Keto And Bloating: What's The Connection?

Feeling bloated after starting a keto diet is a common side effect. The ketogenic diet is a high-fat, low-carbohydrate diet that restricts daily carb intake to around 20 to 50 grams, causing the body to enter a state of ketosis. While the keto diet offers benefits such as increased metabolism and mental focus, it can also lead to bloating, especially during the initial transition period known as the keto flu. This is due to various factors such as dietary changes, gut flora imbalance, dehydration, insufficient fiber intake, and consumption of certain foods like sugar alcohols and MCT oil. To combat bloating, it is recommended to increase water intake, optimize fiber intake, avoid hidden carbs, and consider taking probiotics.

Dehydration

Additionally, as your body switches from using carbs for fuel, the liver releases its glycogen stores, which are a form of glucose stored with lots of water. This also exits the body through urine, leading to further dehydration. A low-carb diet also leads to the body producing less insulin, and less insulin in the bloodstream signals your kidneys to excrete sodium at a higher rate. Since sodium helps the body retain water, getting less of it can cause your body to not hold on to as much fluid.

The risk of dehydration is greater when you first start the keto diet because your body undergoes a lot of changes in how it handles water and electrolytes. It's important to note that dehydration can lead to unpleasant symptoms such as muscle cramps, headaches, constipation, and increased thirst and hunger levels. It can also cause more serious health issues like kidney stones, urinary tract infections, kidney damage, and increased blood pressure.

To avoid dehydration on the keto diet, it's crucial to maintain proper hydration levels and electrolyte balance. Here are some tips to help you stay hydrated:

• Start your day with a glass of water and try to drink around eight glasses of water throughout the day.
• Keep a full glass of water near you to remind yourself to drink.
• Purchase a daily water-tracking bottle or download a water-tracking app to monitor your intake.
• Stay hydrated with other liquids such as low-sugar broths, juices, sports drinks, and popsicles.
• Eat whole foods like leafy vegetables, which have a high water content, and nuts and seeds, which are high in electrolytes.
• Avocados, cucumbers, and celery are also good keto-friendly options as they contain a lot of water.
• Drink up to 2.5 liters of water per day when first starting the keto diet to prevent dehydration.
• Set reminders on your phone to drink water every hour.
• Infuse your water with fruits, herbs, or vegetables to add flavor.
• Drink water before and after meals.
• Avoid sugary drinks and replace them with water.

Lack of fibre

The keto diet is a high-fat, low-carb, moderate-protein eating pattern that induces a metabolic state called ketosis. While it offers several benefits, it can also cause some discomfort in the initial stages, including bloating.

The keto diet restricts several common sources of fibre, such as fruits, whole grains, starchy vegetables, bread, rice, pasta, and cereals. This reduction in fibre intake can slow down digestion, leading to increased fermentation and gas production in the gut, resulting in bloating.

To combat this issue, it is important to ensure adequate fibre intake by incorporating low-carb, fibre-rich foods into your diet. These include nuts, seeds, avocados, and non-starchy vegetables like broccoli and cauliflower. It is recommended to introduce these foods in small amounts to see how your body reacts. Additionally, you can consider taking a fibre supplement to meet your daily fibre needs, which is 28g per day for a 2,000-calorie diet.

While increasing fibre intake is crucial, it is also important not to overdo it. Excessive fibre consumption can draw too much water into the intestines, leading to water retention and a bloated, painful gut. Therefore, it is essential to find the right balance and gradually increase your fibre intake to allow your body to adjust.

Gut flora imbalance

The gut needs time to adjust to new foods, and during this transition period, the gut may become overgrown with bad bacteria, which is a known trigger for bloating. This is especially true if you've increased your sugar alcohol and MCT consumption, or if there have been changes in your dietary fibre intake.

To help your gut flora adjust to keto, consider taking probiotics, which can support your gut by giving it a healthy amount of good bacteria. Probiotics can be taken as drinkables or capsules, or consumed in foods such as low-carb natural yoghurt, kefir, sauerkraut, tempeh, kimchi, kombucha, miso, and pickles.

It's also important to consult a registered dietitian to help you choose foods that can support your gut microbiota as part of your routine.

Food intolerances

Some common food intolerances include lactose, histamine, and gluten. Other common triggers are artificial sweeteners, such as sugar alcohols. Sugar alcohols are poorly absorbed by the body, which can lead to water retention in the large intestine and, subsequently, bloating.

To determine which foods you are intolerant to, you can use the "elimination method". This involves eliminating potential triggers from your diet for a minimum of two weeks, and then slowly reintroducing them one by one. If you notice any adverse reactions, such as bloating, you can then choose to eliminate that food from your diet.

Alternatively, you can get tested by an allergist to determine your food intolerances more quickly.

Consuming too many sugar alcohols

Sugar alcohols are sweeteners that have tastes and textures similar to those of sugar, but with fewer calories and a less significant effect on blood sugar levels. They are often used to sweeten sugar-free or diet products like gum, yogurts, ice cream, coffee creamers, salad dressings, and protein bars and shakes. Common sugar alcohols include erythritol, xylitol, sorbitol, maltitol, and isomalt.

While sugar alcohols are considered keto-friendly, consuming them in excess can lead to bloating and other digestive issues. This is because the body cannot fully break down and absorb sugar alcohols, which can lead to water retention in the large intestine and an increased risk of gastrointestinal issues. Additionally, individuals with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) may experience negative side effects with any amount of sugar alcohols and should avoid them completely.

To reduce bloating, it is recommended to cut back on the consumption of sugar alcohols and opt for other keto-friendly sweeteners such as low-carb fruit flavoring, monk fruit, or stevia. It is also important to introduce sugar alcohols slowly into the diet and pay attention to how the body reacts.

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