, canola oil, corn oil, and sunflower oil) are riddled with toxic compounds that set the stage for chronic inflammation and an increased risk of cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, Alzheimer’s disease, and more. Cooking and frying with the unrefined varieties of these oils will create these toxic compounds as well. If you’d like to learn more about healthy fats to eat and cook with on keto, read through our guide on good vs. bad fats.
• Greater risk of heart disease for some people. Cheap and convenient keto foods tend to be higher in saturated fat — a type of fat that can worsen cholesterol levels and increase cardiovascular disease risk for some people. To find out if your approach to keto is improving your heart health, check out our in-depth article on keto and cholesterol.
• Increased exposure to antibiotics and hormones used to produce conventional animal products. Although you may only get trace amounts of antibiotics and hormones, they may still affect your health and encourage the creation of antibiotic-resistant bacterial infections. Opting for antibiotic-free and hormone-free is recommended to prevent this from happening.
• More artificial sweeteners and their unknown effects. By relying on cheap and convenient low-carb foods, you will increase your exposure to artificial sweeteners, such as sucralose, aspartame, and saccharin. Current evidence suggests that they are toxic to gut bacteria and can increase sugar cravings, weight gain (indirectly), and cardiovascular disease risk for certain populations. Artificial sweeteners are also emerging as significant environmental pollutants.
• Increased intake of preservatives and other potentially harmful, carb-ridden additives. Be on the lookout for suspicious ingredients found in processed foods. Many seemingly harmless ingredients might trigger negative symptoms or contain more net carbs than expected. Below, you can find a list of items detailing this.
• Decreased intake of vitamins, minerals, healthy fats, and fiber. The likelihood of developing a vitamin or mineral deficiency on keto increases significantly when we rely on cheap and convenient options. It is crucial to include a wide variety of different foods, especially whole plant foods, in your diet. This can be more expensive and inconvenient at times, but it is much easier than trying to chase away the symptoms of a micronutrient deficiency.
• Increased risk, severity, and length of keto flu. Without an adequate intake of minerals, vitamins, healthy fats, and fiber, you will increase your likelihood of experiencing headaches, cramping, digestive issues, fatigue, and other common keto flu symptoms.
• Gives you a false sense of diet sustainability. Although you can lose weight and improve health with this approach, your results will be limited. Without cleaning up your food choices, you can increase the risk of various health issues including chronic inflammation, digestive disorders, and heart disease. Low-quality keto food can only take you so far.
• Contributes to environmental pollution and climate change. Not only can a dirty keto approach increases the risk of future health issues, but it will accelerate the degradation of our natural environment. Excessive use of synthetic fertilizers, antibiotics, hormones, pesticides, and herbicides to produce cheaper food sacrifices the long-term health of our environment for short-term profitability.

Some hidden sources of net carbs in “keto-friendly” products include:

• Isomaltooligosaccharides (IMOs) — may be listed as a prebiotic fiber in keto products, but research continues to show that it is digested as a net carb.
• Dextrose
• Maltodextrin
• Polydextrose
• Any derivative of starch

Some additives that have been associated with negative symptoms:

• Propylene glycol
• Propyl gallate
• Potassium sorbate
• Polysorbate 80
• Natamycin (a mold inhibitor)
• Sodium metabisulfite
• Sodium benzoate
• Sodium nitrate and/or nitrite
• MSG
• Food dyes
• Phthalates and other chemicals from BPA and BPA-free plastics

Amidst these downsides,  dirty lazy keto can still be useful when used as a short-term strategy for one of two reasons:

1. To help you transition from a highly-processed diet filled with carbs and fat to a cleaner keto way of life (without breaking your budget or causing you to descend into decision fatigue insanity).
2. To help you stay in ketosis from meal to meal when cleaner options aren’t available.

If you need some help getting started with keto or sticking to keto when you have limited options, check out the dirty keto food list and meal plan we’ve included below.

Lazy, Dirty Keto Food List: What to Eat and What to Avoid

The most convenient, dirty keto staples:

• Full-fat conventional dairy. This includes cheese, heavy cream, cream cheese, and butter. The conventional variety of these products are produced using practices that aren’t ideal for the animals, the environment, or your health. Cleaner dairy options include products from grass-fed, sustainably-raised cows and other sustainably raised animals or the dairy-free butter that you’ll find in our guide to dairy-free keto.
• Processed/packaged meat and seafood. Though fresh and sustainably-raised sources are best, there is still a place for bacon, jerky, smoked fish, canned seafood, and other packaged products in your keto diet. Just make sure to check labels for hidden carb sources, artificial preservatives, and other additives.
• Pork rinds, nuts, seeds, and other packaged keto-friendly snacks. You’ll find that some keto snacks are more costly than others. To help you find a convenient option that fits within your budget, check out our healthy keto snack list.
• On-sale salad greens. Get the cheapest greens you can find, throw some leftover meat and cheese on top, and you’ll have a quick, easy, and relatively clean keto meal.

Dirty keto foods that should be limited:

• Pre-packaged and processed keto-friendly products (that you know are keto-friendly for you). Just because the packaging on some processed foods and snacks boasts being keto-friendly, this doesn’t mean it’s a good idea to eat them. Always make sure to check the ingredients for hidden carb sources (like those we mentioned in the previous section). Your best bet is to rely on minimally-processed foods without any added ingredients.
• Low-carb fast food. Though most of the menu will be riddled with carbs, it is possible to get your fast food fix while on keto. We put together an extensive list of keto-friendly options that you can find in our keto and fast food guide. Keep in mind, however, that you are likely to find more convenient, healthier, and cheaper on-the-go options on our keto snack list.

Dirty keto foods that should be avoided:

• Margarine and other partially or fully hydrogenated oils. These artificial trans fats should be avoided at all costs. Even small doses of these fats can significantly increase your risk of heart disease.
• Refined plant-based oils. Most oils that are derived from plant foods are filled with vulnerable fats known as polyunsaturated fatty acids. During the refining and cooking process, many of these fatty acids will be converted into toxic compounds that provoke inflammation.
• Burnt/charred meat, fish, or vegetables. Those burnt ends are undeniably carcinogenic. If you can’t resist the occasional BBQ, make sure to marinate the meat in fresh herbs and spices, and eat it with some raw low-carb veggies. This can help protect you from the damaging effects of these foods.

Below, you will see a graphic summarizing a lazy, dirty keto food list that you can refer back to:

As mentioned earlier, dirty keto should only be used as a transitional step toward a cleaner and healthier way of eating. To help you take the next step, we put together a list of some of our simplest keto favorites.

Dirty, Lazy Keto Recipes (that are Cleaner Than You Think)

Here is a collection of some quick and easy keto meals — perfect for keto beginners and anyone who is tight on time and money.

Keto Bacon and Eggs

Arguably the simplest keto meal — bacon and eggs. Filling, tasty, and very low in carbs. To save some extra money and time, skip the cream and just crack the eggs on a butter-covered, preheated pan. Scramble the eggs up while they cook. You can also cook the bacon ahead of time and store it in the fridge for up to 4 to 5 days. With these two simple hacks, your meal will be ready in 5 minutes or less.

Savory Mug Cakes

For the quickest of keto meals, try making a savory mug cake for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. They can be made in under 5 minutes and usually call for keto ingredients that you’ll use throughout your keto journey. Once you get the hang of making mug cakes, feel free to experiment with ingredients you have on hand to save even more time and money. Here is a list of our favorite savory mug cakes to get you started:

• Bacon, Cheddar & Chive
• Green Chile Cheddar Mug Cake
• Sun Dried Tomato Pesto Mug Cake
• Cumin Sesame Lemon Mug Cake
• Jalapeno Popper Mug Cake

Sweet Mug Cakes

If you’d like to switch it up with something sweet and filling, try making a sweet mug cake instead. Here are some of our favorites:

• Chai Spice Keto Mug Cake
• Churro Mug Cake
• Maple Pecan Keto Mug Cake
• PB & Chocolate Chunk Mug Cake
• Coconut Chocolate Mocha Mug Cake
• Vanilla Whisky Keto Mug Cake

A Simple Salad with Keto Leftovers

Got some leftover meat and cheese that you don’t want to waste? Toss it on some salad greens for lunch or dinner. To save money on your veggies, try looking for leafy greens that are on sale and have them throughout the week with some of your meals. If you need some extra flavor try whipping up one of our 5 minute keto dressings:

• 5 Minute Keto Raspberry Vinaigrette
• 5 Minute Keto Pesto
• Keto 5 Minute Caesar Dressing
• Or simply use a bit of vinegar with extra virgin olive oil or MCT oil.

5 Minute Keto Pizza

Yes, you read that correctly — keto pizza in 5 minutes. As is the case with the mug cakes, this recipe relies on some cheap and versatile keto ingredients, so your money won’t go to waste. You can also customize it with any of your favorite toppings that you have on hand.

5 Minute Keto Egg Drop Soup

Eggs are the perfect keto food in so many ways. They are cheap, versatile, and packed with fat, protein, vitamins, and minerals. This egg drop soup is just one of the many ways you can incorporate these superfoods into your keto diet.

Ketoproof Coffee (or Tea)

By adding some quality fats to your morning tea or coffee, you can create a cheap and easy “meal” that will keep you energized through lunch and prevent hunger from taking over your mind. Try replacing breakfast with ketoproof coffee (or ketoproof tea) to see how it works for you.

Intermittent Fasting

Intermittent fasting is a popular diet strategy that can be added to any eating plan. All you have to do is skip a meal or two. Many keto dieters implement intermittent fasting by skipping breakfast, but you can design your eating and fasting window in whatever way that works best for you. This dieting strategy will encourage your body to feast on stored fat, providing you with the most convenient and cheapest of keto meals.

Dirty, Lazy Keto Meal Plan Template

For a Typical Work Day:

Breakfast: Fast through the morning or have 1-2 cups of ketoproof coffee or tea.

Lunch: Select an option from the list below (prepare the night before and take it to work with you):

• 5 Minute Keto Pizza
• 5 Minute Egg Drop Soup
• A simple salad with leftover meat
• Continue your fast or have another cup of ketoproof coffee or tea
• Combine a few keto snacks into a meal

Dinner: Select an option from the list below and have it with a side salad or any other low-carb vegetable that fits within your budget:

• 5 Minute Keto Pizza
• 5 Minute Egg Drop Soup
• Bacon, Cheddar & Chive
• Green Chile Cheddar Mug Cake
• Sun Dried Tomato Pesto Mug Cake
• Cumin Sesame Lemon Mug Cake
• Jalapeno Popper Mug Cake
• Keto Bacon and Eggs

Dessert: To save some money and time, we recommend skipping dessert altogether.

However, if you need a quick fix for your sweet tooth, whip up one of these mug cakes:

• Chai Spice Keto Mug Cake
• Churro Mug Cake
• Maple Pecan Keto Mug Cake
• PB & Chocolate Chunk Mug Cake
• Coconut Chocolate Mocha Mug Cake
• Vanilla Whisky Keto Mug Cake

For the Weekend or a Non-work Day:

Breakfast: select an option from the list below:

• Fast through the morning
• Ketoproof coffee or tea
• Keto Bacon and Eggs

Lunch:  select an option from the list below:

• Continue your fast or have another cup of ketoproof coffee or tea
• 5 Minute Keto Pizza
• 5 Minute Egg Drop Soup
• Bacon, Cheddar & Chive mug cake
• Green Chile Cheddar Mug Cake
• Sun Dried Tomato Pesto Mug Cake
• Cumin Sesame Lemon Mug Cake
• Jalapeno Popper Mug Cake
• Keto Bacon and Eggs
• A simple salad with meat or seafood on top
• Combine a few keto snacks into a meal

Dinner and Dessert: Same options as your workday. Feel free to experiment with new dinner recipes, keto sides, and desserts.

Please Note: We created this to give you an idea of what dirty, lazy keto looks like. You will need to adapt the serving sizes and meal options to meet your specific needs. To help you do this, put your info into our keto calculator and adjust your meals accordingly.

The above information should only be used as a step toward a way of eating that is healthier for you. The next step is to clean up different aspects of your diet.

What is Clean Keto? A Simple Definition

A clean keto diet focuses on low carb foods that are minimally-processed, packed with nutrients, and produced sustainably. Keeping the carbs low enough to stimulate ketosis is still crucial, but a greater emphasis is placed higher quality foods.

With this approach, it is not recommended to persist on butter, processed cheese, bacon, and fast food burgers. Instead, all the meals are homemade with fresh meat or seafood and low carb vegetables.

Clean keto also encourages us to read between the lines of how our food was produced. Rather than simply asking “is this keto-friendly?” we must also consider things that aren’t always found on food labels. This includes the health of the animals and plants, the environmental impact of food production, and the long-term health benefits of investing in higher quality food.

Clean Keto Food List

To give you a better idea of what a clean keto diet looks like, here are the cleanest examples of keto staples:

• Local and biodynamic/”beyond organic” keto-friendly produce — buying local low-carb vegetables and fruit grown in a sustainable way will promote optimal health for you and your local environment. Consult our low-carb vegetable list and keto-friendly fruit guide for some ideas, and plug in your location on Eat Wild and Local Harvest to find the highest quality food in your area.
• Minimally-processed nuts and seeds – Nuts and seeds are packed with fiber, micronutrients, and variety of healthy fats that are crucial for keto success. Just make sure to keep track of their net carb content. Some of the lowest carb nuts and seeds are macadamias, walnuts, sunflower seeds, chia seeds, and flaxseeds.
• Pasture-raised, sustainable meats, eggs, and dairy — Look for farmers that raise their animals in a humane way that also help regenerate the environment. Two great examples of this are White Oak Pastures and Polyface Farms. By eating meat, eggs, and dairy from animals like these, you can improve your health and the health of the environment at the same time.
• Wild-caught, sustainable fish — Some of the healthiest options in this category are wild-caught salmon, mackerel, and sardines. They are packed with omega-3s, minerals, vitamins, and antioxidants while also being relatively low in mercury content. Vital Choice will ship fresh, wild-caught fish to your door. Wild Planet also has many wild-caught canned fish products that you can find in various grocery stores, on amazon.com, or on their website.
• High-quality cooking oils — Recent research has found that extra virgin olive oil and coconut oil are least vulnerable to oxidation at high temperatures, with extra virgin olive oil being the most stable and healthiest option. Find a good source of extra virgin olive oil, buy in bulk, and feel free to cook with it and drizzle it on your keto meals to boost the flavor and healthy fat content of your diet.

Clean Keto Recipes

For Breakfast

Berry Coconut Oatmeal

When you want something other than another egg dish for breakfast, this will be your saving grace. The combination of seeds, nuts, and coconut in this recipe will provide you with several types of healthy fat while the berries come through with a tasteful experience of sweet and tart. What a great way to start the day!

Salmon Benny Breakfast Bombs

These breakfast bombs are a great way to fit some extra omega-3s, health-promoting herbs, and nutrient-dense eggs into your diet. Don’t forget to have it with the Hollandaise sauce.

For Lunch

Keto Crunchy Thai Chicken Salad Bowl

After having this meal, you may end up craving salad for lunch like me. The flavors from the chicken marinade, almonds, fresh herbs, and olive oil come together beautifully, making this one of the tastiest clean keto lunches.

Keto Crispy Ginger Mackerel Lunch Bowl

This is one of the most delicious ways to add some fish into your keto diet. In this lunch bowl, you’ll also get plenty of fiber, vitamins, minerals, and healthy fats from the broccoli, sun-dried tomatoes, peppers, roasted almonds, and avocado.

For Dinner

Low Carb Walnut Crusted Salmon

This salmon dish checks all the boxes for the keto Mediterranean diet. It is delicious, easy to make, and packed with healthy fats from the salmon, walnuts, and olive oil. You can’t go wrong with this keto dinner.

Zucchini Ribbons & Avocado Walnut Pesto

The zucchini noodles are not only packed with fiber and micronutrients, but they are the perfect vehicle for transferring all of the delicious pesto flavors into your mouth as well. Feel free to add some pasture-raised chicken or wild-caught salmon to increase the protein content and make it even more filling

For Sides

Fiesta Slaw with Avocado Lime Dressing

The avocado lime dressing is so tasty that you’ll wonder why people don’t eat clean all the time. You can even turn it into a full meal by adding any meat you’d like.

Spinach Watercress Keto Salad

If your dinner seems a little lifeless, try whipping up this quick and easy keto salad. It is packed with healthy fats, fiber, vitamins, and minerals. Feel free to use whatever greens you prefer (e.g., baby kale, arugula, and sweet baby lettuce).

Other Options: Clean-up Any Meal From the Dirty Keto Meal List

You can also make any of your favorite dirty keto meals healthier by making them with high-quality ingredients from the clean keto food list. Feel free to add fasting or ketoproof coffee into your clean keto diet as well.

The Benefits and Downsides of Going Clean with Your Keto Diet

If you’ve already read the section on the risks and downsides of a dirty keto diet, then you have a good idea of what cleaning your diet up can do for you. Avoiding the dirty downsides is the main benefit of going clean.

Eating clean can also help you get more out of your keto diet, from boosting your weight loss results to improving heart health. If you’d like to take a look at the research on the health effects of a cleaner keto diet, check out our in-depth article on the Meditteranean keto diet. This is one of the cleanest variations of the keto diet with some high-quality studies backing its benefits.

Despite all of the good that clean keto can do for you, livestock, and the environment, it is hard to ignore the time commitment and financial pressure of making such a giant leap. So, instead of taking a giant leap, start with small steps. Below, we summarize the differences between a lazy, dirty keto diet and a clean keto diet:

As with any diet, the best approach is one that you can maintain. To help you in your efforts to make cleaner choices that are sustainable for you, we put the two sides of dirty and clean keto spectrum together so you can use their principles to map out your keto journey.

A Lazy & Clean Keto Diet: How to Get the Best of Both Sides

Though clean keto is typically branded as being expensive and inconvenient, it is possible to have the best of both worlds: a diet that is clean, convenient, and relatively cheap.

To do this, you will have to keep these three principles in mind while you make your food choices:

• Keep it simple and convenient. Make it easier for yourself to choose cleaner options. Practical strategies for this principle include removing unhealthy foods from your home, having high-quality keto snacks while you are on the go, and putting a few hours aside each week for meal prep. To help you implement this principle, check out our video guide to meal planning and batch cooking.
• Keep it as cheap as possible. Clean can also be cheap, but you’ll need to do more research beforehand to find the best deals. Practical strategies that can help you with this principle are planning your meals around what’s on sale, buying in bulk, and buying in bulk directly from local farmers. For more money-saving tips, check out our guide to eating keto on a budget.
• Keep it as healthy for yourself, the animals involved, and the environment as possible. Follow the suggestions from the clean keto food list and make changes that you can fit into your lifestyle. Focus on making small and sustainable changes, rather than massive diet overhauls. For more ideas on what adjustments you can make, check out the “Shopping Tips for Health-Conscious and Environmentally-Friendly Ketogenic Dieters” section of our keto shopping list.

This can be a lot to juggle at first, so don’t worry if you drop the ball a few times. These mistakes will provide you with valuable insights into how you can make your diet healthier and more sustainable.

Key Takeaways: Making the Change that is Right for You

Whether you follow a dirty or clean keto diet (or anything in between), what matters most is how sustainable it is for you. Make sure to check in with your mental health, your physical health, and your body composition while you are making any diet change.

If any of these aspects worsens after 1-2 months, then it is best to make an educated adjustment and see how that works for you.

In general, getting cleaner as you go along will lead to the best overall results for you and the environment. That being said, having an occasional dirty meal (or even a high carb food) will not demolish all the progress you’ve made.

Ultimately, your results will be determined by the sum of the choices you’ve made, not by that one dirty meal you had yesterday. If most of your decisions are taking you closer to a cleaner and healthier lifestyle, then you are on the right track (even if the scale doesn’t show it right now).

