Nutrition
Are fad diets healthy for your blood sugar levels?
By Shetal Desai Rautela, RDN, CDCES
Jan. 2, 2025 • 3 min read
The content in this article should not be taken as medical advice. Please consult with your healthcare provider regarding your individual health needs.
Fad diets gained popularity way back in the 1800s, thriving on the promise of quick fixes for health or weight loss. The term "fad" itself implies a short-lived trend, and that’s the concern with these diets: they’re not designed for long-term success. The American Association of Clinical Endocrinology defines them as diets that often claim exaggerated benefits—like significant weight loss—but they’re usually backed by little scientific evidence.
The dangers and risks of fad diets
Most fad diets geared toward improving glucose levels tend to be ones that promote carbohydrate restrictions such as the Atkins diet, ketogenic diets, or low carb-high fat diets. For people with prediabetes or type 2 diabetes, it’s important to proceed with caution and lean on guidance from their care team to be well-informed about how these diets work.
While some studies have examined the short-term effects of keto diets on improving glucose levels and weight management, comprehensive long-term data for their overall health implications is still lacking. According to Harvard Health, a ketogenic diet has numerous risks, such as cardiovascular events, nutritional deficiencies, liver problems, gut health issues, and kidney problems.
Here are four risks of fad diets you should keep in mind:
1. Ketosis vs. diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA)
Fad diets like keto rely on ketosis, a state in which your body burns fat instead of glucose for energy. While nutritional ketosis can be safe for most people without diabetes, it’s critical to understand the difference between ketosis and diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA). DKA occurs when there is an overload of ketones in your blood, which may cause further complications. Certain classes of medications can increase the chance of ketone buildup, so it’s a good idea to consult with your healthcare team before starting a keto diet.
2. Risk of hypoglycemia (low blood sugar)
Very low-carb diets or intermittent fasting may increase the risk of hypoglycemia. Using a glucose biosensor, like Stelo, can help you monitor your glucose levels throughout the day. It’s important to know the symptoms of both high and low glucose levels, and it’s a good idea to consult with your healthcare team before making drastic dietary changes.
3. Heart health concerns
Fad diets often replace carbs with high-fat foods, which can include sources like butter, fatty meats, or food sources high in saturated fats. These choices may negatively affect your heart and metabolic health over time.
4. Weight management challenges
While fad diets may deliver quick results, they’re often unsustainable. This can lead to weight regain once you stop the diet, making it harder to achieve long-term health goals.
Recognizing fad diets
The National Institutes of Health points out some common red flags of fad diets:
- Severe restrictions: Be wary of diets that limit (or even demonize) an entire food group.
- Quick fixes: If it sounds too good to be true, it almost definitely is.
- Lack of flexibility: Is there an emphasis on strict adherence and no way to personalize things to fit your lifestyle?
A better approach: Personalized nutrition
The American Diabetes Association (ADA) emphasizes the importance of individualized meal plans that fit your lifestyle, preferences, budget, and glucose patterns. Rather than focusing on specific nutrients, think about the overall quality of your meals.
- Choose fiber-rich carbs like legumes, whole grains, and fruits over processed options.
- Balance meals with all food groups to support sustainable glucose management.
The ADA’s recommendations align with the American Heart Association’s guidelines for improving heart health along with glycemic control.
Keep separating fact from fiction
Fad diets may come and go, but the key to success is gaining insights with the help of tools like glucose biosensors. With technology driven knowledge and guidance from a registered dietitian, you can build healthy habits, and meal plans that work for you, not against you.
The production of this article was sponsored by Stelo by Dexcom.
Author profile
SD
Shetal Desai Rautela, RDN, CDCES
Shetal Desai Rautela, RDN, CDCES, is a registered dietitian, diabetes care, and education specialist with 15+ years of expertise in diabetes, metabolic health, and child nutrition.