Keto And Lipedema: A Potential Solution?

Lipedema is a chronic condition in which painful fat accumulates disproportionately on women’s hips and legs. It has traditionally been thought to be resistant to diet and exercise. However, a ketogenic diet may help alleviate the symptoms of lipedema.

Lipedema is a little-known and often misdiagnosed fat disorder. It is characterised by painful fat accumulation on the hips and legs, and occasionally upper arms. It arises almost exclusively in women, mainly at times of hormonal change such as puberty, pregnancy, or menopause.

The cause of lipedema is unknown, but it has a strong genetic link with likely a hormonal or another unidentified trigger. In later stages, with growing obesity, lipedema often progresses to lymphedema, which is the swelling of the legs and hips with lymph fluid caused by blockage or dysfunction of the lymphatic system.

A ketogenic diet is very low in carbohydrates and high in healthy fats. When carbohydrate intake is restricted, the body starts using dietary fat, as well as fat stored in adipose tissue, for fuel. A limitation on carbohydrates results in the production of ketones from fat, or ketogenesis. This shifts the body from a sugar-burning machine to a fat-burning machine.

A small study by Leslyn Keith, OTD, CLT-LANA in 2015 demonstrated a significant breakthrough for those with lymphatic disorders using a very low-carbohydrate, high-fat diet known as ketogenic. This way of eating minimises the symptoms of lipedema, such as pain and swelling, results in weight loss, and improves the quality of life for women with the condition.

In 2016, Keith and Catherine Seo, PhD, hosted a webinar about the rationale and practical steps to do a ketogenic diet for lipedema. About 50 women with lipedema attended. Since then, more than 10,000 women with lipedema have attended one of their webinars, masterclasses, or other support groups. A private Facebook group, Keto way of eating for lipedema, that Seo started in the fall of 2016, now has 11,500 members.

Anecdotal evidence suggests that a keto diet helps alleviate the symptoms of lipedema. For example, Mende Staggs, who had suffered from lipedema since her teens, started the keto diet in secret. Her leg pain disappeared even before she had lost any noticeable weight. And her lower body size steadily reduced over the coming months. She hasn't had a single migraine since the week she started keto in August 2016.

Another example is Theresa Deflitch, who had struggled with her weight since her teens. She started the keto diet on June 22, 2019. On June 28, six days later, her pain was gone. Within three months, the frequent bruising on her legs was gone. After a year of doing the keto diet, she had lost 65 pounds.

These anecdotes are not deemed good-quality evidence. However, when thousands of anecdotes are amassed, it starts becoming data, and a pattern can be observed.

Now, the Lipedema Project is working to promote its own research, a move stimulated by Megan Pfeffer joining the team. Seo, Keith, Pfeffer, and their colleagues aim to get their own randomised clinical trial underway. They are working on protocols, clear inclusion definitions, and also raising funds and support.

Recently, they were also co-authors, with seven others, on a journal paper that reviewed the research evidence about lipedema and summarised why a ketogenic diet may help it, concluding that good clinical trials are needed.

The ketogenic diet can help reduce pain in people with lipedema

Lipedema is a chronic condition that causes painful fat accumulation in the hips and legs, almost exclusively in women. It is often misdiagnosed as obesity and has traditionally been thought to be resistant to diet and exercise. However, there is growing anecdotal evidence that a ketogenic diet can help reduce pain and improve quality of life for people with lipedema.

The ketogenic diet is a very low-carbohydrate, high-fat diet that puts the body into a state of ketosis, where it burns fat for fuel instead of carbohydrates. This diet has been shown to have anti-inflammatory properties and may help reduce pain and swelling associated with lipedema.

In a small pilot study, women with lipedema who followed a ketogenic diet for 7 weeks experienced a significant reduction in pain and an improvement in quality of life. Another study found that a ketogenic diet led to a significant weight loss and a decrease in body circumferences in a woman with lipedema. Additionally, a German clinic reported that 83% of women with lipedema who followed a ketogenic diet experienced significant weight loss, pain reduction, and leg size reduction.

While these results are promising, more high-quality research is needed to confirm the effectiveness of the ketogenic diet for lipedema. However, the existing evidence suggests that the ketogenic diet can help reduce pain and improve quality of life for people with lipedema.

The ketogenic diet can help with weight loss in people with lipedema

Lipedema is a chronic condition that causes painful fat accumulation on the hips and legs, and occasionally upper arms, of women. It has traditionally been thought to be resistant to diet and exercise. However, a ketogenic diet has been found to help with weight loss in people with lipedema.

The ketogenic diet is a very low-carbohydrate, high-fat diet. When the body is restricted of carbohydrates, it starts using dietary fat, as well as fat stored in adipose tissue, for fuel. This shift in the body's fuel source is called ketosis.