To help you on your journey toward creating a keto diet that is sustainable for you, we put together a list of helpful resources:

• Keto recipes for breakfast, lunch, dinner, dessert, and everything in between
• Keto calculator for personalized macros
• How to eat keto on a budget
• Sample keto diet shopping list with recipes and budgeting tips
• Keto diet video guides and recipes
• How to figure out if keto is right for you
• How to maintain weight loss results for life

Sources

• The Ketogenic Diet and Diabetes — Ruled.me
• The Ketogenic Diet and Cholesterol — Ruled.me
• The Ketogenic Mediterranean Diet: Optimal Health and Weight Loss — Ruled.me
• How to Lose Weight on a Ketogenic Diet — Ruled.me
• Antibiotics In Animal Feeds — NCBI
• Sugar substitutes: Health controversy over perceived benefits — NCBI
• Measuring Artificial Sweeteners Toxicity Using a Bioluminescent Bacterial Panel — Molecules
• Gastrointestinal Tolerance and Glycemic Response of Isomaltooligosaccharides in Healthy Adults — NCBI
• Evaluation of Chemical and Physical Changes in Different Commercial Oils during Heating — Acta Scientific Nutritional Health

The post Dirty, Lazy Keto vs. Clean Keto: Should You Go Clean? appeared first on Ruled Me.

These keto supplements promise that you can have your cake and eat it too, literally and metaphorically. How? By giving you the ability to experience the benefits of the keto diet without having to limit your carb intake.

After looking at typical keto weight loss results and learning a bit about ketones and ketosis, the most common marketing claims for exogenous ketones seem reasonable enough:

• Ignite fat loss
• Increase exercise performance
• Become a fat burning machine
• Eliminate cravings and gain control over your appetite
• Decrease stress and fatigue
• Increase your energy levels and mental clarity

If the keto diet unlocks these benefits and burning ketones is the key, then shouldn’t we get similar results from ingesting ketone supplements and going directly to ketosis?

To answer this question, we have to look at keto, ketosis, and the best exogenous ketone supplementation from multiple perspectives:

• An Overview of Nutritional Ketosis
• What Are Exogenous Ketone Supplements? Ketone Salts vs. Ketone Esters
• Exogenous Ketone Supplements Vs. Keto Diet Ketosis: A Physiological Perspective
• Keto Myth Busting: Exogenous Ketone Marketing Claims
• Diving into the Ketone Salt and Ketone Ester Research: The Potential Benefits
• Ketone Salts and Esters: The Downsides
• The Pros and Cons of Exogenous Ketone Supplements
• Are They Worth it for You?
• Boosting Ketone Production with Supplements: MCTs
• MCT Oil vs. Exogenous Ketones: Which One is the Better Ketone-boosting Supplement?
• What is the Best Ketone-boosting Supplement? With Recommendations from Dr. Dom D’Agostino
• What About Raspberry Ketones?
• Key Takeaways: Everything You Need to Know About Ketone Supplements

After we develop an understanding of ketosis and ketone supplements from each angle, you will be able to determine if exogenous ketones are worth your money and which ketone supplement may be best for you.

Ketones and Ketosis: A Quick Overview of a Lifesaving Process

Within the context of normal human physiology, ketones are an alternative fuel source your liver produces when there isn’t enough sugar to support the energy needs of your cells (especially your brain cells).

Ketone production was once a lifesaving feat that helped our ancestors survive famines, but now we intentionally use ketones for their unique health benefits (e.g., increased mental clarity, decreased fatigue, reduced appetite, and improved sense of wellbeing and vitality).

The only healthy way to stimulate this ketone-producing process and experience these benefits consistently is by following a keto diet — i.e., limiting your carb consumption, eating moderate amounts of protein, and getting most of your calories from fat.

As soon as we consume enough carbs or overeat protein, we flood our body with energy sources that promptly shut down ketogenesis — the metabolic process behind ketone production — until our sugar needs aren’t being met.

In contrast, when we restrict carbs enough to stimulate ketogenesis continuously, our blood ketone levels begin to rise until we enter a state referred to as nutritional ketosis. Once blood ketone levels reach 0.5 mmol/L or more, you are technically in ketosis and will start experiencing many of the unique benefits of keto dieting. As ketone levels rise, your ability to use them will increase along with their positive effects.

Thousands of people have followed this dietary approach and achieved incredible health and weight loss results. However, the newfound availability of exogenous ketone supplements raises a controversial question: What if you could skip the lifestyle changes required to follow a keto diet and get similar results by simply ingesting exogenous ketones every day?

This question exemplifies exactly where false hope and misleading claims collide to fuel the booming keto supplement industry.

A (Costly) Shortcut to Ketosis: What Are Exogenous Ketone Supplements?

At first glance, the logic behind taking exogenous ketones makes sense. Ketosis seems like the secret behind keto success, so shouldn’t we get the same benefits from consuming ketones?

Born out of this simple question was a plethora of supplements called exogenous ketones, which translates to ketones that originate from (“-genous”) outside of the body (“exo-“).

In other words, exogenous ketone bodies are made in a laboratory, packaged as a supplement, and ingested by the consumer as a way to increase ketone levels without having to wait for the liver to produce ketones endogenously (inside of your body).

There are three primary forms of exogenous ketone supplements:

• Ketone salt powders — These are ketone bodies bound to a mineral, typically sodium, potassium, calcium, or magnesium. Ketone salts are commonly sold as a flavored powder that can be mixed with liquid to create a ketone drink.
• Keto diet pills — Most keto pills are simply ketone salt powder packed into capsules.
• Ketone esters — These are ketones that are bonded to another compound called an ester and packaged in liquid form. Ketone esters are used primarily in research due to their reliability and efficiency, but they are much more expensive and bitter-tasting than ketone salts.

Though each type of exogenous ketone product has been shown to increase blood ketone levels (without having to follow a ketogenic diet), there are several nuances to be aware of before purchasing any of these options.

Ketone Salt Powders

Ketone salts are the most accessible exogenous ketone bodies, with a plethora of products on the market in both pill and powder form. Beta-hydroxybutyrate (BHB) powders will give you the most bang for your buck.

Below we’ve included examples of high-quality ketone salt powders with BHB ketone bodies that you’re likely to come across:

• Pruvit’s KETO OS NAT — BHB ketone salts that are heavily marketed as the best exogenous ketones. However, there is absolutely no research to back the claims behind their superiority. You can learn more about Pruvit’s ketone products in our comprehensive Keto OS review article.
• Pruvit’s KETO OS PRO — A combination of BHB ketone bodies, protein powder, and MCT oil powder. Though each ingredient can help you reach your keto goals, the dosage is too low to justify the cost.
• Key Keto Exogenous Ketone Supplement — A flavored ketone salt product that is one of the few keto supplements with an NSF Certified for Sport® certification.
• Perfect Keto Base Exogenous Ketones — Regarded as one of the best-tasting ketone salts on the market, with similar ingredients as Key Keto.

Keto Pills: The Cheapest Shortcut to Keto Diet Results?

Whether they are called  “keto diet pills,” “keto pills,”  or “keto weight loss pills,” these keto supplements are typically just low-dose exogenous ketone salts. Unfortunately, they are marketed to keto dieters as if they are the key to fat burning and losing weight rapidly.

Though it is true that they increase blood ketone levels, keto pills will not translate to any significant increases in ketosis, fat loss, or fat burning. (In fact, as we will discover later, exogenous ketones temporarily decrease fat burning.)

Some popular BHB keto pills that fall into this category (and are typically not worth the cost) include:

• Ketopower Boost
• KetoCharge
• OneShot Keto
• Strong Keto Pills
• Vitamin Bounty Get Into Keto
• Approved Science® Keto
• Keto BHB

You’ll notice that these are the cheapest keto products that contain BHB ketone bodies. However, this relatively low cost only represents the fact that they don’t contain as much BHB per serving as ketone salt powders.

Given the low doses of ketones that can fit into each keto pill, these are the worst exogenous ketones for raising ketone levels significantly.

Ketone Esters: The Best Exogenous Ketones, but Are They Worth It?

BHB ketone esters are technically the best exogenous ketones supplement for raising our blood ketone levels and getting us into ketosis quickly. The highest-quality ketone product of this type is HVMN ketone ester.

Given how infamous these liquid ketones are for being expensive, HVMN recently released a ketone ester 2.0 called Ketone-IQ. Ketone-IQ is 100% pure BHB ketone ester that costs about $4 per serving.

For some, $4 may sound like a reasonable price to pay for the benefits of deep ketosis. However, recent research suggests that each serving does not contain enough ketone ester to induce mild ketosis in healthy adults.

So, is paying around $8 for a brief taste of ketosis worth it? To help you decide, we must also consider critical information that keto supplement companies rarely tell you: The underlying differences between artificial ketosis from exogenous ketones and nutritional ketosis with a well-formulated ketogenic low carb diet.

Exogenous Ketone Supplementation Vs. Keto Diet Ketosis: A Physiological Perspective

Before we dig into the outcome-based studies on ketone supplements, let’s take a look at the key physiological differences between the keto diet and exogenous ketones. This will provide us with a better understanding of ketosis that we can rely upon when we take a look at the marketing claims and research literature.

The Importance of the Path to Ketosis

Your body must go through a series of steps before you can enter ketosis. Glycogen (our storage form of sugar), insulin, and blood sugar levels all must drop, which allows fatty acids (from your fat cells and your diet) to enter your liver in larger quantities and at a faster rate. This combination of changes sets the stage for sustained ketone production by consistently stimulating ketogenesis.

If these physiological processes do not occur, then your body will struggle to produce enough ketones to sustain ketosis on its own. Without giving your body the time it needs to adapt to ketone burning,  you will not experience all of the benefits of ketosis.

By supplementing with exogenous ketones, you are essentially forcing your body into ketosis without establishing the foundation for sustaining ketone production. The result (If you are consuming a high-quality ketone supplement) is a quick increase in ketone levels that will drop after your body burns them and/or excretes them unused.

This means that the benefits of taking ketone supplements can only go as far as your body is adapted to using ketones for fuel and as long as it takes for the ingested ketones to be used or excreted.

In other words, if your body is already a fat-burning, ketone-using machine (after following the keto diet for at least a month), it will probably be able to extract the most out of each exogenous ketone servings.

In contrast, if you are looking for a short cut to weight loss and ketosis without setting the foundation for sustaining ketone production and losing fat with a keto diet, then exogenous ketones will not do much for you at all.

In both cases, any benefits you do experience will only last for a few hours. The overwhelming majority of your health and weight loss results will be a direct result of the food you eat on a daily basis, not the ketone supplement you take.

Ketone and Blood Sugar Regulation

Although ketones and sugar provide us with the energy we need to stay alive, they can also be life-threatening if their levels get too high in our bloodstream. Fortunately, our bodies have many regulatory feedback loops to help prevent blood sugar levels and/or ketone levels from getting out of control.

As an example, when we enter nutritional ketosis after following a keto diet, our liver tightly regulates ketone production and will not overproduce this alternative energy source. This is because energy availability is closely controlled throughout our bodies with the help of various hormones, substrates, and other signaling molecules. For the most part, we only produce what our bodies can handle and will rarely stray far above that.

(Side note: The only exception to this rule of ketone level regulation is when someone has type 1 diabetes or type 2 diabetes that is not under medical supervision, and both blood sugar and ketone levels start rising uncontrollably. This condition is known as ketoacidosis and is relatively rare for most people, especially if you are following a keto diet. If you’d like to learn more about this condition, check out our guide to ketoacidosis.)

In contrast to endogenous ketone production, exogenous ketone consumption will stimulate these regulatory mechanisms to a much greater extent to keep the sudden influx of ketones under control.

More specifically, studies have found the administration of ketones to decrease the release of fatty acids from fat cells and increase the effects of insulin (whether this is from increased insulin secretion and/or through enhancing insulin’s activity is not clear yet).

Put in another way, exogenous ketone supplements, which are said to help you “ignite” fat loss, actually extinguish your fat-burning fire until you use up enough of the supplemental ketones and your energy needs increase again.

It is worth noting, however, that these same mechanisms might be helpful for improving insulin function and increasing the effectiveness of keto diets for insulin resistant patients. Research is still needed to explore the potential therapeutic effect that exogenous ketones might have for people with type 2 diabetes.

Key Takeaways: Exogenous Ketone Supplementation Vs. Nutritional Ketosis

Although ketones play a substantial role in the benefits of keto dieting, this doesn’t mean that taking exogenous ketones will provide us with a shortcut to these exact results.

In fact, the opposite may be true. Here’s why:

• Entering and maintaining ketosis requires many beneficial biological changes to take place. These changes do not occur when we rely on ketone supplements instead of a keto diet to increase our ketone levels.
• Without being keto-adapted to some degree, the likelihood that exogenous ketones will not be used to their fullest potential increases.
• Exogenous ketone supplementation temporarily shuts down fat burning and increases insulin activity. Both of these biological processes keep you from burning your own fat until your energy needs increase again.

Next time you see advertisements for exogenous ketone supplements, such as ketone salts and ketone esters, make sure you refresh your memory of keto diet ketosis. By doing so, you will be able to see through many of the false claims, allowing you to assess the value of common keto supplements more accurately.

Exogenous Ketone Myth Busting: The Misleading Marketing of Ketone Salts and Ketone Esters

Let’s take a look at some of the most common exogenous ketone claims to illustrate what I mean:

Myth #1: You’ll experience the benefits of keto dieting with exogenous ketones.

The path to ketosis, the process of ketone production, and carb restriction all play vital roles in keto diet success. Merely taking a supplement that forces you into ketosis can only give you a small taste of the benefits of keto dieting.

Myth #2: Exogenous ketones ignite fat burning. You should take these supplements because being in ketosis supports faster fat burning.

In reality, exogenous ketone supplementation does the exact opposite. The ketones you consume will decrease the release of fatty acids from your fat cells and reduce endogenous ketone production.

Being in ketosis as a result of following a keto diet does support faster fat burning, but being in ketosis after consuming exogenous ketones does not.

Myth #3: Exogenous ketones increase fat loss.

There is no evidence to support this claim, and given what we learned earlier, ketone supplementation will only slow fat loss.

We will discover later, however, that exogenous ketones can reduce hunger levels, but there is no research examining if this translates to decreased food consumption and increased fat loss.

Myth #4: Exogenous ketones support ketosis.

Although these supplements can send you into ketosis more quickly than keto, they don’t support your ability to stay in ketosis. In reality, they shut down ketone production until you burn through the consumed ketones. Once you’ve processed your dose, your ketone levels will be dictated by your diet, not by the fact that you took a ketone supplement earlier in the day.

These four myths represent the most common misleading claims made by exogenous ketone supplement producers. With a simple grasp of the difference between keto diet ketosis and ketosis induced by exogenous ketones, it is much easier to decipher the truth behind the ketone supplement sales pitches.

That being said, this doesn’t mean that all ketone supplements are completely worthless. When used in the right context for the right person, they can be helpful.

An Overview of the Exogenous Ketone Literature: The Potential Benefits

As we discussed earlier, to experience the benefits of ketosis to the fullest, many physiological changes must be in place. This is partly why the research on ketone salts and ketone esters is riddled with contradicting data. However, there is still some promise for ketone consumption.

Given the current evidence, here are the potential benefits of exogenous ketone supplements with all of the marketing claims and hyperbole taken out:

• May decrease keto flu symptoms, making keto induction easier

By providing your body with ketones during your first few days of keto dieting, you may be able to prevent the mental and physical fatigue associated with keto induction.

Ketone salts that contain sodium, potassium, and magnesium may be the better supplement option in this scenario because this ketone supplement will provide your body with an alternative energy source and extra minerals that will help you adapt to carb restriction.

• Decreases appetite

Recent research indicates that ketone ester supplementation lowers ghrelin levels (our primary hunger hormone), perceived hunger, and desire to eat for up to four hours. It is unclear if these effects translate to a significant decrease in calorie intake that leads to increased fat loss.

Anecdotal reports from many keto dieters, however, indicate that sustaining higher ketone levels help them keep their appetite under control and lose more weight.

• Increases energy levels

If you consume exogenous ketones, your body will process them immediately after digestion. This can translate to a stable energy boost for a few hours.

Keto-adapted individuals are likely to experience an even greater energy increase because their bodies will be prepared to handle an increase in ketones without them going to waste.

• May improve endurance exercise performance and recovery

Ketones are a more efficient energy source than sugar, mainly when they are used for endurance activities such as running and cycling.

The research on exogenous ketones supplementation for exercise performance, however, indicates that they can have either a negative effect, a net benefit, or no significant effect. It is also unclear how much of a difference being keto-adapted makes when using exogenous ketones to boost results.

At this point, the research indicates that taking a BHB ketone ester with carbohydrate prior to exercise provides most significant, yet still incremental, increase in performance compared to other exogenous ketone supplement dosing strategies. One study also found that exogenous ketones may help athletes recover their glycogen stores post-exercise.

• Enhances cognitive function

Case reports, a small trial in athletes, and animal studies indicate that including exogenous BHB in the diet can improve cognitive performance. Research on keto diets and medium chain triglycerides (an endogenous ketone-boosting supplement) also found that ketosis has a beneficial impact on cognitive function and mental clarity.

One potential mechanism behind these results is that BHB has been found to stimulate the expression of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), a growth factor that some researchers refer to as “Miracle-Gro for the brain.”

• May serve as an adjunctive treatment for certain neurological disorders, type 2 diabetes, and some types of cancers

Research on the keto diet, medium chain triglycerides, and exogenous ketone supplements all indicate that ketosis can be helpful for patients with certain cancers, Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, type 2 diabetes, and epilepsy. Exogenous ketones, specifically, can help these patients experience some of the benefits of ketosis if they cannot stay on a strict keto diet for any reason.

As you can see, ketone supplements aren’t the miracle weight loss supplement they are said to be, but they can provide your current dietary approach with an edge when used for the right reasons. Before you start experimenting with ketone esters or ketone salts, however, it is important to learn about their potential downsides and explore other ketone supplement alternatives as well.

Exogenous Ketone Supplements: The Downsides

Before we close out our comprehensive look at ketone salts and esters, let’s explore the potential downsides:

• Overpriced

Ketone salts and esters are both ridiculously expensive when you consider the paucity of research on them and how quickly your body will burn through each serving.

Ketone salts are your cheapest option, but they will still break most budgets at around $60 for just 16 servings. This pales in comparison, however, to the cost of ketone esters, which have you paying 4x more per gram of ketones.

Fortunately, there is a much cheaper ketone-boosting supplement that has more research to back its benefits: MCT oil. We will learn more about MCTs later in this article.

• Unpleasant taste

Most ketone salts are difficult to drink because they taste so bad, but there are many flavored ketone supplements that hide the taste pretty well.

Ketone esters, on the other hand, are difficult to get down and it’s even more difficult to disguise their horrid taste.

• Short-term side effects

The consumption of exogenous ketone supplements can provoke some keto flu symptoms like fatigue, headaches, dizziness, cramping, diarrhea, constipation, and heart palpitations. (For more information on keto flu symptoms and how to remedy them, click here.)

These symptoms are related to the diuretic effect that ketones have on the body, so make sure you are staying hydrated if you supplement them exogenously or are following a keto diet.

There have also been reports of vomiting, nausea, and abdominal pain after the ingestion of ketone esters and increased acetone secretion (like nail polish remover being excreted with your breath and sweat) after ketone salt ingestion.

• Dubious ingredients

Many ketone supplements may contain a mixture of D- and L- BHB and/or some acetoacetate (another type of ketone) while the most effective ketone body to supplement with is D-BHB.

You may also find sweeteners and hidden net carbs that can make it much harder for you to reach deeper levels of ketosis after you burn through your supplemental ketones.

• Short-lived benefits

As we described earlier, the benefits of exogenous ketones only last for as long as it takes for your body to use them.

Studies indicate that it may take around 3-6 hours for ketone levels to drop to baseline after ketone ingestion. How long it lasts depends on many factors including your diet, activity levels, and ability to burn ketones.

• Shuts down fat burning and ketone production

Although these supplements can send you directly to ketosis, they do not promote fat burning and ketone production. Marketing claims that tell you otherwise are conflating the benefits of the keto diet with ketone supplements.

The truth is that your body will preferentially burn off the ketones you ingest before it burns your body fat and ketones as its predominant fuel source.

• Some ingested ketones may go to waste

If the proper metabolic machinery isn’t in place to handle an increased ketone load, the ketones you ingest may end up being converted into acetone without providing you with any benefits.

You will know this is happening in your body if your breath and/or body odor starts smelling like overripe fruit or nail polish remover.

