Ketogenic Dieters After the Collapse

There seem to be a lot of people following a keto diet for a variety of reasons.  What I have wondered about is, what happens if the keto diet (very low carbohydrate, high fat) is suddenly stopped?  Like if your keto-practicing brother shows up on your doorstep when chaos begins, and he didn’t bring his preps with him?  Will a sudden change to your family’s long-term storage staples of whole grains and legumes (high carbohydrate, high fiber) merely cause him discomfort, or could there be more serious consequences? 

Should you sacrifice your meat and fats so that he can transition more slowly and with less discomfort?  Or will he have to suck it up?  And how does this differ from suddenly switching from a modern American diet to whole grains and legumes?

I spent a couple of hours searching articles in the NIH’s National Library of Medicine/National Center for Biotechnology Information database.  And I failed to come up with the right search terms.  So this information is synthesized from a few popular media articles.  I’m sorry, it’s the best I could do on a topic I’ve been curious about and believe could become an issue in the future.

Keto withdrawal symptoms that occur when suddenly switching from a ketogenic diet to whole grains and legumes include the following:

• Physiological
• Brain fog due to unstable glucose levels[1]
• Headaches[2]
• Increased blood sugar levels[3] [4]
• Sleep disruptions[5]
• Weight gain[6] [7] (due to water retention—carboHYDRATES have water!)
• Digestive
• Bloating[8][9] [10]
• Constipation[11]
• Diarrhea
• Gas
• Nausea[12]
• Metabolic
• Cravings for sugar or comfort foods[13] [14]
• Energy dips[15]
• Fatigue[16] [17]
• Mood swings due to dopamine crashes[18] [19]

These symptoms may last 2-7 days. 

If possible, gradually transition to whole grains and legumes over a 1-2 week period.  Rapidly introducing fiber in the form of whole grains and legumes may cause diarrhea.  To avoid constipation, drink plenty of water. To reduce flatulence, the first few days, consider using Beano.  Keep in mind that once the gut bacteria necessary to digest beans are restored, gassiness will disappear.  It usually takes just a week or two.  Continue to avoid processed foods and sugars.  Transition gradually from animal proteins to beans and legumes, but do maintain a good protein level to feel full.

In addition, it may be necessary to reduce the salt intake, which may have increased under the keto diet.  To prevent or reduce blood sugar spikes, consume complex carbohydrates at the same time as fats and protein. 

Just as the body experienced some drastic changes to the gut, physiology, and metabolism when the ketogenic diet was adopted, it will do so again when it is stopped.  Adverse effects can be mitigated with proper preparation.  But even without preparation, the effects will gradually resolve.  Those individuals who follow the keto diet for medical reasons must be prepared to continue indefinitely.  Raising protein and fat demands a lot of energy.  

Oh, and it wouldn't hurt to stock some extra toilet paper for the diarrhea and reading material for the constipation.

[1] https://www.castironketo.net/blog/what-happens-when-you-quit-keto/

[2] https://thecookingfacts.com/can-you-just-stop-the-keto-diet/

[3] https://www.castironketo.net/blog/what-happens-when-you-quit-keto/

[4] https://health.clevelandclinic.org/how-to-smoothly-transition-off-the-keto-diet

[5] https://www.castironketo.net/blog/what-happens-when-you-quit-keto/

[6] https://www.castironketo.net/blog/what-happens-when-you-quit-keto/

[7] https://health.clevelandclinic.org/how-to-smoothly-transition-off-the-keto-diet

[8] https://www.castironketo.net/blog/what-happens-when-you-quit-keto/

[9] https://health.clevelandclinic.org/how-to-smoothly-transition-off-the-keto-diet

[10] https://seriouslyketo.net/what-happens-if-you-go-off-keto/

[11] https://seriouslyketo.net/what-happens-if-you-go-off-keto/

[12] https://thecookingfacts.com/can-you-just-stop-the-keto-diet/

[13] https://www.castironketo.net/blog/what-happens-when-you-quit-keto/

[14] https://health.clevelandclinic.org/how-to-smoothly-transition-off-the-keto-diet

[15] https://www.castironketo.net/blog/what-happens-when-you-quit-keto/

[16] https://www.castironketo.net/blog/what-happens-when-you-quit-keto/

[17] https://health.clevelandclinic.org/how-to-smoothly-transition-off-the-keto-diet

[18] https://www.castironketo.net/blog/what-happens-when-you-quit-keto/

[19] https://health.clevelandclinic.org/how-to-smoothly-transition-off-the-keto-diet