Research conducted by Leslyn Keith in 2015 demonstrated a significant breakthrough for those with lipedema using a ketogenic diet. This way of eating minimizes the symptoms of lipedema, such as pain and swelling, results in weight loss, and improves the quality of life for women with the condition.

In a study by Vilde Sørlie, nine women with lipedema followed a 7-week low-carbohydrate, high-fat diet, followed by 6 weeks of a diet following the Nordic nutrition recommendations. The low-carbohydrate, high-fat diet induced a significant weight loss and reduction in pain. A significant increase in general quality of life was also found.

In another study, a 32-year-old woman diagnosed with lipedema type IV and V, stage II-III, achieved a significant weight loss, with a net decrease in body circumferences, and also reported an improvement in pain and overall quality of life.

The ketogenic diet can be challenging to follow and may not work for everyone with lipedema. However, the positive anecdotes and research findings suggest that it may be a promising approach for weight loss and symptom management in people with lipedema.

The ketogenic diet can improve the quality of life in people with lipedema

Lipedema is a chronic condition that causes painful fat accumulation on the hips and legs, and occasionally upper arms, of women. It has traditionally been thought to be resistant to diet and exercise. However, a ketogenic diet may be an effective treatment for lipedema, as it can reduce pain and improve quality of life.

The ketogenic diet is a very low-carbohydrate, high-fat diet that puts the body into a metabolic state called ketosis, where fat is burned for energy instead of carbohydrates. This diet has been shown to be effective in managing weight and reducing pain and inflammation in people with lipedema.

The exact mechanisms behind the effectiveness of the ketogenic diet in treating lipedema are not yet fully understood. However, it is believed that the diet may work by reducing inflammation, improving metabolism and hormonal function, reducing edema, and preventing fibrosis.

The ketogenic diet has been found to be especially effective in reducing pain and improving quality of life for people with lipedema. In a study by Keith et al., women with lipedema who followed a ketogenic diet experienced a significant reduction in pain and an improvement in their overall quality of life. Similar results were observed in a study by Sørlie et al., where participants reported a reduction in pain and an improvement in their quality of life after following a ketogenic diet for seven weeks.

In addition to pain relief and quality of life improvements, the ketogenic diet has also been shown to aid in weight loss and reduce body fat in people with lipedema. In a case study by Cannataro et al., a 32-year-old woman with lipedema followed a ketogenic diet for 22 months and achieved significant weight loss, with a decrease in body fat percentage and body circumferences.

While the ketogenic diet has shown promising results in treating lipedema, it is important to note that it may not work for everyone. More research and larger-scale clinical trials are needed to confirm the effectiveness of the ketogenic diet as a treatment for lipedema.

The ketogenic diet can reduce inflammation in people with lipedema

Lipedema is a chronic disease that predominantly affects women and is characterised by abnormal and painful fat buildup on the legs and/or arms. It is often misdiagnosed as obesity or lymphedema. The condition is resistant to weight loss diets, but may respond to ketosis. The ketogenic diet has been shown to be an effective treatment for lipedema, especially in the context of obesity, due to its anti-inflammatory properties.

• Reducing insulin levels and improving insulin sensitivity.
• Reducing adipose tissue and swelling.
• Enhancing lymph transport.
• Improving lymph vessel integrity and lymph transport.
• The release of BHB (beta-hydroxybutyrate), the main ketone produced during ketosis, which has an anti-inflammatory effect.

The ketogenic diet can help with leg swelling in people with lipedema

Lipedema is a chronic and painful condition that causes fat to accumulate disproportionately on women's hips and legs. It has traditionally been thought to be resistant to diet and exercise. However, there is growing anecdotal evidence that a ketogenic diet can help with leg swelling in people with lipedema.

A ketogenic diet is a very low-carbohydrate, high-fat diet that puts the body into a metabolic state called ketosis, where it burns fat for fuel instead of carbohydrates. This diet has been found to be effective in managing weight and reducing pain and inflammation in people with lipedema.

In a small pilot study, nine women with lipedema followed a ketogenic diet for seven weeks, which resulted in a significant reduction in weight and pain. The pain reduction was not correlated with weight loss, suggesting that the ketogenic diet may have a direct impact on pain management. Additionally, the participants reported an improvement in their quality of life.

Another case study reported on a 32-year-old woman with lipedema who followed a ketogenic diet for 22 months. She achieved significant weight loss, a decrease in body circumferences, and an improvement in pain and overall quality of life.

While these studies provide encouraging results, larger randomized clinical trials are needed to confirm the effectiveness of the ketogenic diet in managing lipedema. Nevertheless, the growing body of evidence suggests that a ketogenic diet may be a promising approach to help with leg swelling and other symptoms associated with lipedema.

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