• Adds extra calories to the diet

Although you technically can’t store ketones as fat, they are still a source of calories that we should be aware of.

If you are supplementing with ketones regularly, then these calories will begin to accumulate, increasing the likelihood that the calories you consume from fat, carbs, or protein will be converted into body fat.

• Better options exist with similar benefits

We’ve focused primarily on exogenous ketone supplements, but there are other supplements that boost ketone production as well. They are much cheaper, increase ketone levels reliably, and have minimal side effects.

We will take a look at these supplements after we finish our examination of exogenous ketones.

Putting It All Together — The Pros and Cons of Exogenous Ketone Supplements

Let’s sum up what we’ve learned so far by going over the pros and cons of ketone salts and esters:

Are Ketone Salts or Ketone Esters Worth It for You?

When considering the pros and cons of exogenous ketone supplements, it is difficult to make a case for them being worth the investment. Their cost and transient effects are enough to discourage most people from trying them out.

If you are looking to lose weight and improve health, you will get much better results from investing your supplement money in high-quality keto foods and making healthy lifestyle changes instead.

That being said, some people may find these supplements to be worth a try.

Who Would Benefit Most from Exogenous Ketone Supplementation?

Based on the current research, people who fit into these groups may find exogenous ketone supplements to be helpful:

• Keto-adapted endurance athletes. It seems that being adapted to the keto diet and taking ketone esters along with some carbs may be the most effective way to take endurance performance to the next level.
• People who are struggling with keto induction. If keto flu is hitting you hard and nothing else seems to help, supplementing with ketone salts may help provide you with the energy you need to overcome fatigue and nudge your cells into becoming more keto-adapted.
• People who have health conditions that benefit from ketosis, but cannot stay on the keto diet for any reason. Ketone salts and esters might be helpful in the treatment of type 2 diabetes, some neurological disorders, and certain types of cancer if the keto diet is not a suitable option.

However, If you find that ketone salts or ketone esters are worth the cost for you, don’t buy them just yet. These aren’t the only ketone boosting supplements that can help with keto induction, exercise performance, and specific health conditions.

MCT Oil: The Endogenous Ketone Booster

Earlier in this article, we explored the differences between naturally stimulating ketosis with a keto diet and forcing the body into ketosis with an exogenous ketone supplement. So many physiological processes are behind becoming a ketone- and fat-burning machine that we miss out on many keto diet benefits by skipping them altogether.

Fortunately, there is a ketone-boosting supplement that actually supports ketosis and ignites fat burning. This is supplement is known as MCT oil.

MCT stands for medium chain triglycerides — a type of saturated fat that skips the normal digestive process of other fats. Instead of being digested and transported through the lymph like other long-chain fats, MCTs are absorbed quickly through the small intestine and go straight to the liver.

This influx of MCTs into the liver mimics the process that occurs when fatty acids are released from our fat cells and enter the liver during carb restriction. As a result, the ketogenesis is stimulated, and the abundance of fatty acids are converted into ketones.

By supplementing with MCTs rather than exogenous ketones, you are giving the liver the substrates it needs to jump start ketosis without shutting down ketone production. The difference is subtle in concept but represents a more supportive ketone-boosting strategy physiologically.

The research on MCT supplementation is more extensive and convincing than what we’ve found to support exogenous ketones as well. Here is a brief summary of the science-backed benefits of MCTs:

• Weight loss boosting properties
• Can decrease keto flu symptoms, making keto induction easier
• Appetite reduction
• Improved exercise performance and endurance
• Increased energy levels
• Reduced cardiovascular disease risk in some people
• Enhanced brain health and cognitive function
• Acts as a potential treatment for medical conditions that respond well to ketosis
• May improve insulin sensitivity and blood sugar levels
• Helps boost immune system function and regulation
• Gut health regulation
• Improved absorption of certain nutrients
• Enhanced liver cell function
• May increase longevity and reduce the mortality risk from heart disease

You can find a breakdown of the research behind these benefits and other information on MCTs by clicking here >

Overall, the research indicates that MCTs are equally, if not more, beneficial than exogenous ketone supplements. They also have positive effects that extend beyond what a ketone ester or salt is able to do.

However, as with ketone salts and esters, digestive issues can occur when supplementing with too many MCTs. For this reason, it is best to start with a small amount (1-1.5 teaspoons) and increase day by day until you work up to a 1-4 tablespoon dose. You can also use MCT oil powder, which tends to be more tolerable at higher doses.

To maximize your keto diet, we recommend using MCT oil or MCT powder as your personal ketone and energy level booster. It will be especially useful during your first few days of keto dieting when your body is trying to adapt to carb restriction.

MCT Oil vs. Exogenous Ketones: Which One is the Better Ketone-boosting Supplement?

Both supplements can help boost ketone levels and provide us with similar benefits, but this is where they begin to diverge. To help us decipher which one may be a better option for you, we must take a look at their primary differences:

The research on exogenous ketones is not promising enough to justify their high price, especially since you can get similar benefits (and potentially more benefits) from MCT supplements.By charting these two ketone-boosting supplements together, we can see that MCTs are likely to be the better option for most people.

What is the Best Ketone Supplement? With Recommendations from Keto Researcher, Dr. Dom D’Agostino

You may have already guessed that we’d select MCT oil has the ideal ketone supplement. However, we have yet to address what happens when we combine exogenous ketones and MCTs together.

Well-known nutritional ketosis and ketone supplementation researcher, Dr. Dominic D’Agostino, speculates that the best ketone supplement may be one that combines exogenous ketones with MCTs.

Here is a direct quote about ketone supplementation from Dr. D’Agostino’s blog:

Ideally the ketone supplement (ketone salt) should be mixed with ketogenic fats, like medium chain triglycerides (MCT oil), which also stimulates endogenous ketogenesis.

This makes sense in theory, but does it justify the high price tag that these combo ketone supplements come with?

Since there is even less research on MCTs + exogenous ketones than there is on exogenous ketones, it is difficult to tell if these supplements are indeed the best option.

When we consider this with the current literature and our bank accounts, MCT oil supplements still seem to be the best ketone supplement available. They provide us with the most scientifically-proven bang for the buck.

If you are looking to try it out for yourself, I recommend reading through our comprehensive guide to MCT oil first. If MCT sounds right for you, check our the brands we recommend on our Keto Supplement Recommendations page.

Side Note: What About Raspberry Ketone Supplements?

Although they have “ketone” in their name, raspberry ketones do not boost ketone levels. “raspberry ketone” is simply the name for the compound that gives raspberries their potent aroma and flavor.

Some research indicates that they can help with fat loss in animals at high doses, but there is no evidence to suggest that raspberry ketone supplements can confer the same benefits for humans.

As we learned with the exogenous ketone research, the only way to lose substantial amounts of fat and keep it off is by making healthy lifestyle and dietary changes. No weight loss supplement can compete with the effect of a well-formulated weight loss diet.

Key Takeaways: Everything You Need to Know About Ketone Supplements

Exogenous ketone supplements can be helpful, but not in the way you may think.

Ketone salt powders, keto pills, and ketone esters — the three exogenous ketone products on the market right now — do not ignite fat loss or ketone production. There is also no data to support the claim that they can help us lose weight or burn fat.

At best, these supplements may help boost endurance exercise performance, aid in the treatment of specific health conditions, increase energy levels, and relieve certain keto-flu symptoms. However, the research for these particular benefits still lacks sufficient data.

One thing we know for sure is that these supplements do not act as a replacement for following a ketogenic low carb diet.

Being in ketosis as a result of keto dieting will improve blood glucose levels and stimulate the release of fatty acids for fat cells, whereas being in ketosis after taking a ketone ester or salt will decrease fat burning and ketone production.

The secret to achieving your goal weight and experiencing the unique benefits of ketosis is found within the keto diet, not the exogenous ketone canister.

That said, If you are looking for a way to boost your ketone levels in the short term, here are the simplest, budget-friendly strategies you can try:

• Supplement with MCT Oil. This will provide your body with ketogenic fatty acids that can be converted directly to ketones in the liver.
• Drink a caffeinated beverage in the morning (caffeine boosts ketone production).
• Try intermittent fasting.
• Implement the fat fasting technique.
• Add exercise to your daily routine (fasted training can help boost ketone levels even more).
• Start your morning off by combining a zero-carb caffeinated beverage, MCT oil, and fasted exercise.

And, if you do end up deciding that exogenous ketones are worth the cost to you, here’s a great brand we recommend.

Sources

• Prior ingestion of exogenous ketone monoester attenuates the glycaemic response to an oral glucose tolerance test in healthy young individuals — The Journal of Physiology
• A Ketone Ester Drink Lowers Human Ghrelin and Appetite. — NCBI
• Ketone Supplements: The Pros and Cons — Virta Health
• The Population Pharmacokinetics of d-β-hydroxybutyrate Following Administration of (R)-3-Hydroxybutyl (R)-3-Hydroxybutyrate — NCBI
• The use of nutritional supplements to induce ketosis and reduce symptoms associated with keto-induction: a narrative review — NCBI
• On the Metabolism of Exogenous Ketones in Humans — NCBI
• Ketone Bodies and Exercise Performance: The Next Magic Bullet or Merely Hype? — NCBI
• Metabolism of ketone bodies during exercise and training: physiological basis for exogenous supplementation — The Journal of Physiology
• Ketone Diester Ingestion Impairs Time-Trial Performance in Professional Cyclists — Frontiers in Physiology
• A Ketone Ester Drink Increases Postexercise Muscle Glycogen Synthesis in Humans. — NCBI
• Nutritional Ketosis Alters Fuel Preference and Thereby Endurance Performance in Athletes — Cell Metabolism
• Novel ketone diet enhances physical and cognitive performance — NCBI
• Clinical review: Ketones and brain injury — NCBI
• Potential Synergies of β-Hydroxybutyrate and Butyrate on the Modulation of Metabolism, Inflammation, Cognition, and General Health. — NCBI
• Intermittent Running and Cognitive Performance after Ketone Ester Ingestion. — NCBI
• MCT Oil: The Benefits, Risks, and How to Use — Ruled.me
• Keto OS Side Effects and Benefits: Is It Worth It? — Ruled.me
• Using Ketone Supplements for Weight Loss — Dominic D’Agostino
• Do Raspberry Ketones Really Work? A Detailed Review — Healthline
• Caffeine intake increases plasma ketones: an acute metabolic study in humans. — NCBI
• Oxaloacetate deficiency in MCT-induced ketogenesis. — NCBI
• Ketone beta-hydroxybutyrate up-regulates BDNF expression through NF-κB as an adaptive response against ROS, which may improve neuronal bioenergetics and enhance neuroprotection (P3.090) — Neurology
• Tolerability and Safety of a Novel Ketogenic Ester, Bis-Hexanoyl (R)-1,3-Butanediol: A Randomized Controlled Trial in Healthy Adults — NCBI
• Do Exogenous Ketone Supplements Work for Weight Loss? — Healthline

The post Are Exogenous Ketone Supplements Worth It? The Pros and Cons of Ketone Salts and Esters appeared first on Ruled Me.

On a keto or low-carb diet, it is particularly important to choose the right types of fats since it will be your primary energy source. To set you up for success, we put together a guide with everything you need to know about good and bad fats:

• What is fat?
• Saturated fat vs. unsaturated fat: what’s the difference?
• Types of dietary fat — definition, examples, and benefits
• Fatty acid chain length and its importance
• What kinds of fat should you eat?
• Good fats list
• The best fats for cooking and baking
• Fats to avoid
• The key differences between good and bad fats
• How much of each fat should you eat?
• Five healthy fat tips for keto success

What is Fat and Why is it Important?

Fat is found in varying quantities in all foods, from fatty meats like bacon and short ribs to low-fat leafy greens like lettuce and spinach. This macro is so predominant in nature because it is an essential component of all cell membranes — and without a membrane, cells (and life as we know it) simply cannot exist.

Although its main function is to provide the building blocks for our cell membranes, fat plays a number of other important roles, including:

• Providing you with an efficient and more sustainable energy source than sugar
• Helping you absorb the fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E, and K
• Regulating inflammation and other aspects of immune system function
• Maintaining optimal cell health (improving cell communication, protecting the cell from invaders, etc.)
• Increasing the richness and satiety experienced from eating the food

The fat in food — also referred to as dietary fat —  is primarily found in triglyceride form. Each triglyceride contains a glycerol molecule attached to 3 fatty acid chains that are made up of carbon and hydrogen atoms.

In the context of dietary fat, the terms “fatty acids,” “triglycerides,” and “fat” are used interchangeably to refer to the fatty acids in the triglycerides, and the effects these fatty acids have on our health.

The fatty acids are classified by the types of bonds they contain between the carbons in their chains, as well as the length of their chains.

To help us put these abstract concepts together, let’s take a look at the fatty acids found in this example of a triglyceride:

Here you’ll find a medium-chain fatty acid (commonly found in MCT oil), a monounsaturated fatty acid (commonly found in olive oil), and an omega-3 fatty acid (that is found in flaxseeds and chia seeds). Although they all fall under the category of dietary fat, each one has different health effects because of their variations in chain length and carbon-carbon bonds.

Saturated Fat vs. Unsaturated Fat: What’s the Difference?

All of the natural fats we eat contain a combination of saturated and unsaturated fatty acids. Knowing the difference between the two is crucial to our understanding of healthy fat intake.

Deciphering between the two is relatively simple. Unsaturated fats have at least one carbon-carbon double bond while saturated fats have only carbon-carbon single bonds.

Put in another way, saturated fats are “saturated” with hydrogen atoms, while unsaturated fats do not have the maximum amount of hydrogen atoms a fatty acid can have, making them “unsaturated.”

Both types of fats are found in virtually every food we eat. Most plant foods, however, contain primarily unsaturated fats while animal fats (and some tropical oils) usually consist of a higher quantity of saturated fats.

Butter, lard, coconut oil, and tallow, for example, are predominantly made of saturated fatty acids. In contrast, common cooking oils like olive oil and canola oil are almost exclusively unsaturated.

A simple way to assess whether a natural fat/oil is mostly saturated or unsaturated is to see if it is solid or liquid at room temperature. Solid indicates a higher saturated fat content, while liquid suggests the oil is higher in natural unsaturated fats.

However, deciphering unsaturated from saturated fats is only the tip of the fatty acid iceberg. With each variation in a fatty acid chain — whether it’s in the chain length, number of carbon-carbon double bonds, and/or the type of double bonds — there will be a subsequent change in the chemical properties of the fatty acid and how it affects our health.

For this reason, it is helpful to understand the subcategories of fatty acids, including polyunsaturated, monounsaturated, saturated, and trans fats, as well as short-, medium-, and long-chain fatty acids.

The Types of Fat — Definitions, Examples, and Benefits

Polyunsaturated, Monounsaturated, and saturated fats are the primary sources of dietary fat. Each one is found in varying quantities in different foods. You’ll also encounter both natural and artificial trans fat in small amounts, and it’s helpful to know the difference.

We will decode the language of dietary fat and what this means for your diet and health below. Here are the main types of fat and their subgroups that we will learn about:

Saturated Fats

Saturated fats don’t have any double bonds between the carbons in their chains. They are “saturated” with hydrogen and are typically solid at room temperature.

Most saturated fats come from animal sources, including steak, bacon, butter, and eggs. However, you’ll find saturated fats in tropical plants as well, such as coconut oil, palm oil, and cocoa butter.

The saturated fatty acids in these foods are typically categorized based on chain length. We will learn more about each category — short-chain, medium-chain, and long-chain — in the next section.

The most common saturated fat found in our diets is a long-chain fatty acid called palmitic acid:

Despite the common assumption that saturated fats cause high cholesterol, clogged arteries, poor heart health and a host of other health problems, the current evidence suggests that this is not true.

In fact, there are many benefits of including healthy saturated fats in your low carb or keto diet. Saturated fat can help optimize cholesterol levels, boost cellular integrity, and increase ketone production and fat burning, among other benefits you can learn about here.

That being said, it is also important to know that eating high amounts of saturated fats have the potential to worsen cholesterol levels in a small subset of the population. Most people, however, will benefit from consuming saturated fat as a part of their low-carb or keto diet. For more information on this topic, check out our article on keto and cholesterol.

Monounsaturated Fats

Monounsaturated fats, also referred to as MUFAs, have one double bond between the carbons in their fatty acid chains. Oils high in these fats are liquid at room temperature (because of the double bond).

MUFAs are commonly known as healthy fats and are undoubtedly deserving of this distinction. Many studies have linked them to wide-ranging health benefits, including improving cholesterol levels, increasing insulin sensitivity, reducing the risk of heart disease, and increasing longevity, among other benefits you can learn about here.

For optimal health, make sure you are getting plenty of monounsaturated fats. Healthy sources of these fats include extra virgin olive oil, avocados, macadamia nuts, dark meat chicken, and bacon.

The most common monounsaturated fatty acid you’ll find in food is oleic acid:

To learn more about monounsaturated fats, follow this link.

Polyunsaturated Fats

Polyunsaturated fats, also known as PUFAs, have more than one carbon-carbon double bond. Like MUFAs, they are liquid at room temperature.

PUFAs exist in our food as either omega–6 or omega–3 fatty acids, which are named for the position of the first double bond (from the methyl end) in their carbon chains. When consumed in sufficient amounts, these fats help improve heart health, optimize immune system function, reduce chronic inflammation, and reduce the risk of diabetes, among other benefits you can learn about here.

Healthy sources of omega-3 PUFAs — DHA and EPA in particular — include sardines, salmon, and mackerel. These omega-3 fatty acids can also be found in pasture-raised eggs, red meat, and dairy.

Although we can make DHA and EPA from alpha-linolenic acid, which is an essential omega-3 fatty acid found in some nuts and seeds, the conversion rate is so inefficient that it is best to get DHA and EPA directly from food.

Omega-6s are found in virtually all food you’ll eat on a low-carb diet including nuts, seeds, vegetables, meat, dairy, and eggs.

Most of these foods contain the essential omega-6 fatty acid, linoleic acid:

And here is what docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) — one of the most beneficial omega-3 fatty acids — looks like:

To learn more about polyunsaturated fats, follow this link.

Trans Fat — Natural vs. Artificial

Although natural and artificial trans fats both fall under the same “trans fat” category, they have different chemical structures and vastly different effects on our health.

Artificial trans fats are developed via a process called hydrogenation. This results in the creation of unsaturated fatty acids with one trans double bond:

This simple change in bond type (from cis to trans) transforms what was once an unstable oil into a butter-like substance that has a longer shelf life.

Unfortunately, the health properties of these fats are dramatically altered as well — from a healthy fat to the only type of fat that is invariably bad for everyone’s health. You’ll find these toxic fats in any product with partially or fully hydrogenated oil on its ingredients list. Any food product with this ingredient should be avoided entirely.

The biological effects of natural trans fats, on the other hand, are much different. Research indicates that they may confer some benefits, including modest increases in fat loss.

These fats are commonly referred to as conjugated linoleic acids or CLAs, which represent a group of trans fats that are naturally formed during the process of linoleic acid digestion in ruminants like cows and sheep.

Here’s is an example of what conjugated linoleic acids look like:

As you can see, these fats have both trans and cis double bonds in their carbon chains separated by one single bond. This is why we refer to these fatty acids as being “conjugated.”

These trans fats typically make up 2-5% of the fat in dairy products and 3-9% of the fat in beef and lamb. One of the most common types of CLA found in these foods is known as rumenic acid (the c9, t11 CLA pictured above).

You can find out more about both types of trans fat in our article on unsaturated fats.

Fatty Acid Chain Length

Fatty acids differ by length as well — often categorized from short to long. The length plays a role in how the fat is digested and metabolized by the body.

Short-chain Fatty Acids (SCFAs)

These fatty acids consist of five or fewer carbons.  All dietary sources of SCFAs are saturated, none are unsaturated.

Acetate, propionate, and butyrate are the three most common forms of SCFAs. Butyrate is the most widely known and well-studied of the three, showing potential to improve gut health, prevent weight gain, and aid in weight loss.

Medium-chain Fatty Acids (MCFAs)

MCFAs are fatty acids that consist of 6 to 12 carbons. They are the primary component of the medium-chain triglycerides (MCTs) found in MCT oil and coconut oil. All dietary sources of MCFAs are saturated, none are unsaturated.

The MCFAs with 10 or fewer carbons enter the liver and are converted into ketones immediately after digestion, following a different digestive pathway than lauric acid (a 12-carbon MCFA) and long-chain fatty acids.

MCT oil supplements typically contain exclusively capric acid (C10) and caprylic acid (C8), while coconut oil is much more rich in lauric acid (C12). This fundamental variation changes how each MCFA source affects our health.

Coconut oil, for example, has been found to help optimize cholesterol levels, while MCT oil is praised for its ability to increase ketone levels more quickly and effectively.

If you’d like to learn more about the ketone-boosting benefits of MCFAs, check out our article on MCT oil.

For more information on coconut oil, click here.

Long-chain Fatty Acids (LCFAs)

LCFAs is the category for all of the fatty acids with 13 to 21 carbons, and there is a lot of them.

All polyunsaturated fats, monounsaturated fats, trans fats, and most of the saturated fats found in food are LCFAs.

In fact, most of the fats we consume, as well as the fatty acids found in cell membranes, are LCFAs. Examples of keto-friendly foods that contain these fatty acids include meat, poultry, fish, dairy, nuts, seeds, avocado, and olives.

What Types of Fat Should You Eat?

If the fat occurs naturally in food, has been minimally processed, and is keto-friendly, eat it. Put in another way, low-carb whole foods with monounsaturated, polyunsaturated, and/or saturated fatty acids in them should be your primary source of fat.

Despite the stigma surrounding saturated fat, studies have consistently failed to show a link between saturated fat and heart disease. According to recent research, saturated fats can actually be beneficial for health when consumed as a part of low-carb and ketogenic diets.

The same goes for monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats as well — if you get it from keto-friendly high-quality foods, it is likely going to be a good source of fat for you.

However, as soon as the fat-rich item is heavily processed — like with refined vegetable oils and food-like products — it is better to avoid it and opt for minimally-processed, unrefined fat sources instead.

To give you a better idea of good vs. bad fats to consume and cook with on a low-carb or keto diet, we put together lists for each category.

Good Fats List: Healthy Choices for Low Carb and Keto Diets

Below you will find healthy sources of each fat type. Keep in mind that no food contains 100% saturated, monounsaturated, or polyunsaturated fat.

A healthy source of saturated fat, for example, will also come with some monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats as well (except for MCT oil, which exclusively consists of medium-chain saturated fatty acids). If a listed item contains relatively high amounts of various types of fat, then you’ll find it under multiple lists.

When possible, opt for 100% grass-fed, pasture-raised beef, lamb, and dairy, as well as pasture-raised poultry, eggs, and pork. They will contain more health-promoting fats and beneficial nutrients than the conventional varieties of these foods.

Healthy Sources of Saturated Fat

Foods highest in saturated fat:

• Fatty cuts of beef and lamb
• Fatty cuts of pork
• Dark chicken meat and poultry skin
• Fatty cuts of duck
• High-fat dairy foods (cheese, heavy cream, and butter)
• Dark chocolate (with minimal sugar, a keto-friendly sugar alternative, or no sweeteners at all)
• Raw coconut butter (in moderation to limit net carb intake)
• Eggs

Fats/oils highest in saturated fat:

• MCT oil (for a ketone/energy boost)
• Coconut oil
• Cocoa butter
• Butter or ghee
• Palm oil or red palm oil (only purchase if sustainably produced in a way that doesn’t decimate the rainforest)
• Tallow
• Lard
• Duck fat
• Chicken fat

Healthy Sources of Monounsaturated Fat

Foods highest in monounsaturated fat:

• Macadamia nuts and homemade macadamia nut butter
• Olives
• Hazelnuts and sugar-free hazelnut butter
• Avocados
• Almonds and sugar-free almond butter
• Pecans and sugar-free pecan butter
• Peanuts and sugar-free peanut butter
• Duck legs
• Dark meat chicken
• Bacon
• Atlantic herring

Fats/oils highest in monounsaturated fats:

• High-oleic safflower/sunflower oil (best source of oleic acid)
• Extra virgin olive oil (best for high-heat cooking)
• Avocado oil (great for high-heat cooking)
• Macadamia nut oil
• Goose fat
• Duck fat
• Chicken fat
• Lard (great for high-heat cooking)

Healthy Sources of Polyunsaturated Fat

Best sources of DHA and EPA omega-3 fatty acids:

• Salmon
• Sardines
• Mackerel
• Rainbow Trout
• Sea Bass
• Algal oil (vegan-friendly option)

Best sources of alpha-linolenic acid (ALA) omega-3 fatty acid:

• Chia seeds
• Walnuts
• Flaxseeds
• Hemp seeds

Healthy sources of omega-6s*:

• Walnuts
• Sunflower seeds
• Pine nuts
• Bacon
• Peanuts
• Almonds
• Chicken thighs (with skin)
• Eggs
• Butter
• Hemp seeds

*Avoid vegetable and seed oils that are high in omega-6s (especially safflower oil, sunflower oil, soybean oil, cottonseed oil, and corn oil) – as well as processed foods that contain these oils.

Healthy Sources of CLA (Natural Trans Fats)

Foods highest in CLA:

• High-fat dairy products (e.g., butter, heavy cream, and cheese)
• Fatty cuts of beef
• Fatty cuts of lamb

Good Fats and Oils for Low Carb Cooking and Baking

When it comes to cooking and baking, we must be more cautious of the fats/oils we use. Some fatty acids are less stable and more prone oxidation than others. As the fatty acids in a fat/oil oxidize, they become toxic compounds that impair health after ingestion.

In general, fatty acids are more vulnerable to oxidation as their number of double bonds increase. The most unstable oils, for example, are ones high in polyunsaturated fats. For this reason, it is best to avoid using most vegetable and seed oils in cooking and baking.

In contrast, the most stable fats/oils — i.e., fats/oils that are good options for cooking — are high in saturated fats and/or monounsaturated fats and low polyunsaturated fats.

Although monounsaturated fats are less stable than saturated fats, studies show that high-MUFA oils, like avocado oil and extra virgin olive oils, are typically on par with coconut oil (which mostly consists of saturated fat). If the oil has naturally-occurring antioxidants — as is the case with extra virgin olive oil — this can help prevent the formation of toxic compounds as well.

After experimenting with many fats/oils, Martin Grootveld — a professor of bio-analytical chemistry and chemical pathology at De Montfort University, Leicester — found that the fatty acid composition of a cooking oil/fat should look something like this:

• Greater than 60% of saturated fats or monounsaturated fats
• More than 80% of the two combined
• Less than 20% of polyunsaturated fats

Below you’ll find a chart of common cooking fats/oils and how they rank.

Note: The following percentages represent an example of the typical distribution of fatty acids. The composition can vary a bit depending on the specific animal or plant that the fat/oil is derived from.

List of Healthy Fats and Oils for Cooking and Baking

Given the information from the previous section, here is what we found to be the healthiest cooking fats for keto:

• Extra virgin olive oil*
• Coconut oil*
• Avocado oil*
• Lard
• Tallow
• Butter or Ghee
• Goose fat
• Duck fat
• High-oleic sunflower or safflower oil*

*opt for cold-pressed, unrefined varieties of these oils.

Bad Fats to Avoid

We recommend avoiding all partially hydrogenated oils and refined plant-based oils, such as safflower, sunflower, canola, corn, and soybean oil. Additionally, it is best to stay away from mayonnaise, margarine, and spreads that contain these oils.

Unlike fats found naturally in foods, vegetable and seed oils are highly refined products that don’t provide any nutritional value. They also tend to be extremely high in omega-6 fatty acids, which most of us get more of than we need from whole food sources.

List of Unhealthy Fats and Oils to Avoid

The following fat sources are so high in omega-6s and/or artificial trans fat that they have no place in any diet:

• Margarine
• All partially hydrogenated oils
• Corn oil
• Soybean oi
• Safflower oil
• Sunflower oil
• Cottonseed oil
• Canola oil

Healthy Fat Principles: The Difference Between Good and Bad Fats

Inevitably, you’ll come across a fat or oil that isn’t mentioned throughout this article. In this case, it is crucial to understand the principles that set the good apart from the bad.

Here are the five key criteria that can help us decipher the healthier choice from the unhealthy option:

• Fatty acid composition. Foods, oils, and fats that are high in MUFAs are typically healthiest, followed by foods high in both MUFAs and saturated fatty acids. All omega-3 and omega-6 PUFAs should be consumed from minimally processed fish, meats, nuts, seeds, eggs, and cheese. Finally, all artificial trans fat should be avoided.
• Omega-6 to omega-3 ratio. On a low carb or keto diet, you’ll be getting plenty of omega-6s from fresh fish, eggs, meats, dairy, and whole plant foods, so it’s best to optimize for higher omega-3 foods. Consuming too many omega-6s and insufficient amounts of omega-3s can promote chronic inflammation and stimulate many of the mechanisms behind cancer, heart disease, obesity, and type 2 diabetes. Thus, it is best to cut out all high omega-6 oils and eat plenty of wild-caught fatty fish and pasture-raised eggs, meat, and dairy.
• Nutrient density optimization. The consumption of minimally processed foods has been emphasized throughout this article because they come with health-promoting nutrients along with their fats. Nutrient-dense whole foods should be the primary source of fat on any low-carb diet, and pure fats/oils should only be used to top off the fatty foods you are already consuming.
• Chemical stability when cooking. As mentioned earlier, saturated fats tend to be the most stable, and polyunsaturated fats are the most fragile. When cooking, it is best to use oils that are high in saturated and/or monounsaturated fats and very low in PUFAs.
• Individual response to specific fats. For a small subset of the population, increased saturated fat consumption can impair cholesterol levels. For these individuals, some of their saturated fat intake may need to be replaced by MUFAs and minimally processed PUFAs. If this small shift doesn’t help, it may be helpful to read through our article on keto and cholesterol.

Practical Takeaways: How Much of Each Fat Should You Eat for Optimal Health?

In general, your primary source of fat should come from minimally-processed foods. This will help you optimize your diet for other nutrients, such as fiber, vitamins, minerals, and other health-promoting components.

The pure fats/oils listed above should be used for cooking and increasing the fat content of your meal when needed but should not represent your primary source of calories.

There is no universally optimal intake level of polyunsaturated fat, monounsaturated fat, or saturated fat for keto dieters. The only fat that has any specific quantity attached to it is artificial trans fat – and that optimal intake level is zero grams.

When it comes to polyunsaturated fat intake, however, getting the right amount of omega-6s and omega-3s is crucial.

The World Health Organization recommends an omega-3 fatty acid intake of 0.5–2% of energy per day. The American Heart Association specifically recommends that we get at least two servings of omega-3-rich fish per week or 500 mg EPA + DHA per day.

Regarding omega-6 intake, a recent analysis conducted by the American Heart Association emphasizes the importance of consuming at least 5-10% of daily calories from omega-6 fatty acids.

That being said, more is not better when it comes to omega-3 and omega-6 consumption. Given the potential for oxidation and the lack of research supporting high levels of PUFA intake, it is likely best only to consume these fatty acids in quantities that meet your needs — not substantially more nor less.

In contrast to PUFAs, monounsaturated and saturated fats will represent the bulk of your calories on a low carb or keto diet. As long as you are eating the right amount to reach your goals and your overall health is improving, feel free consume as many of these fats from minimally processed foods as you’d like.

Putting It All Together — The Five Healthy Fat Tips for Keto Success

Altogether, we can distill the above recommendations into five healthy fat tips for optimal health:

• Get most of your fat from minimally processed high-fat foods. Only use pure fats/oils to supplement your meal rather than guzzling them down as your predominant fat source.
• Monounsaturated and saturated fats should represent the majority of your fat intake. To help you find out what your fat intake should be, try using our keto calculator.
• Meet your minimum intake requirements of omega-6 and omega-3s from whole foods. Consuming higher than sufficient amounts of either fatty acid type is not necessary for optimal health and may even be harmful.
• Avoid all partially hydrogenated oils and refined oils that are high in omega-6 fatty acids.
• Only cook with fats/oils that have more than 80% of monounsaturated + saturated fats and contain less than 20% of polyunsaturated fats. As an example, extra virgin olive oil, avocado oil, and coconut oil are two of the best options.

If you’d like to learn more about each type of fat and its benefits, check out these articles:

• Monounsaturated Fat
• Polyunsaturated Fat
• Unsaturated Fat
• Saturated Fat

As with everything you eat, make sure you’re mindful of how much fat, protein, and carbs you need to achieve the results you want.

The easiest way to stay on the right track is by using our keto meal planning app. It will provide you with an endless eating plan full of keto recipes personalized to your goals and preferences.

Sources

• Which oils are best to cook with? — BBC
• The Cell: A Molecular Approach. 2nd edition. — NCBI
• Chapter 4 – Oxidative Stability and Shelf Life of Vegetable Oils — ScienceDirect
• Evaluation of Chemical and Physical Changes in Different Commercial Oils during Heating — Acta Scientific Nutritional Health
• The Importance of Fats in a Ketogenic Diet — Ruled.me
• Types of Fat — Harvard
• The Ketogenic Diet and Cholesterol — Ruled.me
• Short term effects of dietary medium-chain fatty acids and n-3 long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids on the fat metabolism of healthy volunteers — NCBI

The post The Types of Fat: A Comprehensive Look at Good vs. Bad Fats appeared first on Ruled Me.

For example, specific types of saturated fats and different foods rich in these fats can vary in how they affect our health. These fats can also impact each of us differently depending on our genetic vulnerabilities.

For most people, however, this “bad” fat actually has a neutral or positive effect on health, particularly when consumed as a part of a carb restricted diet.

So, what does this mean for you and your low-carb diet? Let’s take a look at saturated fats from the following perspective to find out:

• What is saturated fat? The dietary definition
• The technical definition of saturated fat
• The three categories of saturated fatty acids
• Examples of saturated fats from each category
• Coconut oil — An example of how these fats affect our health
• Is saturated fat “bad”?
• Saturated fat benefits
• Healthy sources of saturated fat for low carb diets
• Healthy low-carb recipes that are high in saturated fat
• How much saturated fat should you eat for optimal health?
• Practical takeaways

What is Saturated Fat? The Dietary Definition

Saturated fat is a type of fat found in the highest quantities in meat, high-fat dairy products, and some tropical plants. In contrast, polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats, which are commonly known as the “healthy” fats, are typically the predominant fats found in nuts, seeds, olive oil, vegetable oils, and other plant foods/oil.

Additionally, fats that are mostly saturated (like butter, tallow, and coconut oil) tend to be solid at room temperature, while fats that are mostly unsaturated (like olive oil) are liquid at room temperature.

Popular examples of foods rich in saturated fats are fatty cuts of beef and lamb, butter, heavy cream, cheese, coconut oil, and dark chocolate. Many of these foods carry a stigma simply because they are the top sources of saturated fat in our diets.

Although the consensus around these fats seems to be shifting, many still believe that foods high in saturated fat are bad for our health. As you will learn throughout this article, this is an oversimplification of the science that fosters the growth of this “bad” fat myth.

The truth is that saturated fat-rich foods can enhance health when consumed as a part of a healthy diet, such as a well-formulated low-carb diet or keto diet.

Context is crucial with all natural fats we consume. Even fats that are commonly crowned as being “healthy” can be harmful.

To help us develop a better understanding of saturated fat, we must “trim the fat” from these stigmatized fatty acids.

What is Saturated Fat? The Technical Definition

Unearthing the reality of these fats requires us to start with an objective foundation. From a biochemical perspective, saturated fats get their name from the fact that their fatty acids consist of single-bonded carbon molecules that are entirely “saturated” with hydrogen atoms.

In contrast, all unsaturated fats have at least one double bond, making them “unsaturated” with hydrogen atoms. This means that monounsaturated fats and polyunsaturated fats both have at least one double bond.

The number of double bonds (or lack thereof) in the fatty acid significantly changes how the body processes it and what effect it has on health. The length of the fatty acid chain plays a crucial role as well.

Different saturated fatty acids are named and categorized based on the number of carbons molecules they have. Their length largely determines what impact they have throughout the body.

For example, capric acid (commonly found in coconut oil, palm oil, and breast milk) has 10 single-bonded carbon atoms, and palmitic acid (also found in coconut oil and palm oil) has 16 single-bonded carbon atoms.

They follow completely different digestive and metabolic pathways in the body, resulting in different effects on our health. Many of these effects are beneficial, while some can be negative.

Overall, the category of saturated fats, in itself, is filled with so much nuance that it is misleading to label all saturated fat as being “bad.”

To help us simplify some of these complexities, let’s take a look at the various ways that saturated fatty acids are found in our food.

The Three Categories of Saturated Fatty Acids

Before we breakdown the categories of these fats, it’s crucial that we clear up some semantics.

Both saturated and unsaturated fats typically exist in the form of triglycerides. A triglyceride is a molecule consisting of three fatty acids attached to a glycerol backbone.

As an example, medium chain triglyceride oil, commonly known as MCT oil, predominantly consists of triglycerides with three medium-chain saturated fatty acids.

In most cases, the terms “fatty acids” and  “fats” are used interchangeably because the fatty acids are responsible for the properties and health effects of the triglycerides we consume.

With this concept of mind, let’s add some more color to saturated fats. Here are the three categories of saturated fatty acids:

• Short chain fatty acids (SCFAs) — These saturated fatty acids only contain 2-5 carbon atoms. They are produced when the friendly gut bacteria ferment fiber in your colon and are the primary source of energy for the cells lining your colon. You can also get them in small quantities from butter in the form of a short-chain triglyceride known as butyrate.
• Medium chain fatty acids (MCFAs) — Typically known as medium-chain triglycerides (MCTs), MCFAs consist of 6-12 carbon atoms. They are relatively small compared to most of the fat we consume. This allows most of them to be digested directly to the liver, where they provide the molecules needed to increase ketone production.
• Long chain fatty acids (LCFAs) — Most of our fat intake comes from LCFAs, which have 13 or more carbons. All monounsaturated fats and polyunsaturated fats fall into this category as well, but we will focus on long-chain saturated fatty acids throughout this article.

Examples of Saturated Fats from Each Category

The most common saturated fats in the human diet are long-chain fatty acids, particularly myristic acid, stearic acid, and palmitic acid. Medium-chain and short-chain fatty acids typically represent a much smaller portion of our saturated fat intake. Let’s take a look at common examples of each one:

Long-chain Saturated Fatty Acid Examples

• Myristic acid — A saturated 14-carbon fatty acid occurring in most animal and vegetable fats, particularly butterfat and coconut, palm, and nutmeg oils.
• Stearic acid — The main dietary source of this 18-carbon fatty acid is animal fat. You can also find it in palm and coconut oil.
• Palmitic acid — This 16-carbon fatty acid makes up the majority of the total fat in meat and dairy products. It is also the most common saturated fatty acid found in the human body.

Medium-chain Fatty Acid Examples

• Lauric acid — This 12 carbon fatty acid makes up approximately 47% of palm kernel oil and 42% of coconut oil, while other foods only contain a trace of it. Lauric acid shares many properties with the long-chain saturated fatty acids (i.e., by raising HDL cholesterol and following similar digestive pathways), so they are occasionally considered as long-chain fats.
• Capric acid — Just ten carbon atoms long, this MCFA is small enough to skip normal fat digestion and go straight to the liver where it can be converted into ketones. It makes up 10% of MCTs in coconut oil.
• Caprylic acid — With two fewer carbons than capric acid, caprylic acid can be converted into ketones more quickly and efficiently. It makes up 12% of the MCTs found in coconut oil.

Short-chain Fatty Acid Examples

• Acetic acid — With just two carbons, this fatty acid is typically created as a by-product of fiber fermentation in the gut and incorporated into other fats and cholesterol.
• Propionic acid — A three-carbon fatty acid that is also the result of fiber fermentation in the gut, but it typically enters the liver to be converted into glucose.
• Butyric acid — This four-carbon fatty acid makes up a small percentage of the fatty acids in butter and other animal fats. It is also produced in the gut and confers various health benefits throughout the body.

Altogether, the long-chain saturated fatty acids represent the majority of the calories we get from saturated fat. In this category alone, there are fatty acids that have the potential to increase cholesterol levels, decrease cholesterol levels, or keep them the same.

This potential to raise cholesterol levels, specifically LDL cholesterol, is one of the main reasons why saturated fat is commonly known as “bad.” However, this leads to a needless phobia of fatty foods that can actually help optimize cholesterol.

To give you a better idea of what I mean, let’s take a look at coconut oil — one of the healthiest oils that also happens to be one of the richest in saturated fat.

Coconut Oil — A Mixture of Saturated Fats that Can Improve Health

Many health professionals gasp when they see a food item with as much saturated fat as coconut oil. Since some saturated fats have been found to raise LDL cholesterol (also known as “bad” cholesterol), they jump to the conclusion that coconut oil will do the same and increase the risk of heart disease. (As we will learn in the next section, this conclusion is based on faulty assumptions.)

By holding on to these short-sighted beliefs, we end up avoiding on some of the foods that may actually help prevent the very conditions we are told they will cause. The perfect example of this is coconut oil.

About 70% of coconut oil is composed of medium-chain triglycerides (MCTs), mostly lauric acid.

This fatty acid, in particular, has been found to reduce the total-to-HDL cholesterol ratio. These changes are associated with a reduced risk of heart disease.

In fact, lauric acid appears to have more beneficial effects on HDL cholesterol levels than any other saturated fatty acid.

Additionally, high-quality data indicates that the MCTs found in coconut oil may also:

• Increase resting energy expenditure compared to long-chain fatty acids.
• Reduce appetite in a way that leads to significant decreases in calorie consumption.
• Improve body composition when substituted for long-chain fats.

If you’d like to learn more about the research behind these findings, check out our article on coconut oil.

This isn’t the only example of a demonized food that benefits health. Other whole foods that are filled with saturated fat, such as fatty meats, cheese, and butter, can be a healthy part of our diets as well, especially when following a ketogenic diet or non-ketogenic low-carb diet.

In fact, you’ll find many of these foods on our list of top 10 foods for the ketogenic diet. Thus, a more accurate depiction of saturated fats is that they are only “bad” or “unhealthy” under specific contexts.

Is Saturated Fat “Bad”? The Truth Behind These Vilified Fats

Unlike artificial trans fat, which is a “bad” fat that is undeniably unhealthy, saturated fat is only guilty by a poorly-founded association (with heart disease). Back in the 20th century, when heart disease first became the number one cause of death in the US, researchers put together the limited data they had at the time into what is known as the diet-heart hypothesis.

This hypothesis stated that if saturated fat raises cholesterol and cholesterol causes heart disease, then this must mean that saturated fat causes heart disease.

Although this was solely based on observational data and animal studies, it was used as the basis for the “heart-healthy” low-fat diet that replaced saturated fat and trans fat with unsaturated vegetable oils.

The current data, however, contradicts the viability of these recommendations. For example, a 2016 analysis and re-evaluation of the hypothesis concluded that:

Available evidence from randomized controlled trials shows that replacement of saturated fat in the diet with linoleic acid [an omega-6 fatty acid] effectively lowers serum cholesterol but does not support the hypothesis that this translates to a lower risk of death from coronary heart disease or all causes.

Other meta-analyses of the current data have led to similar conclusions. This is likely because linoleic acid, as well as other polyunsaturated fats, are much more vulnerable to oxidation than saturated fats. When these fats oxidize, they form toxic compounds that can increase inflammation and contribute to atherosclerotic plaque buildup.

Some research even indicates that replacing saturated fat with vegetable oils that are high in omega-6s can increase small, dense LDL particle levels, which are regarded as the most harmful type of LDL. Long-chain saturated fatty acids, on the other hand, have been found to increase the size of LDL particles, making them less likely to contribute to heart disease.

Simply put, saturated fat isn’t objectively unhealthy. It was only thought to be “bad” because of the limited understanding we had of heart disease in the 20th century.

Now, we have overwhelming evidence pointing to the fact that reducing saturated fat intake has no effect on the risk of heart disease or death. Along with that, some data suggest that replacing saturated fat with refined carbs or processed oils can increase cardiovascular disease risk and mortality risk.

That being said, there are two instances when saturated fat can be “bad” or “unhealthy”:

• When a diet is high in both saturated fat and refined carbohydrate. This diet, which resembles the standard American diet, can cause chronic low-grade inflammation, promote insulin resistance, and increase atherogenic cholesterol levels. Altogether, this significantly increases the risk of obesity, type 2 diabetes, and cardiovascular disease. One of the most effective ways to reduce your risk of these conditions is by following a low-carb diet.
• When someone notices their cholesterol increase to unhealthy levels after they increase their saturated fat consumption. This will typically only happen if you have one or more genetic variants that make you vulnerable to having higher LDL. For a more comprehensive look at this topic, check out our article on keto and cholesterol.

The overwhelming theme for saturated fats (and all other natural fats) is that context is key. Genetic variants, food/fat quality, and carb consumption all play a role in how saturated fats affect our health.

For most people, saturated fat is safe and should not be avoided in favor of vegetable oils (as is typically recommended by low-fat proponents). In fact, each category of saturated fat has been found to be beneficial in several ways, particularly when refined carbs and other processed foods are replaced by the saturated-fat-rich foods that are commonly consumed on keto.

The (Rarely Recognized) Benefits of Saturated Fat

Despite the negative stigma surrounding them, saturated fatty acids are crucial for optimal health. All three types — long-chain, medium-chain, and short-chain saturated fatty acids — can provide us with significant benefits, ranging from improving heart health to helping us burn and lose fat.

Let’s take a closer look at some of the most noteworthy benefits of each category of saturated fats. Below, you’ll find a graphic summarizing the benefits of saturated fat. Keep scrolling to see the plain text information:

Benefits of Long-chain Saturated Fatty Acids

These fats represent the majority of the saturated fats most people consume in their diets. Although many of these long-chain fats have a bad reputation for increasing LDL cholesterol, they actually play a crucial role in improving overall health when consumed as a part of a healthy diet.

Here are some of the science-backed benefits of long-chain saturated fatty acids:

• Optimize cholesterol levels. For most people, saturated fats raise HDL (the “good”) cholesterol and change LDL from small, dense to Large LDL, which is mostly benign. The addition of saturated fat to the diet also has been found to reduce the levels of a substance called lipoprotein (a) that is highly correlated with heart disease risk. Altogether, these changes represent a beneficial change in cholesterol levels, favoring particles that are less likely to cause plaque buildup in our arterial walls.
• Provide stability to cell membranes. Saturated fats are less prone to oxidative damage than their unsaturated counterparts, which makes them a key component of cell membranes. Cell membranes that lack sufficient saturated fatty acids tend to be more “leaky’ and vulnerable to damage.
• Great for high-heat cooking. Fats that mostly consist of saturated fat, like coconut oil, are great for roasting, baking, sautéing, grilling, or frying. This is because they only have single-bonded carbons, which makes them more resistant to oxidation and damage caused by high-heat cooking. In contrast, oils high in polyunsaturated fats are highly susceptible to oxidation, turning what was potentially healthy fat into a toxic compound.

The Unique Benefits of Medium-chain Saturated Fatty Acids

Here is a brief summary of the benefits of medium-chain fatty acids, which are commonly consumed as medium chain triglycerides or MCTs:

• Reduce appetite. Studies show that supplementing with MCTs can decrease hunger levels and calorie consumption at subsequent meals. This can help curb cravings and make fat loss much easier.
• Help with keto-induction. MCTs are directly converted to ketones regardless of how keto-adapted you are. This can help first-time keto dieters enter ketosis much more quickly while reducing keto flu symptoms.
• Improve cholesterol levels. Clinical trials have discovered that MCTs can help lower LDL/HDL ratio, reduce total and HDL-cholesterol, increase HDL, and decrease LDL. Lauric acid seems to be the MCT responsible for many of these changes.
• Enhance exercise performance and endurance. The current data suggests that MCTs have the potential to objectively and subjectively improve performance.
• Increase ketone and energy levels. MCTs (except for most of the lauric acid we consume) go straight to the liver and stimulate ketogenesis. As a result, our ketone levels increase, and our cells start burning ketones, which is a much more efficient fuel source.
• Improve brain health and cognitive function. Studies have shown that MCTs can help boost cognitive function in individuals with mild to moderate cognitive impairment. People who have other neurological conditions, including Parkinson’s disease, epilepsy, gliomas, and autism, may benefit from MCTs as well.
• May help with blood sugar regulation. Several studies have found that MCTs can help improve insulin sensitivity (which is an essential component of diabetes prevention and treatment) in both diabetic patients and non-diabetic subjects.
• Aid the immune system. MCTs have been found to act as a natural antiviral and antibiotic, helping the body defend against several different infections.

Overall, MCTs provide a wide range of benefits, and MCT oil is a great supplement to add to any health improvement arsenal. For more information on MCTs and their benefits, check out our comprehensive guide to MCT oil.

The Unique Benefits of Short-chain Fatty Acids

Don’t forget about the little guys. Short chain saturated fats play a role in optimizing our health as well.

• Reduce cholesterol levels. Acetic acid, propionic acid, and butyric acid have all been found to decrease cholesterol levels via different mechanisms. More research is needed to determine the significance of these effects.
• Stimulate mechanisms that protect against weight gain. Short chain fatty acids have been found to activate multiple pathways that reduce fat storage and increase fat burning. However, clinical trials are needed to assess the potential effects of SCFAs on body fat levels.
• Improve blood sugar regulation. Some evidence suggests that butyrate can have positive effects in both animals and humans with type 2 diabetes. The proposed mechanisms are similar to those that can help protect against weight gain.
• Protect against several digestive conditions and colon cancer. Short-chain fatty acids have been shown to protect against colon cancer in animal and lab studies. However, clinical trials are needed. Butyric acid, in particular, may reduce diarrhea, help treat inflammatory bowel diseases, and reduce the severity of irritable syndrome as well.

Healthy Sources of Saturated Fat

As we did with the benefits of saturated fats, we will take a look at the healthiest sources of each type based on chain length as well.

Long-Chain Saturated Fatty Acid Sources

Long-chain saturated fatty acids are usually our primary source of saturated fat. They are found in highest quantities in animal fats and tropical oils.

For optimal health, the majority of these fats should come from fresh fatty meats and high-fat dairy rather than pure animal or dairy fat.

Here are some examples of keto-friendly long-chain saturated fat food sources:

• Fatty cuts of beef and lamb
• Fatty cuts of pork
• Dark chicken meat and poultry skin
• Fatty cuts of duck
• High-fat dairy foods (cheese, heavy cream, and butter)
• Dark chocolate (with minimal sugar, a keto-friendly sugar alternative, or no sweeteners at all)
• Raw coconut butter (in moderation to limit net carb intake)
• Eggs

When possible, opt for 100% grass-fed, pasture-raised beef, lamb, and dairy, as well as pasture-raised poultry, eggs, and pork. They will contain more health-promoting fats and beneficial nutrients than the conventional varieties of these foods.

By consuming most of your saturated fats from these foods, you will not only experience some of the benefits of saturated fats, but you will provide your body with essential amino acids, minerals, vitamins, and other health-promoting compounds as well.

The pure fat derived from these foods can also be used to add some extra flavor and fat to your diet.  This includes:

• Coconut oil
• Cocoa butter
• Butter or ghee
• Palm oil or red palm oil (only purchase if sustainably-sourced in a way that doesn’t decimate the rainforest)
• Tallow
• Lard
• Duck fat
• Chicken fat

The fats higher in saturated fat and lower in polyunsaturated fat tend to be most stable at higher temperatures. Coconut oil, for example, is highest in saturated fat and lowest in polyunsaturated fat on this list, which makes it one of the most stable cooking fats/oils.

Best Sources of Medium-chain Fatty Acids (MCFAs)

Coconut oil also is the best source of MCTs, namely lauric acid. As we learned earlier, lauric acid is the fat in coconuts that helps raise HDL cholesterol levels.

However, lauric acid will not provide you with most of the other benefits associated with the smaller MCFAs, capric and caprylic acid. Unfortunately, natural sources of MCFAs, such as coconut oil, cheese, and butter, only contain small amounts of capric and caprylic acid.

Thus, the best source of these MCFAs is MCT oil or MCT oil powder with ~100% caprylic acid (C8) and capric acid (C10).

Keep in mind, however, MCT supplements are highly-concentrated and can cause digestive issues when consumed in large doses too quickly. For proper dosing suggestions and more info on MCT oil and MCT powder, please read through our MCT oil article.

Best Sources of Short-chain Fatty Acids (SCFAs)

The healthiest source of butyrate is in your gut. More specifically, the by-products of fiber fermentation in the colon is how we get our short-chain fatty acids in a way that promotes gut health and overall health.

This is part of the reason why it is crucial to eat low-carb vegetables on your keto diet. Not only are these vegetables packed with nutrients, but they feed your gut with the fiber it needs to produce SCFAs.

You can also find the most well-studied SCFA, butyric acid, in high-fat dairy products. The best dietary source is 100% grass-fed butter and ghee, but only a small percent of their fats are made up of this SCFA.

There are a few short-chain triglyceride (SCT) supplements on the market as well, but the research on them is sparse and inconclusive.

Altogether, the healthiest source of SCFAs would be from 100% grass-fed butter (or ghee) melted on top of your favorite low-carb vegetable dish or a slice of keto bread.

Healthy Recipes High in Saturated Fat

The following keto friendly recipes feature many of the healthy saturated fat sources mentioned above.

Low Carb Breakfast Recipes High in Saturated Fat:

• Ketoproof Coffee or Green Tea (use MCT oil instead of coconut oil for more MCTs)
• Blueberry Banana Bread Smoothie
• Vegetarian Three Cheese Quiche Stuffed Peppers
• Keto Sausage Breakfast Casserole

Low Carb Lunch Recipes High in Saturated Fat:

• Buffalo Chicken Crust Pizza
• Vegetarian Red Coconut Curry
• Fat Boost Smoothie with Coconut Chantilly Cream
• Beef Salpicao

Low Carb Snack Recipes High in Saturated Fat:

• Keto Tropical Smoothie
• Bacon & Cheese Cauliflower Muffins
• Coconut Cream Yogurt
• Personal Pan Pizza Dip

Low Carb Dinner Recipes High in Saturated Fat:

• Keto Gyros
• Skillet Browned Chicken with Creamy Greens
• Bacon Cheeseburger Casserole
• Keto Broccoli and Cheese Soup

Low Carb Sides that are High in Saturated Fat:

• Creamy Keto “Potato” Salad
• Warm Asian Broccoli Salad
• Creamed Kale
• Twice Baked Potato Style Zucchini

Low Carb Dessert Recipes High in Saturated Fat:

• Keto Chocolate Silk Pie
• Coconut Raspberry Slice
• Chocolate Chunk Avocado Ice Cream
• Keto Grasshopper Cheesecake Bites

How Much Saturated Fat Should You Eat for Optimal Health?

The general guidance is to limit saturated fat consumption, but as we learned throughout this article, this is not necessary for most people. This is particularly true when we follow a low-carb diet.

While on a high-fat, low-carb diet, saturated and monounsaturated fat should represent the bulk of calories you consume. For optimal health, most of these fats should come from whole, minimally-processed foods like fatty meats, high-fat cheese, keto-friendly dark chocolate, avocados, eggs, and high-MUFA nuts.

Pure animal fats, coconut oil, and MCT oil should be used in moderation along with extra virgin olive oil, avocado oil, and other high-MUFA oils to help meet your fat needs. Any oils that are high in polyunsaturated fats — such as safflower oil, sunflower oil, soybean oil, cottonseed oil, and corn oil — are best avoided.

When making any significant dietary change, make sure you are monitoring your health. Although most people experience incredible health improvements while following a low-carb diet, a small subset of the population with specific genetic variants may not respond well to higher saturated fat intakes. These individuals may benefit from the recommendations outlined in the “What if Keto is Making Your Cholesterol Levels Worse?” section of our Ketogenic Diet and Cholesterol article.

Putting It All Together — The Not-So-Bitter Truth About Saturated Fats

Saturated fats are often branded as “bad” fats because of their potential to raise cholesterol and increase heart disease risk. However, recent high-quality data from several studies have found no link between saturated fat and heart disease — and many saturated fatty acids have even been shown to improve cholesterol levels.

The truth is that context is crucial when it comes to fat consumption. The combination of saturated fat and refined carbs, for example, can set us up for heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and obesity, while replacing carb consumption with fat-rich foods can help prevent and reduce the severity of these conditions.

This explains why keto diets have been found to optimize blood lipid levels rather than make them worse (as many researchers would have thought).

Many of the saturated fatty acids have been found to have unique benefits as well — from LCFAs that help increase HDL to MCFAs that boost ketone levels and reduce appetite to SCFAs that improve gut health and decrease cholesterol levels. It is misleading to treat these fats as being universally “bad” and “unhealthy.”

To maximize the benefits you get from saturated fats, make sure to include fresh pasture-raised meat and poultry, high-fat dairy, pasture-raised eggs, low-carb vegetables, keto-friendly dark chocolate, and high-quality MCT oil in your low-carb diet.

If you need help adding some of these foods to your diet, try incorporating the following recipes into your weekly meal plan:

For breakfast:

• Ketoproof Coffee or Green Tea (use MCT oil instead of coconut oil for more MCTs)
• Blueberry Banana Bread Smoothie
• Vegetarian Three Cheese Quiche Stuffed Peppers
• Keto Sausage Breakfast Casserole

For lunch:

• Buffalo Chicken Crust Pizza
• Vegetarian Red Coconut Curry
• Fat Boost Smoothie with Coconut Chantilly Cream
• Beef Salpicao

For a snack:

• Keto Tropical Smoothie
• Bacon & Cheese Cauliflower Muffins
• Coconut Cream Yogurt
• Personal Pan Pizza Dip

For dinner:

• Keto Gyros
• Skillet Browned Chicken with Creamy Greens
• Bacon Cheeseburger Casserole
• Keto Broccoli and Cheese Soup

As a side:

• Creamy Keto “Potato” Salad
• Warm Asian Broccoli Salad
• Creamed Kale
• Twice Baked Potato Style Zucchini

For dessert:

• Keto Chocolate Silk Pie
• Coconut Raspberry Slice
• Chocolate Chunk Avocado Ice Cream
• Keto Grasshopper Cheesecake Bites

If you’d like to learn more about the other types of fats, check out our in-depth article on unsaturated fat.

For more practical information on how to lose weight, improve health and achieve amazing results with a low-carb diet, check out our beginner’s guide to keto.

Sources

• Facts about saturated fats — Medline Plus
• Palmitic Acid: Physiological Role, Metabolism and Nutritional Implications — NCBI
• The Importance of Fats in a Ketogenic Diet — Ruled.me
• Is Coconut Oil Actually Good for You? — Ruled.me
• Association of Dietary, Circulating, and Supplement Fatty Acids With Coronary Risk: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis — Annals of Internal Medicine
• Reduced or modified dietary fat for preventing cardiovascular disease — Cochrane Library
• Saturated Fat: Good or Bad? — Healthline
• How Short-Chain Fatty Acids Affect Health and Weight — Healthline
• Fatty Acids and Triacylglycerols — University of Washington
• Gut-derived short-chain fatty acids are vividly assimilated into host carbohydrates and lipids. — NCBI
• Butyric Acid — PubChem
• Dietary saturated and trans fatty acids and lipoprotein metabolism. — NCBI
• Comparison of the effects of diets enriched in lauric, palmitic, or oleic acids on serum lipids and lipoproteins in healthy women and men. — NCBI
• Effects of dietary fatty acids and carbohydrates on the ratio of serum total to HDL cholesterol and on serum lipids and apolipoproteins: a meta-analysis of 60 controlled trials. — NCBI
• Cardiovascular disease risk of dietary stearic acid compared with trans, other saturated, and unsaturated fatty acids: a systematic review. — NCBI
• Re-evaluation of the traditional diet-heart hypothesis: analysis of recovered data from Minnesota Coronary Experiment (1968-73) — BMJ
• Effects of dietary fats on blood lipids: a review of direct comparison trials — BMJ
• Dietary fat and cardiometabolic health: evidence, controversies, and consensus for guidance — BMJ
• The role of short-chain fatty acids in the interplay between diet, gut microbiota, and host energy metabolism — NCBI
• Role of membranes in disease. — NCBI
• A palm oil-enriched diet lowers serum lipoprotein(a) in normocholesterolemic volunteers — Atherosclerosis
• Lipoprotein(a): Biology and Clinical Importance — NCBI
• MCT Oil: The Benefits, Risks, and How to Use — Ruled.me
• Evaluation of Chemical and Physical Changes in Different Commercial Oils during Heating — Acta Scientific Nutritional Health

The post What is Saturated Fat? The Truth about These “Bad” Fats appeared first on Ruled Me.

In fact, unsaturated fatty acids represent each end of the health spectrum, from completely toxic trans fats to polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats that help support optimal health and longevity.

To better understand this complicated category of fats, let’s take a look at unsaturated fatty acids from the following perspectives:

• What is unsaturated fat? The dietary definition
• What is unsaturated fat? From a biochemical perspective
• Unsaturated fatty acid examples
• Saturated vs. unsaturated fat: what is the difference?
• Health benefits of unsaturated fatty acids
• Unsaturated fat food list
• Healthy unsaturated fat recipes
• How much unsaturated fat should we eat?
• The potential harms of unsaturated fatty acids
• Practical takeaways

What is Unsaturated Fat? The Dietary Definition

Vegetables, legumes, nuts, seeds, and the oils derived from these foods mostly consist of unsaturated fats. In general, if a cooking oil is liquid at room temperature, the majority of its fat content will be unsaturated.

In contrast, animal fats and coconut oil tend to be solid at room temperature because they are mostly made up of saturated fats.

This simple difference in physical properties also reflects the varying impacts each type of fat can have on our health. Unsaturated fats are typically regarded as healthy fats because they improve various biomarkers of health more effectively than saturated fat, which tends to improve certain biomarkers (e.g., by raising HDL cholesterol levels) and may worsen others (e.g., by increasing LDL cholesterol levels).

Most unsaturated fats follow this general pattern. Once they are processed into trans unsaturated fats, however, we end up with a completely different story.

Artificial trans fats, for example, are processed in such a way that it makes polyunsaturated fats solid at room temperature and lengthens their shelf life.

This rapid shift in physical properties is indicative of how it changes the health effect of the fat –  completely transforming what was once a healthy fat into a type of trans-unsaturated fat that rapidly deteriorates our cardiovascular health.

To develop a better understanding of why unsaturated fats are like this, we must take a look at them through a microscope.

What is Unsaturated Fat? From a Biochemical Perspective 

The technical definition of unsaturated fat is a fatty acid in which there is at least one double bond in the carbon chain. However, since most of the fat we consume consists of long-chain fats with 14 or more carbons, this simple classification leaves a lot to the imagination.

Take a look these unsaturated fatty acids for example:

Each one is an essential fatty acid that we must get from our diets for optimal health. An extra double bond here, a modified double bond location there, and we are left with two entirely different fatty acids that are used by our bodies in entirely different ways.

This example helps us highlight the potential for endless iterations of unsaturated fatty acids. This is why it is helpful to break them down into two categories:

• Monounsaturated fats (MUFAs)
• Polyunsaturated fats (PUFAs)

A fatty acid is monounsaturated if it contains one double bond, and polyunsaturated if it contains more than one double bond.

This simple difference in chemical structure leads to a significant change in how our body metabolizes it and how it affects our health.

Another variation worth noting is the double bond type. PUFAs and MUFAs contain exclusively cis-double bonds. The “cis” tells us that the hydrogen atoms that are attached to the double-bonded carbon atoms are found on the same side of the fatty acid chain.

After these cis-unsaturated fatty acids are processed – artificially via partial hydrogenation or naturally in a ruminant’s stomach – they can become trans-unsaturated fatty acids (commonly known as trans fats). The “trans” indicates that the hydrogen atoms attached to the double-bonded carbon are now on the opposite side of the fatty acid chain.

Natural and artificial processing lead to distinct differences in how many cis-bonds they change. This translates to contrasting health effects between natural trans fats and artificial trans fats as well.

Long story short, unsaturated fat is a fatty acid with at least one carbon-carbon double bond in its carbon chain. The number, location, and type of these double bonds all vary in specific ways that are encapsulated in the four main types of unsaturated fatty acids:

• Monounsaturated fats – a fatty acid that contains only one carbon-carbon double bond
• Polyunsaturated fats – a fatty acid that includes more than one carbon-carbon double bond
• Natural trans-unsaturated fats – a fatty acid with at least one trans-double bond and one cis-double bond that is formed naturally in a ruminant’s stomach.
• Artificial trans-unsaturated fats – a fatty acid with no cis-double bonds and at least one trans-double bond that is formed artificially through a process called hydrogenation.

Let’s take a look at some examples of each unsaturated fat to add some color to these fundamental concepts.

Unsaturated Fatty Acid Types with Examples

The four types of unsaturated fat contain a plethora of different fatty acids that vary in length, double bond location, double bond amount, and/or double bond types. Below you’ll find examples of each type of unsaturated fat and common foods they are found in.

Monounsaturated Fat Examples

The most common monounsaturated fat you’ll consume is oleic acid. In fact, it is the most widely distributed and abundant fatty acid in nature.

Olive oil, macadamia nuts, and avocado are the best sources of this monounsaturated fatty acid, which is responsible for many of the health benefits these foods can provide us.

Polyunsaturated Fat Examples

Polyunsaturated fats are consumed as either omega-6 or omega-3 fatty acids, which differ in where their first double bond is found from the end of the carbon chain (i.e., from the methyl group).

Linoleic acid (an omega-6 fatty acid) and α-linolenic acid (an omega-3 fatty acid) are two commonly consumed PUFAs. They are also known as essential fatty acids because we cannot synthesize them.

You will find polyunsaturated fats in all plant and animal foods. Linoleic acid is found in higher quantities in nuts, seeds, and vegetable oils, while the best sources of α-linolenic acid are flaxseeds, chia seeds, walnuts, and hemp seeds.

Natural Trans-unsaturated Fat Examples

Natural trans fats are also known as conjugated linoleic acids (CLA). CLA represents a group of trans fats that are naturally formed during the process of linoleic acid digestion in ruminants.

As you can see, these fats have both trans and cis double bonds in their carbon chains. This is why we refer to these fatty acids as being “conjugated.”

These trans fats typically make up 2-5% of the fat in dairy products and 3-9% of the fat in beef and lamb. One of the most common types of CLA found in these foods is known as rumenic acid (the c9, t11 CLA pictured above).

Research indicates that CLA may have some benefits. The same cannot be said for artificially-produced trans fats.

Artificial Trans-unsaturated Fat Examples

Although natural and artificial trans fats both fall under the same “trans fat” category, they have different chemical structures and vastly different effects on our health.

Artificial trans fats are developed via a process called hydrogenation. This leads to the creation of non-conjugated trans-linoleic acid (i.e., it no longer has a cis-double bond).

Here’s an example of what happens when we partially hydrogenate vegetable oils:

What was previously an essential omega-6 fatty acid with multiple cis-double bonds (i.e., linoleic acid) will lose its cis-double bonds and gain a trans-double bond. In other words, the artificial process of hydrogenation transforms what was once a healthy fat into a toxic version of trans fat.

You’ll find these harmful fats in margarine and any product that contains a partially hydrogenated oil (even if the label says it has 0 grams of trans fat).

Saturated vs. Unsaturated Fat: What is the Difference?

Although unsaturated fatty acids make up a large portion of the fat in our diets, we cannot forget about saturated fat. Knowing the difference between the two is crucial to our understanding of healthy fat intake.

Deciphering between saturated fat and unsaturated fat is relatively simple. Unsaturated fats have at least one carbon-carbon double bond while saturated fats have only carbon-carbon single bonds.

Put in another way, saturated fats are “saturated” with hydrogen atoms, while unsaturated fats do not have the maximum amount of hydrogen atoms a fatty acid can have, making them “unsaturated.”

Another way of remembering the difference is that saturated fats are “saturated” in single carbon-to-carbon bonds. Unsaturated fats, on the other hand, have at least one carbon-carbon double bond.

Both types of fats are found throughout the plant and animal kingdom. Plant oils, however, tend to contain mostly unsaturated fats while animal fats usually consist of a higher quantity of saturated fatty acids.

Butter, lard, and tallow, for example, are mostly made of saturated fatty acids. In contrast, common plant oils like olive oil, canola oil, and avocado oil are predominantly unsaturated.

This difference in fatty acid content is the main reason why animal fats are solid at room temperature and why most plant-based oils are liquid at room temperature. These variations also play a significant part in how these foods affect our health.

The deciphering factor responsible for many of these differences is whether or not the fatty acid is saturated or unsaturated.

Monounsaturated fats and polyunsaturated fat, for example, are widely accepted as being healthy fats because the data consistently shows they can significantly improve several important health biomarkers when consumed in place of calories from saturated fat and artificial trans fat in the diet. Let’s take a closer look at some of these findings in the next section.

Health Benefits of Unsaturated Fatty Acids

In general, most of the research on unsaturated fats explores the effects of polyunsaturated fats and monounsaturated fats on several common heart disease risk factors. This is especially important because cardiovascular disease is the number one cause of death worldwide, and it is possible to prevent many of these deaths with dietary intervention.

The current research literature overwhelmingly suggests that consuming polyunsaturated fats and monounsaturated fats instead of trans fats and saturated fats will lower the risk of cardiovascular disease and stroke.

A meta-analysis of 60 trials also indicates that these fats serve as a healthy replacement for some carb intake as well. More specifically, they found that when polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats were eaten in place of carbohydrates, these healthy fats decreased levels of potentially harmful LDL and increased protective HDL levels.

More recently, the Optimal Macronutrient Intake Trial for Heart Health (OmniHeart) showed that replacing a carbohydrate-rich diet with one high in unsaturated fat (predominantly monounsaturated fats) lowers blood pressure, improves lipid levels, and reduces cardiovascular risk.

In short, replacing some of our carb, artificial trans fat, and/or saturated fat intake with polyunsaturated fats and monounsaturated fats can help promote heart health and reduce the risk of heart disease. This is the primary reason why these fats are typically called “healthy fats” or “good fats.”

However, this isn’t all these fatty acids have to offer. They have many unique benefits as well.

The Unique Benefits of Polyunsaturated Fats

Let’s take a quick look at some of the noteworthy benefits specifically associated with omega-3s and/or omega 6s (the two types of PUFAs):

• Omega-3s may improve overall brain health. Some studies indicate that specific populations can use DHA+EPA (two long-chain omega 3s) to enhance cognitive function.
• Omega-3s can help treat rheumatoid arthritis. EPA + DHA can reduce inflammation, which has been found to be helpful for some patients suffering from rheumatoid arthritis.
• Omega-3s and omega-6s ensure optimal infant development. Sufficient consumption of DHA + EPA and omega-6s during pregnancy can improve infant development and reduce the likelihood of adverse developmental outcomes.
• Omega-6 and omega-3s can help improve immune system function. The two types of PUFAs help regulate inflammation, allowing us to respond to potential threats and tissue damage appropriately. Consuming an adequate amount of omega-3s and omega-6s will help ensure that our immune system isn’t hyperactive or underactive.
• Polyunsaturated fats reduce type 2 diabetes risk and improve blood sugar regulation. A recent meta-analysis of randomized controlled feeding trials found that, In comparison to carbohydrates, saturated fats, and monounsaturated fats, PUFAs exert the most consistent favorable effects on metrics associated with improved blood sugar levels, insulin resistance, and insulin secretion capacity.
• Omega-3s may have anti-cancer effects. Some research indicates that omega-3s modulate gene expression in a way that can impair the proliferation of certain cancers.

For an in-depth breakdown of the research behind these findings, check out our article on polyunsaturated fatty acids and their benefits.

The Unique Benefits of Monounsaturated Fats

Let’s take a quick look at some of the unique benefits specifically associated with MUFAs:

• Increased weight loss. Some evidence suggests that monounsaturated fats can promote more fat burning and yield more weight loss when compared to the consumption of saturated fat.
• May reduce the risk of several cancers. MUFA consumption is associated with a reduced risk of colon, breast, and prostate cancers. However, more research is needed to confirm these correlations and investigate potential mechanisms.
• Reduced inflammation. When compared to other diets, including high-saturated-fat diets and Western diets, high-MUFA diets have been found to reduce inflammation. One study, for example, found that high-MUFA diets decreased inflammation in patients with metabolic syndrome when compared to those following high-saturated-fat diets.
• Increased longevity. One large observational study discovered that replacing 5% of energy from saturated fats with the equivalent amount of energy from MUFAs was associated with an estimated 13% reduction in total mortality.

For an in-depth breakdown of the research behind these findings, check out our article on monounsaturated fatty acids and their benefits.

The Potential Benefits of Natural Trans Fats (CLA)

The effects of conjugated linoleic acids (CLA) are rarely a part of the unsaturated fatty acid conversation, but there are two potential benefits worth noting:

• Increased fat loss. A meta-analysis of CLA studies found that a 2 g/d dose produces modest body fat loss. When compared with placebo, this translated to roughly 0.2 lbs of fat loss per week.
• May reduce the risk of several diseases. Observational studies indicate that individuals who have more CLA in their fat may have a lower risk of type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and certain types of cancer.

As a whole, however, the research on CLA is convoluted and inconclusive. Each type of CLA seems to have varying effects on health as do different mixtures of CLAs.

High dose supplementation with CLA also seems to cause more harm than good, so it is best to consume CLA from the natural sources you’ll find in the following section.

Unsaturated Fat Food List

We have plenty of options to increase our consumption of healthy unsaturated fats. Nuts, seeds, meat, fish, refined food products, and processed oils all can be used to get more MUFAs, PUFAs, and CLA, but not all of them will promote health and vitality.

The research suggests that the healthiest sources of these fats are minimally-processed whole foods and stable cooking fats/oils. Many of these options are also keto-friendly, which makes them excellent replacements for higher carb foods as well.

Here is a graphical list of some healthy low-carb foods that are high in unsaturated fats. To see a more detailed, broken down section feel free to scroll below the graphic:

Foods high in unsaturated fats:

• Avocados. Chock-full of monounsaturated fats, fiber, and micronutrients, avocados can be a versatile staple of any healthy diet.
• Nuts, seeds, and peanuts. These fatty morsels are mostly made up of unsaturated fatty acids. Some serve a great source of monounsaturated fat, while others are known for their high PUFA content. We will take a closer look at the specifics in the next two subsections.
• Olives. These small fruits derive more of their calories from fat than any other commonly consumed fruit. They also are filled with the health-promoting MUFA oleic acid.
• Fatty fish. It crucial to meet our omega-3 PUFA needs for optimal health, and eating fatty fish is the most efficient way to do so. Salmon, mackerel, and sardines are some examples of fatty fish that are both high in DHA+EPA and safe to consume on a weekly basis.
• Duck, chicken, pork, and goose fat. Animal fats contain mostly monounsaturated fats and saturated fats with some polyunsaturated fatty acids mixed in. Duck, chicken, pork, and goose fats all contain more monounsaturated fat than any other type of fat, making them a great source of healthy unsaturated fats.
• Beef, lamb, and dairy products. These foods represent widely-available natural sources of CLA (natural trans fats) in our diet. However, they are relatively low in other unsaturated fats. Opt for pastured-raised, grass-fed products for the most CLA-rich and the healthiest meat and dairy.

Keep in mind, however, that all plants and animals contain varying amounts of polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats. The above list represents those that are particularly high in one, the other, or both.

You can also benefit from these fats when adding certain fats/oils to your diet. Here is a list of some unsaturated fat-rich oils/fats with their recommended use for optimal health:

• Olive oil. Olive oil is packed with MUFAs and polyphenols that have been proven to improve health. According to recent research, extra virgin olive oil is best for high-heat cooking.
• Avocado oil. An excellent source of monounsaturated fats that is relatively stable at medium-high heat.
• High oleic sunflower/safflower oil. Both are made from seeds that are naturally selected for high-MUFA content. These oils are also the best dietary source of oleic acid and are likely to be as stable as avocado oil.
• Macadamia nut oil. Another great source of monounsaturated fat. Best if used to add some extra flavor and fat on top of meals, but not as cooking oil.
• Other vegetable, nut, and seed oils. Most of the oils derived from vegetables, nuts, and seeds are high in polyunsaturated fats. These fats oxidize easily during processing, cooking, baking, and frying, so it is best to use these sparingly. Some popular examples of these oils are canola oil, peanut oil, soybean oil, and vegetable oil.
• Duck, chicken, pork, and goose fat. Since these fats are higher in saturated fat, they tend to be more stable when exposed to heat. They can also be used to add a uniquely satisfying flavor to your favorite dishes.

For those of you looking to add more of a particular unsaturated fat to your diet, take a look at the lists below.

Monounsaturated Fat Foods, Fats, and Oils

The healthiest low-carb and keto-friendly foods with the highest percentage of MUFAs are as follows (with more than 50% of their fat coming from MUFAs):

• Macadamia nuts and homemade macadamia nut butter
• Olives
• Hazelnuts and sugar-free hazelnut butter
• Avocados
• Almonds and sugar-free almond butter
• Pecans and sugar-free pecan butter
• Peanuts and sugar-free peanut butter

Some examples of zero-carb fats/oils rich in monounsaturated fats (with >50% of fat coming from MUFAs) are:

• High-oleic safflower and sunflower oils (best source of oleic acid)
• Extra virgin olive oil (best for high-heat cooking)
• Avocado oil
• Macadamia nut oil
• Goose fat

Here are some examples of animal fats that are highest in these fats (~40-50% of fat coming from MUFAs):

• Goose fat
• Herring
• Duck fat
• Chicken fat
• Lard and other high-fat pork products like bacon

Polyunsaturated Fat Foods and Oils

To ensure optimal PUFA intake, it is best to consume a sufficient amount of omega-3s and omega-6s. This is why our polyunsaturated food list consists of two subcategories.

Best Sources of Omega-3 PUFAs

Arguably the healthiest way to meet your omega-3 needs is by consuming low-mercury fatty fish.

Here is a list of keto-friendly foods that contain the most DHA and EPA:

• Salmon
• Sardines
• Mackerel
• Rainbow Trout
• Sea Bass

And a list of the best sources of Alpha-linolenic acid (ALA):

• Chia seeds
• Walnuts
• Flaxseeds

However, make sure you are not relying on ALA intake from plants to meet your EPA and DHA needs. Most of the benefits of omega-3s come from consuming EPA and DHA directly.

Best Sources of Omega-6 PUFAs

Here is a list of some keto-friendly foods with high omega-6 content:

• Walnuts
• Sunflower seeds
• Pine nuts
• Mayonnaise (with soybean oil)
• Bacon
• Peanuts
• Almonds
• Chicken thighs (with skin)
• Eggs
• Butter

Natural Trans-fat Foods: Sources of CLA

CLAs are not ubiquitous in nature like MUFAs and PUFAs. Since they rely on the fermentation of certain fatty acids in ruminant stomachs, we must look for specific animal products to get some CLA.

Here’s a list of the most widely available CLA sources:

• High-fat dairy products (e.g., butter, heavy cream, and cheese)
• Fatty cuts of beef
• Fatty cuts of lamb

Pasture-raised, grass-fed animals tend to have more CLA in their dairy products and meat. Animals raised in this way are also healthier for us and the environment, so we recommend opting for pastured-raised, grass-fed beef, lamb, and dairy instead of buying the conventionally-raised, grain-fed varieties.

Healthy Unsaturated Fat Recipes

Each one of these recipes is keto-friendly and rich in both PUFAs and MUFAs. If you need help with increasing your intake of certain types, use the food list from above to guide your recipe choices. Feel free to check out our in-depth articles on polyunsaturated fats and monounsaturated fats for more specific recipes a well.

Low Carb Breakfast Recipes High in Unsaturated Fat:

• Keto Zucchini Bread with Walnuts
• Bacon Avocado Muffins
• Salmon Benny Breakfast Bombs
• Maple Pecan Fat Bomb Bars

Low Carb Lunch Recipes High in Unsaturated Fat:

• Bacon and Roasted Garlic Guacamole (with pork rinds)
• Five Minute Marinated Feta & Sun-dried Tomato Salad
• Sesame Salmon Salad
• Salmon Lettuce Cups with Lemony Basil Spread

Low Carb Snack Recipes High in Unsaturated Fat:

• Homemade Macadamia Nut Butter
• Pecan Butter Chia Seed Blondies
• Smoked Salmon and Goat Cheese Bites
• Almond Butter Chia Squares

Low Carb Dinner Recipes High in Unsaturated Fat:

• Zucchini Ribbons & Avocado Walnut Pesto
• Sesame Almond Zoodle Bowl
• Creamy Lemon and Dill Pan Seared Salmon
• Cajun Salmon Cakes

Low Carb Sides that are High in Unsaturated Fat:

• Spinach Watercress Keto Salad
• Jalapeno Cornbread Mini Loaves
• Keto Mushroom Wild Rice Pilaf
• Raspberry Pecan Salad

Low Carb Dessert Recipes High in Unsaturated Fat:

• Speculoos and Macadamia Biscotti
• Keto Chocolate Peanut Butter Tarts
• Mini Pumpkin Spice Muffins
• Chocolate Chunk Avocado Ice Cream

How Much Unsaturated Fat Should You Eat for Optimal Health?

There is no universally optimal intake level of polyunsaturated fat, monounsaturated fat, or CLA. The only unsaturated fat that has any specific quantity attached to it is artificial trans fat – and that optimal intake level is zero grams.

The general recommendation is to replace all artificial trans fats and some saturated fats with polyunsaturated fats and monounsaturated fats. Research also suggests that substituting healthy fats for high-carb foods is a great way to improve health as well.

That being said, there is an intake limit to these fats for optimal health. Consuming most of your fat from omega-3s and omega-6s, for example, may not be prudent, given the potential for oxidation and the lack of research supporting excessive PUFA intake.

When it comes to polyunsaturated fat intake, getting the right amount of omega-6s and omega-3s is crucial.

The World Health Organization recommends an omega-3 fatty acid intake of 0.5–2% of energy per day. The American Heart Association specifically recommends that we get at least two servings of fatty fish per week or 500 mg EPA + DHA per day.

Regarding omega-6 intake, a recent analysis conducted by the American Heart Association emphasizes the importance of consuming at least 5-10% of daily calories from omega-6 fatty acids.

Altogether, these recommended intakes represent the estimated amount of omega-6 and omega-3 we need for optimal health. The healthiest way to meet these needs is by replacing heavily processed foods and oils with the nutrient-rich foods and recipes that we learned about previously.

In contrast to PUFAs, you can only go wrong with MUFA consumption if you eat so much of them that it leads to fat gain. As long as you are eating the right amount of calories to reach your goals and meeting your other nutritional needs with healthy foods, feel free get as many of those calories from MUFA-rich foods, fats, and oils as you’d like.

CLA intake follows similar logic but should not be prioritized over PUFA and MUFA consumption. Grass-fed high-fat dairy, beef, lamb, and meat from other ruminants should serve as the only sources CLA because they don’t come with the health risks of higher supplemental doses and provide us with other beneficial nutrients.

The Potential Harms of Unsaturated Fatty Acids

Although unsaturated fats can confer unique and significant health benefits when compared to saturated fat and carbs, they do have a dark side. We hinted at the four harms of these fats throughout this article, but it is crucial that we state them explicitly. We will start with the most obvious:

Artificial Trans Fats Worsen Health Significantly

Artificial trans fats are – without a doubt –  the worst type of fat for overall health because they:

• Raise LDL and lower HDL levels.
• Create chronic inflammation, which is associated with heart disease, stroke, diabetes, and other chronic conditions.
• Contribute to insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes.
• Even small amounts have a substantial impact on our health. One meta-analysis found that, for every 2 percent increase of calories consumed from trans fat daily, the risk of coronary heart disease increases by 23%.

In other words, these fats can potentially reverse all of the positive health progress you make by eating healthy fats.

In light of these findings, there are no safe levels of trans fat to consume each day. Keeping our daily intake as low as possible is crucial for optimal health.

To do this, we must avoid products that contain any type of partially hydrogenated oil – even if the label claims it has no trans fat.

Partially hydrogenated oils are commonly found in the following products:

• margarine
• vegetable shortening
• packaged snacks
• premade baked goods
• ready-to-use dough
• fried foods
• coffee creamers, both dairy and nondairy

Imbalanced PUFA Intake Can Impair Health

Health issues typically arise when we are not consuming enough or eating too much of either PUFA. Science shows that it’s crucial to get the proper amount of omega-3 fatty acids and omega-6 fatty acids from nutrient-rich sources such as fatty fish, nuts, seeds, eggs, and fresh meat.

This simple strategy will ensure that you get the benefits you expect from PUFAs. Plus, by consuming nutrient-rich whole foods, you can help mitigate the 3rd potential harm of these fragile fats.

Some Unsaturated Fats can Oxidize Easily and Form Toxic Compounds

Carbon-carbon double bonds increase the instability of the fatty acid. As a result, monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats both are vulnerable to oxidation when exposed to excess air, light, and heat.

Once these fats oxidize, they form harmful compounds that are toxic to the body and rob us of the health benefits that we expect from these fats.

Polyunsaturated fats are the most vulnerable to oxidation because of their multiple double bonds, while MUFAs are typically able to sustain higher temperatures with less oxidation.

Research also suggests that CLA may be even more vulnerable than certain types of polyunsaturated fatty acids as well.

Because of this, both high-PUFA and CLA-rich foods/fats/oils should be stored in a cool dark place and prepared using low cooking temperatures. This will help minimize the harm and maximize the benefits of these unsaturated fats.

All Fats Contain Calories

Just because they are known as healthy fats doesn’t mean you should consume as much as possible. All fats, including unsaturated fatty acids, contain roughly 9 calories per gram — more than twice the calories found in carbs and protein.

If you’re not careful with your consumption of these fats, you might exceed your calorie needs and gain fat. This is why it is crucial to follow the strategy we laid out earlier – i.e., replace all of your trans fat and some of your saturated fat and carb intake with healthy unsaturated fats.

Putting It All Together — Everything You Need to Know About Unsaturated Fat

There are four types of unsaturated fat found in our diets:

• Polyunsaturated fat (PUFAs) – fatty acids that contain more than one carbon-carbon double bond.
• Monounsaturated fat (MUFAs) – fatty acids that contain only one carbon-carbon double bond.
• Natural trans-unsaturated fatty acids – fatty acids found in ruminant milk and fat that have at least one trans-double bond and one cis-double bond. They are commonly known as conjugated linoleic acids (CLA).
• Artificial trans-unsaturated fatty acids – fatty acids with no cis-double bonds and at least one trans-double bond, created artificially via a process called hydrogenation.

PUFAs and MUFAs are known as the “healthy” fats because they improve health more effectively than any other types of fat. These fats benefit us most when we replace all of our trans fat and some of our saturated fat and carb intake with healthy unsaturated fat foods.

The research on natural trans-unsaturated fatty acid is not as conclusive. They can help increase fat loss by a small amount but may not benefit overall health.

All in all, the research literature suggests that the healthiest approach to fat intake is to consume plenty of minimally processed whole foods and stable cooking fats/oils that are high in PUFAs and/or MUFAs. Many of these options are also keto-friendly, which makes them great replacements for carb-heavy foods.

Some of the best unsaturated fat food choices are as follows:

• Avocados
• Nuts, seeds, and peanuts
• Olives
• Fatty fish such as sardines, salmon, and mackerel
• Duck, chicken, pork, and goose
• Beef, lamb, and high-fat dairy products (for CLA)

You can also benefit from these fats when adding certain fats/oils to your diet. Here is a list of some healthy unsaturated fat-rich options:

• Olive oil (best for high-heat cooking)
• Avocado oil
• High oleic sunflower/safflower oil
• Macadamia nut oil
• Duck, chicken, pork, and goose fat

Keep in mind that all plants and animals contain varying amounts of polyunsaturated fat and monounsaturated fat. The above list represents those that are particularly high in one, the other, or both.

Here are some examples of keto-friendly recipes that incorporate many of these healthy fat-packed ingredients:

For breakfast:

• Keto Zucchini Bread with Walnuts
• Bacon Avocado Muffins
• Salmon Benny Breakfast Bombs
• Maple Pecan Fat Bomb Bars

For lunch:

• Bacon and Roasted Garlic Guacamole (with pork rinds)
• Five Minute Marinated Feta & Sun-dried Tomato Salad
• Sesame Salmon Salad
• Salmon Lettuce Cups with Lemony Basil Spread

For a snack:

• Homemade Macadamia Nut Butter
• Pecan Butter Chia Seed Blondies
• Smoked Salmon and Goat Cheese Bites
• Almond Butter Chia Squares

For dinner:

• Zucchini Ribbons & Avocado Walnut Pesto
• Sesame Almond Zoodle Bowl
• Creamy Lemon and Dill Pan Seared Salmon
• Cajun Salmon Cakes

As a side:

• Spinach Watercress Keto Salad
• Jalapeno Cornbread Mini Loaves
• Keto Mushroom Wild Rice Pilaf
• Raspberry Pecan Salad

For dessert:

• Speculoos and Macadamia Biscotti
• Keto Chocolate Peanut Butter Tarts
• Mini Pumpkin Spice Muffins
• Chocolate Chunk Avocado Ice Cream

If you’d like to learn more about the different types of fats found in these recipes, feel free to read the following resources:

• Polyunsaturated Fats
• Essential Fatty Acids: Omega 3 and Omega 6
• Monounsaturated Fats

For more practical information on how to lose weight and improve health with a low-carb diet, check out our beginner’s guide to keto, or take a look at our resources below:

• The Importance of Fats on the Keto Diet
• The Different Types of Fats
• The impact of a keto diet and diabetes

Sources

• Unsaturated fat – Science Daily
• 9-Octadecenoic acid – NCBI
• Why Are Trans Fats Bad for You? The Disturbing Truth – Healthline
• Chemical Characteristics – Olive Oil Source
• Essential Fatty Acids – Oregon State University
• Pros and cons of CLA consumption: an insight from clinical evidences – NCBI
• Effects of dietary fatty acids and carbohydrates on the ratio of serum total to HDL cholesterol and on serum lipids and apolipoproteins: a meta-analysis of 60 controlled trials. – NCBI
• Effects of protein, monounsaturated fat, and carbohydrate intake on blood pressure and serum lipids: results of the OmniHeart randomized trial. – NCBI
• Characteristics of the Diet Patterns Tested in the Optimal Macronutrient Intake Trial to Prevent Heart Disease (OmniHeart): Options for a Heart-Healthy Diet – NCBI
• Efficacy of conjugated linoleic acid for reducing fat mass: a meta-analysis in humans – The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition
• Conjugated linoleic acid supplementation, insulin sensitivity, and lipoprotein metabolism in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus – The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition
• Dietary conjugated linoleic acid and long-chain n-3 fatty acids in mammary and prostate cancer protection: a review. – NCBI
• CLA (Conjugated Linoleic Acid): A Detailed Review – Healthline
• Essential Fatty Acids: Omega 3 and Omega 6 – Ruled.me
• Factors affecting conjugated linoleic acid content in milk and meat. – NCBI
• Conjugated linoleic acid content of milk from cows fed different diets. – NCBI
• Evaluation of Chemical and Physical Changes in Different Commercial Oils during Heating – Acta Scientific Nutritional Health
• Conjugated Linoleic Acid and Dietary Beef – Beef Facts
• Oxidation of a functional, CLA-rich oil: determination of volatile and non-volatile compounds – European Food Research and Technology
• Oxidative stability of conjugated linoleic acids relative to other polyunsaturated fatty acids – Journal of the American Oil Chemists’ Society
• Trans fatty acids, insulin resistance, and type 2 diabetes. – NCBI
• Trans fatty acids and coronary heart disease – NCBI

The post What is Unsaturated Fat? A Comprehensive Guide appeared first on Ruled Me.

Polyunsaturated fats, in particular, sparked the first investigations into how certain fats may be essential for optimal health, growth, and development. This led to the discovery of omega-6s, omega-3s, and what we now know as “essential fatty acids” —  which are all polyunsaturated fats.

Despite the scientific consensus that polyunsaturated fats are “healthy” fats, emerging research indicates they should not be considered as healthy in every context.

To help us develop a better understanding of this complex topic, let’s take a look at these fats from the following perspectives:

• What is polyunsaturated fat? A dietary definition
• What is polyunsaturated fat? Through a microscope
• Polyunsaturated fat vs. monounsaturated fat: what’s the difference?
• The different types of polyunsaturated fats
• The benefits of polyunsaturated fats
• Can they be unhealthy? The potential harms of polyunsaturated fats
• How much polyunsaturated fat should we eat for optimal health?
• Healthy polyunsaturated fat foods
• Healthy low-carb recipes that’ll help you meet your PUFA needs
• Putting it all together — Everything you need to know about PUFAs

What is Polyunsaturated Fat? A Dietary Definition

Polyunsaturated fats or PUFAs (the abbreviation of “polyunsaturated fatty acids”) are typically referred to as “oils” because they are liquid at room temperature. They are found in most foods but exist in the highest quantities in fatty fish, plant-based oils, seeds, and nuts.

The first polyunsaturated fatty acid was discovered in the early 1930s — the omega-6 PUFA that we know as linoleic acid. This, as well as the omega-3 PUFA called α-linolenic acid (ALA), are known as essential fats because the human body cannot synthesize them.

These two PUFAs are also representative of the two classes of polyunsaturated fats: omega-3s and omega-6s. However, before we dive into the different PUFA types, let’s take a closer look at polyunsaturated fats to get a better idea of what we are looking at.

What is Polyunsaturated Fat? Through a Microscope

All fats have a similar chemical structure — i.e., a chain of carbon atoms bonded to hydrogen atoms. What makes one fat different from another is the length of the carbon chain and how many double bonds it contains. Seemingly slight differences in structure can translate to incredible differences in form and function.

Polyunsaturated fats are fatty acid molecules that have more than one carbon-to-carbon double bond. These double bonds play a significant role in determining the chemical properties of the fatty acid.

For example, high-PUFA oils are liquid at room temperature because they mostly consist of fatty acid chains with double bonds. In contrast, animal fats and coconut oil are solid at room temperature because they primarily contain saturated fats, which are fatty acid chains of single bonded carbon atoms.

Carbon-to-carbon double bonds also play a role in how the fatty acid impacts our health.  Polyunsaturated fats and monounsaturated fats, for example, are both considered to be healthy fats, and their double bonds are what set them apart from other types of fat.

The number of double bonds makes a substantial difference as well.

In fact, PUFAs have been shown to reduce several risk factors for heart disease more substantially than monounsaturated fats. To understand why this may be the case, let’s explore the key differences between these two “healthy” fats.

Polyunsaturated Fat vs. Monounsaturated Fat: What is the Difference?

Both of these fats are unsaturated fats, which means that they have at least one double bond between their carbon atoms. They diverge, however, when we look closely at the number of double bonds.

All monounsaturated fats or MUFAs have only one double bond. The prefix, “mono-” (meaning “one”), lets us know that there is only one carbon-to-carbon double bond in that fatty acid.

In contrast, all polyunsaturated fatty acids have more than one carbon-to-carbon double bond. “Poly-” (meaning “more than one”) tells us that there are two or more double bonds in the carbon chain.

As mentioned earlier, the number of double bonds plays a crucial role in how fatty acid affects our health. This is why it is helpful to differentiate between “mono-” and “poly-” unsaturated fats.

However, this doesn’t mean that all polyunsaturated fats will have similar effects because they are in the same fatty acid category. The location of the double bonds matters as well.

In fact, double-bond location is so important that PUFAs have been separated into two categories based on the location of a particular double bond in its carbon chain.

The Different Types of Polyunsaturated Fats: Omega-3s and Omega-6s

Polyunsaturated fats typically exist as either omega-3 or omega-6 fatty acids in nature. The deciphering factor between them is where the first carbon-to-carbon double bond is located from the terminal methyl group of the fatty acid chain.

More specifically, omega-3 fatty acids have a double bond three carbons away from the methyl group, whereas omega-6 fatty acids have a double bond six carbons away from the methyl group.

To help you understand what I mean, here’s is an illustration of the essential omega-3 fatty acid known as alpha-linoleic acid with the carbons numbered and methyl group identified:

In contrast, here’s a look at gamma-Linolenic acid, an omega-6 fatty acid:

Both fatty acid chains have the exact same amount of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen molecules as well as carbon-to-carbon double bonds. They are virtually identical until you look at the location of the double bonds.

Each double bond introduces a kink in the chain that influences how we metabolize the fatty acid. Thus, omega-6s and omega-3s have kinks at different parts in their chain.

As a result, an omega-6 and omega-3 fat that have identical components, yet vary in their double bond location will have different effects throughout the body.

In fact, closely related omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids have been found to act as competing substrates for the same enzymes, which can alter various metabolic processes. This hints at the importance of the ratio of omega-3 to omega-6 fatty acids in a diet — a topic that we will touch on later in this article.

As with every natural food component, context is key. To get a better idea of the benefits and potential harms of these PUFAs, let’s take a closer look at the diet literature.

A Plethora of Polyunsaturated Fat Health Benefits

Polyunsaturated fats offer many impressive health benefits despite their varying properties.

The most noteworthy benefits associated with PUFAs are as follows:

• Omega-3s may improve overall brain health.
• Omega-3s can help treat Rheumatoid arthritis.
• Omega-3s and omega-6s ensure optimal infant development.
• Polyunsaturated fats can promote heart health.
• Omega-6 and omega-3s can help improve immune system function.
• Polyunsaturated fats reduce type 2 diabetes risk and improve blood sugar regulation.
• Omega-3s may have anti-cancer effects.
• PUFA consumption may increase longevity.

In each benefit’s section, we will take a closer look at the research behind these findings and explore how particular omega-3s and omega-6s can help us.

Omega-3s May Improve Cognitive Function and Reduce Cognitive Decline

Omega-3 fatty acids, specifically DHA and EPA, are crucial for optimal brain development and function. Observational studies have found an association between low blood levels of DHA with mental decline in older adults.

Several clinical trials have been conducted to explore this relationship. The most promising finding was that omega-3 supplementation helped subjects with mild cognitive impairment improve certain aspects of cognitive function, including attention, processing speed, and short-term memory recall.

However, the same cannot be said for healthy adults and Alzheimer’s disease patients. Several systematic reviews and meta-analyses indicate that omega-3 supplementation does not significantly benefit the cognitive health of these populations.

Although the current data doesn’t seem convincing, some researchers speculate that omega-3 supplementation may only benefit those who are deficient in these fatty acids. Once a certain threshold of consumption is reached, there may be no additional benefit for cognitive health.

Omega-3s May Help Treat Rheumatoid Arthritis

Omega-3s are most well-known for their anti-inflammatory properties. This lead researchers to investigate the effects these fatty acids may have on Rheumatoid arthritis, an inflammatory condition that is particularly difficult to manage and treat.

Several studies on subjects with this condition indicate that DHA and EPA supplementation can help reduce joint swelling and pain, morning stiffness, and the number of painful joints in addition to decreasing NSAID use. However, more research is needed to confirm these findings.

Omega-3s and Omega-6s Ensure Optimal Infant Development

Both types of PUFAs have been found to improve various aspects of infant development. More specifically, omega-3 fat consumption during pregnancy, either in the diet or via supplements, is associated with improved cognitive development in the child.

The most encouraging conclusions are from a recent systematic review that suggests pregnant women could benefit from DHA and EPA supplementation as a means to increase the length of gestation, prevent preterm birth, and reduce the likelihood of low birth weight.

To help meet the DHA and EPA needs of mother and her infant, it’s recommended that pregnant or breastfeeding women consume at least 8 but no more than 12 ounces of low-mercury fish every week.

Pregnant women should limit or avoid fish with the highest mercury levels, including marlin, orange roughy, swordfish, tuna, and shark. The best choice would be a fish that is high in omega-3s and low in mercury. This includes wild-caught salmon, sardines, and mackerel.

Also worth noting are the potential benefits of omega-6s on the development of an infant’s immune system. Although omega-6s are typically known as inflammatory, they can help promote and modulate immune responses to different foods and parasites.

Arachidonic acid, for example, is an omega-6 fatty acid that can help improve immune system function and reduce the likelihood that children will develop food allergies as they mature.

Polyunsaturated Fats Can Promote Heart Health

Of the two classes of PUFAs, omega-3s s are renowned for their positive effects on the heart. Overall, research indicates that consuming fish and other types of seafood as part of a balanced diet promotes heart health. Some studies even suggest that EPA and DHA may help prevent heart disease and stroke.

However, this doesn’t mean that everyone should up their DHA and EPA intake with fish oil supplements. Many randomized control trials have found mixed results with omega-3 fish oil supplementation.

For example, a review of 10 studies in nearly 78,000 people prone to heart disease saw no benefit of omega-3 supplements on risk of heart attack, stroke, or any other related trauma. Similar results were found for healthy individuals as well.

That being said, fish oil supplements have been proven effective at lowering triglyceride levels, which can help reduce your risk of heart disease and stroke.

Omega-6s have beneficial effects on heart health as well. The current data from randomized trials, observational studies, and long-term animal feeding experiments indicate that the consumption of at least 5% to 10% of energy from omega-6 PUFAs reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease when compared to lower intakes.

This reduction may be explained by clinical trial data showing that omega-6 fats can reduce blood cholesterol, LDL-C, and triglyceride levels. In fact, PUFA consumption, in general, has been found to have beneficial effects on cholesterol and triglycerides levels.

One meta-analysis, for example, found that replacing carbs with polyunsaturated fats leads to a significant reduction in triglyceride levels. More specifically, for every 1% isoenergetic replacement with polyunsaturated fat, there was a reduction in triglycerides by 2.3 mg/dL. This represents a more significant decrease than any other fat.

Another meta-analysis of 60 feeding studies found that the substitution of PUFA (primarily omega-6) for carbohydrates had more favorable effects on the ratio of total to HDL cholesterol (a fairly accurate predictor of heart disease risk) than any other class of fatty acids.

In short, omega-3s and omega-6s are crucial for optimal heart health, but supplementing with them is likely unnecessary for most people. The healthiest strategy is to replace processed carbs, trans fat, and some saturated fat with healthy foods that’ll help you meet your omega-6 and omega-3 needs.

For example, you can replace a red meat dish with a salmon dish 1-2 times a week to help meet your omega-3 needs and snack on some raw nuts and seeds instead of potato chips to get a healthy source of omega-6s.

Omega-6s and Omega-3s Can Help Improve Immune System Function

Arachidonic acid, DHA, and EPA all can exert potent effects on the immune system.

Arachidonic acid, for example, can help promote and modulate immune responses that are critically important in the resistance to parasites and allergic reaction. In other words, this omega-6 fatty acid can be used to help us differentiate the good from the bad, preventing unnecessary allergic reactions to food and protecting us from harmful invaders.

In contrast, DHA and EPA elicit anti-inflammatory mechanisms that may help bring an overactive immune system back into balance. This could potentially help reduce the risk of developing autoimmunity.

Polyunsaturated Fats Can Improve Blood Sugar Regulation

A recent meta-analysis of randomized controlled feeding trials found that, In comparison to carbohydrates, saturated fats, and monounsaturated fats, PUFAs exert the most consistent favorable effects on metrics associated with improved blood sugar levels, insulin resistance, and insulin secretion capacity.

Omega-3s and omega-6s both seem to play a role in these positive findings. Research indicates that subjects with higher blood levels of the essential omega-6 fatty acid, linoleic acid, may be 35% less likely to develop type 2 diabetes.

Omega-3s have the potential to decrease the risk of type 2 diabetes as well. Due to their anti-inflammatory properties, researchers speculate that omega-3s mitigate some of the inflammatory processes responsible for increasing insulin resistance. This might help prevent type 2 diabetes at a cellular level.

Omega-3s May Have Anti-cancer Effects

Animal trials and mechanistic investigations have found that omega-3s can weaken cancer cells and prevent their proliferation. Researchers speculate that their ability to modulate gene expression involved in cancer development and suppress systemic inflammation play a crucial role in these positive findings.

The data regarding the effects of omega-3s on cancer patients, however, is inconclusive. Some studies have shown associations between higher intakes and/or blood levels of  omega-3s and a decreased risk of certain cancers, including breast and colorectal cancer, while other studies found no associations with cancer risk.

PUFA Consumption May Increase Longevity

Research on the Mediterranean diet, which features more PUFA-rich whole foods and less saturated fat than westernized diets, indicates that PUFAs may play a role in reducing heart disease and all-cause mortality risk.

Observational studies have also discovered an association between the intake of EPA + DHA and reduced risk of all-cause mortality.

However, emerging evidence suggests that it may not be prudent to eat copious amounts of PUFAs to enhance health and longevity. Overeating omega-6 fatty acids, for example, may promote several chronic diseases.

The quality of the polyunsaturated fats we consume plays a critical role in their health effects as well. Most heavily processed PUFA-rich products, for example, contain oxidized PUFA molecules that are deleterious to health.

To maximize the benefits we reap from PUFA consumption, we must be mindful of how these delicate fats are treated before they reach our mouths.

Can PUFAs be Bad for Us? The Potential Harms of Polyunsaturated Fat Consumption

Although PUFAs confer unique and significant health benefits when compared to other types of fats, they do have a dark side.

If you are not mindful of the following three potential harms, the “healthy” fats you consume may actually end up worsening your health.

Imbalanced PUFA Intake Can Impair Health

As we learned earlier, the two types of polyunsaturated fats, omega-3s and omega-6s, play crucial roles in regulating inflammation. In general, omega-3s tend to be anti-inflammatory while omega-6s are typically pro-inflammatory.

Many researchers hypothesize that consuming too many omega-6s in relation to omega-3s will promote chronic inflammation and contribute to poor health outcomes. Mechanisms for how high omega-6 intake and insufficient omega-3 consumption may provoke obesity, heart disease, cancer, type 2 diabetes, and cognitive decline have also been discovered.

That being said, other research groups have concluded that the omega-6 to omega-3 ratio is not a good indicator for overall health. They believe the current data indicates that meeting omega-3 and omega-6 needs are what matters most. Manipulating our intake to match specific omega fatty acid ratios is likely not necessary.

In short, more research needs to be done to show the clinical significance of the omega-6 to omega-3 ratio. For now, science shows that it’s crucial to get the proper amount of omega-3 fatty acids and omega-6 fatty acids from nutrient-rich sources such as fatty fish, nuts, seeds, eggs, and fresh meat.

This simple strategy will ensure that you get the benefits you expect from PUFAs. Plus, by consuming nutrient-rich whole foods, you can help mitigate the 2nd issue with these delicate fats as well.

Polyunsaturated Fats Oxidize Easily, Forming Toxic Compounds

Polyunsaturated fats are more vulnerable to oxidation than other fats because of their multiple double bonds. Excess air, light, and heat exposure can all cause PUFAs to break down into harmful compounds. Once this happens, all of the potential benefits of these fats are replaced by toxic chemicals that worsen your health.

Because of this, high-PUFA foods and oils should be stored in a cool dark place and prepared using low cooking temperatures. This will help you minimize harm and maximize the benefits of polyunsaturated fats.

PUFAs Contain Calories

Just because they are known as healthy fats doesn’t mean you should consume as much as possible. All fats, including polyunsaturated fats, contain 9 calories per gram — more than twice the calories found in carbs or protein.

If you’re not careful with your PUFA consumption, you might exceed your calorie needs and gain fat.

Altogether, the optimal strategy for getting the most out of your PUFA intake is this:

• Consume an adequate amount of omega-3s and omega-6s from nutrient-rich whole food sources.
• Prepare and store those high-PUFA foods/oils properly to prevent oxidation.
• Replace some of your current trans fat, saturated fat, and/or carb intake with these healthy fats to get the most benefit.

To properly implement these suggestions, we will take a closer look at how much PUFAs we should consume and what the healthiest sources of omega-3s and omega-6s are.

How Much Polyunsaturated Fat Should We Eat for Optimal Health?

There is no recommended polyunsaturated fat intake for optimal health. Instead, the typical suggestion is to replace trans fats and saturated fats with polyunsaturated fats.

However, consuming most of your fat from omega-3s and omega-6s may not be prudent either, given the potential for oxidation and the lack of research supporting excessive PUFA intake.

That being said, it is crucial to make sure we are getting an adequate amount of omega-3a and omega-6s for optimal health.

The World Health Organization recommends an omega-3 fatty acid intake of 0.5–2% of energy per day. The American Heart Association specifically recommends that we get at least two servings of fatty fish per week or 500 mg EPA + DHA per day.

The highest intake recommendation I’ve found is for patients who need to lower their triglyceride levels. These individuals have been found to benefit from 2–4 grams per day of EPA + DHA supplements under a physician’s care.

Regarding omega-6 intake, a recent analysis conducted by the American Heart Association emphasizes the importance of consuming at least 5-10% of daily calories from omega-6 fatty acids. Here’s a quick summary:

Altogether, these recommended intakes represent an estimated amount of omega-6 and omega-3 we need for optimal health. The healthiest way to meet these needs is by replacing heavily processed foods and oils with the nutrient-rich foods found in the next section.

Healthy Polyunsaturated Fat Foods

There are plenty of PUFA-rich food and oil options, but all of them aren’t going to promote optimal health. Most High-PUFA oils, for example, represent the least healthy way to up your fat intake.

Be cautious of the “heart-healthy” labeling that many common vegetable oils have. As soon as they are exposed to heat, light, or air, they will start breaking down into compounds that can actually provoke heart disease.

Plus, high-PUFA oils typically don’t contain the other health-promoting nutrients that are found in PUFA-rich whole foods. Because of these two factors, we have not included any high-PUFA oils in our healthy omega-3 and omega-6 food lists.

Best Sources of Omega-3 PUFAs

Arguably the healthiest way to meet your omega-3 needs is by consuming low-mercury fatty fish. However, you can also obtain omega-3s from omega-3 supplements, shellfish, algal oil, nuts, and seeds. (Keep in mind that nuts and seeds only contain ALA, which isn’t converted into EPA and DHA efficiently.)

Here is a list of keto-friendly foods that contain the most DHA and EPA:

• Salmon: 3 ounces has ~1.8 grams of EPA and DHA
• Sardines: 3 ounces has ~1.2 grams of EPA and DHA
• Mackerel: 3 ounces has ~1 gram of EPA and DHA
• Rainbow Trout: 3 ounces has ~0.8 grams of EPA and DHA
• Sea Bass: 3 ounces has ~0.7 grams of EPA and DHA

And a list of the best sources of keto-friendly plant-based omega-3s:

• Chia seeds: 1 ounce has 5 grams of ALA
• Walnuts: 1 ounce has 2.5 grams of ALA
• Flaxseeds: 1 ounce has 2.3 grams of ALA

By using this list and the recommended omega-3 intakes from the previous section, you will be able to figure out how you can meet your needs every day. However, make sure you are not relying on ALA intake to meet your EPA and DHA needs. Most of the benefits of omega-3s come from consuming EPA and DHA directly.

Best Sources of Omega-6 PUFAs

Here is a list of some keto-friendly foods with high omega-6 content:

• Walnuts: ~10.6 grams per ounce
• Sunflower seeds: ~9.6 grams per ounce
• Pine nuts: ~9.4 grams per ounce
• Mayonnaise (with soybean oil): ~6 grams per tablespoon
• Bacon: ~4.8 grams in every 3 ounces
• Peanuts: ~4.1 grams per ounce
• Almonds: ~3.8 grams per ounce
• Chicken thighs (with skin): ~3.2 grams in every 3 ounces
• Eggs: ~0.6 grams in every whole egg
• Butter: ~0.3 grams per tablespoon

These lists aren’t representative of the only foods that you can eat to help you meet your omega-3 and omega-6 needs: They are simply the healthiest low-carb options.

Keep in mind that most of the fatty foods you consume will contain a blend of saturated, monounsaturated, and polyunsaturated fatty acids in different proportions. In general, nuts, seeds, and plant-derived oils tend to be highest in omega-6s while fatty fish typically provide the best source of omega-3s. Below is a summarized graphic of the polyunsaturated fat food list:

If you need help incorporating some of these healthy PUFA-rich foods in your diet, try some of the low-carb recipes below.

Healthy Recipes Rich in PUFAs

Below are some delicious and healthy recipes that are filled with polyunsaturated fat. Plus, they are all keto-friendly.

Note: To meet your DHA + EPA needs efficiently, incorporate recipes with salmon and other fatty fish at least twice per week. To help meet your omega-6 needs, use recipes that feature nuts, nut flour, seeds, seed meal, bacon, and eggs.

High-PUFA Breakfast Examples:

• Keto Zucchini Bread with Walnuts
• Salmon Benny Breakfast Bombs
• Berry Coconut Oatmeal
• Keto Breakfast Brownie Muffins

High-PUFA Lunch Examples:

• Sesame Salmon Salad
• Keto Onigiri
• Five Minute Marinated Feta & Sun-dried Tomato Salad
• Salmon Lettuce Cups with Lemony Basil Spread

High-PUFA Snack Examples:

• Canned Wild-Caught Sardines, Mackerel, or Salmon
• One Ounce of Walnuts
• Smoked Salmon and Goat Cheese Bites
• Almond Butter Chia Squares

PUFA-rich Dinner Recipes:

• Zucchini Ribbons & Avocado Walnut Pesto
• Sesame Almond Zoodle Bowl
• Creamy Lemon and Dill Pan Seared Salmon
• Cajun Salmon Cakes

High-PUFA Sides:

• Jalapeno Cornbread Mini Loaves
• Keto Mushroom Wild Rice Pilaf
• Cauliflower Hummus with Harissa Crackers
• Keto Tortilla Chips

High-PUFA Desserts:

• Keto Chocolate Peanut Butter Tarts
• Pecan Softies with Sea Salt and Dark Chocolate
• Mini Pumpkin Spice Muffins
• Peanut Butter and Chocolate Chunk Mug Cake

Putting It All Together — Everything You Need to Know About Polyunsaturated Fats

Polyunsaturated fats (PUFAs) are typically referred to as healthy fats because they’ve been found to have a positive effect on various aspects of health, when eaten in moderation.

As with all other fats, however, it is important to be mindful of your consumption to maximize the benefits and minimize any downsides.

In short, the optimal strategy for getting the most out of your PUFA intake is this:

• Consume an adequate amount of omega-3s and omega-6s from nutrient-rich whole food sources.
• Make sure at least 500 mg of your daily omega-3 intake is coming from EPA + DHA.
• Prepare and store high-PUFA foods/oils properly to prevent oxidation.
• Replace some of your current trans fat, saturated fat, and/or carb intake with these healthy fats to get the most benefit.

To help you implement these suggestions, here is an abbreviated list of healthy keto-friendly foods that contain the most omega-3s:

• Salmon*
• Sardines*
• Mackerel*
• Rainbow Trout*
• Sea Bass*
• Chia seeds
• Walnuts
• Flaxseeds

*Consume these to increase your DHA + EPA intake

And a list of some healthy keto-friendly foods with high omega-6 content:

• Walnuts
• Sunflower seeds
• Pine nuts
• Mayonnaise (with soybean oil)
• Bacon
• Peanuts
• Almonds
• Chicken thighs (with skin)
• Eggs
• Butter

To get a better idea of how to incorporate these foods into your diet, check out these recipes:

For breakfast:

• Keto Zucchini Bread with Walnuts
• Salmon Benny Breakfast Bombs
• Berry Coconut Oatmeal
• Keto Breakfast Brownie Muffins

For lunch:

• Sesame Salmon Salad
• Keto Onigiri
• Five Minute Marinated Feta & Sun-dried Tomato Salad
• Salmon Lettuce Cups with Lemony Basil Spread

For a snack:

• Canned Wild-Caught Sardines, Mackerel, or Salmon
• 1 ounce of walnuts
• Smoked Salmon and Goat Cheese Bites
• Almond Butter Chia Squares

For dinner:

• Zucchini Ribbons & Avocado Walnut Pesto
• Sesame Almond Zoodle Bowl
• Creamy Lemon and Dill Pan Seared Salmon
• Cajun Salmon Cakes

Dinner sides:

• Jalapeno Cornbread Mini Loaves
• Keto Mushroom Wild Rice Pilaf
• Cauliflower Hummus with Harissa Crackers
• Keto Tortilla Chips

For dessert:

• Keto Chocolate Peanut Butter Tarts
• Pecan Softies with Sea Salt and Dark Chocolate
• Mini Pumpkin Spice Muffins
• Peanut Butter and Chocolate Chunk Mug Cake

If you’d like to learn more about the different types of polyunsaturated fats found in these recipes, feel free to read the following resources:

• Essential Fatty Acids: Omega 3 and Omega 6
• What Are Omega 3 Fatty Acids?
• Are Omega 6s Healthy or Unhealthy?

For more practical information on how to lose weight and improve health with a low-carb diet, check out our beginner’s guide to keto, or take a look at our resources below:

• The Importance of Fats on the Keto Diet
• The Different Types of Fats
• What is Unsaturated Fat?

Sources

• 2013 AHA/ACC/TOS guideline for the management of overweight and obesity in adults: a report of the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association Task Force on Practice Guidelines and The Obesity Society. — NCBI
• Arachidonic acid: Physiological roles and potential health benefits – A review — ScienceDirect
• Secondary Prevention of Atherosclerotic Cardiovascular Disease in Older Adults: A Scientific Statement From the American Heart Association — NCBI
• Marine Fatty Acid Intake Is Associated with Breast Cancer Prognosis — NCBI
• Essential Fatty Acids — Oregon State University
• Omega-3 Fatty Acids — NIH
• The discovery of essential fatty acids — ASBMB
• The role of dietary fats in plant-based diets — The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition
• n-3 fatty acids and the immune system in autoimmunity. — NCBI
• Polyunsaturated fatty acids and their effects on cardiovascular disease — NCBI
• Effects of dietary fats on blood lipids: a review of direct comparison trials — BMJ
• Omega-6 Fatty Acids and Risk for Cardiovascular Disease — Circulation
• Omega-6 fats to prevent and treat heart and circulatory diseases — Cochrane
• Choose the Right Fish To Lower Mercury Risk Exposure — Consumer Reports
• Mercury Levels in Commercial Fish and Shellfish (1990-2012) — FDA
• Omega-3 Fatty Acids and Pregnancy — NCBI
• Marine oil supplementation to improve pregnancy outcomes — WHO
• Omega-3 Fatty Acids in Rheumatic Diseases: A Critical Review — Journal of Clinical Rheumatology
• The Omega-6/Omega-3 Ratio and Dementia or Cognitive Decline: A Systematic Review on Human Studies and Biological Evidence — Journal of Nutrition in Gerontology and Geriatrics
• Long-chain Omega-3 Fatty Acids and Optimization of Cognitive Performance — NCBI
• Omega-6 fatty acid biomarkers and incident type 2 diabetes: pooled analysis of individual-level data for 39 740 adults from 20 prospective cohort studies — The Lancet
• Omega-3 Fatty Acids and Insulin Resistance: Focus on the Regulation of Mitochondria and Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress — NCBI
• Effects of Saturated Fat, Polyunsaturated Fat, Monounsaturated Fat, and Carbohydrate on Glucose-Insulin Homeostasis: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis of Randomised Controlled Feeding Trials — NCBI
• Triglycerides and Cardiovascular Disease — Circulation
• Triglycerides and Cardiovascular Risk — NCBI
• Omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids and cancer: lessons learned from clinical trials — Cancer and Metastasis Reviews
• A prospective study of dietary polyunsaturated fatty acids intake and lung cancer risk. — NCBI
• Essential Fatty Acids: Omega 3 and Omega 6 — Ruled.me
• What Are Omega 3 Fatty Acids? — Ruled.me
• Are Omega 6s Healthy or Unhealthy? — Ruled.me
• High-Energy Diets, Fatty Acids and Endothelial Cell Function: Implications for Atherosclerosis — Journal of the American College of Nutrition
• An Increase in the Omega-6/Omega-3 Fatty Acid Ratio Increases the Risk for Obesity — NCBI
• Fish and Omega-3 Fatty Acids — Heart

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