You may have heard the term “keto” without exactly knowing what it means. It’s a type of diet that seems to be gaining popularity among fitness and wellness practitioners worldwide. Not only that, but the keto diet is also becoming increasingly popular among ordinary people like you and me who just want to reach a healthier lifestyle or are just making an effort to achieve some health goals.
But, in order to experience the benefits of living the keto lifestyle, you need to be disciplined and fully adhere to this diet. In that sense, the keto diet can present several challenges, just like many diets. That is why some people seek support in methods or supplements that can help meet the requirements of this diet or that can even enhance the beneficial effects of ketosis. This is where CBD could play an important role.
So, if you want to understand the relationship between CBD and keto, read on, and you will find the answers you’re looking for.
Key Takeaways
- The existing data suggest that CBD and the keto diet may complement each other in different ways.
- Evidence suggests that the ketogenic diet could improve energy levels, reduce blood sugar and insulin levels, and increase the level of ketones in the body, which could have several health benefits.
- CBD and the keto diet could have a synergistic relationship. Combining CBD oil with the keto diet could be greater than some believe.
What is Keto?
Keto is short for the ketogenic diet. It was Russell M. Wilder who first coined this term in 1921, and as years went by began to catch on as the keto diet. But you may wonder why something so seemingly simple causes such a stir. The answer is that the keto diet has been helping many people achieve specific fitness goals in a short period of time.
The ketogenic diet is a very low-carb, high-fat diet that shares many similarities with the Atkins diet and other types of low-carb diets. To get an idea, the ketogenic diet is 70% to 75% fat, 20% protein, and only 5% to 10% carbohydrates. By balancing your diet in this way, you force your body into a metabolic state known as ketosis, in which the body uses and produces its energy slightly differently.
What is a Keto Diet?
The keto diet is a type of diet that reduces the consumption of carbohydrates to only 50 grams per day. The peculiarity of the keto diet is that it is a high-fat diet in which you can consume your choice of meat, poultry, fish, nuts, dairy, and healthy fats such as avocado, avocado oil, olive oil, cocoa butter, and unrefined coconut oil.
The main goal of the ketogenic diet is to help the body enter a fat-burning state called ketosis. When the human body enters ketosis, instead of relying on glucose or sugar from carbohydrates such as grains, cereals, legumes, vegetables, and fruits, the metabolism relies on ketosis bodies, a type of fuel that our liver produces from stored fat.
This means that when entering ketosis, stored fats are burned and processed by our liver, which converts them into ketones, which serve as fuel for the brain, muscles, and the body in general.
Can You Use CBD on Keto?
The short answer is yes. In fact, CBD and the keto diet could have a similar synergistic relationship as CBD and adaptogens which can be seen as a win-win relationship as the benefits of joining CBD oil with the keto diet could be greater than some believe.
Both CBD oil and the ketogenic diet can have beneficial applications for health on an individual basis. But, the cross-reference of the benefits of getting into ketosis in conjunction with the potential beneficial effects of CBD oil shows some fascinating parallels. This is because CBD oil is not only keto-friendly, but it could even enhance the effects of the ketogenic diet.
What are the Benefits of Ketosis and CBD?
As we mentioned, when we enter ketosis, the body burns stored fat for energy instead of using glucose. This metabolic state can bring with it several benefits, including:
- Potential weight loss.
- Improvements in heart health.
- Reduction of blood sugar level.
- Neuroprotective effects.
- Possible decrease in seizures.
- Acne improvements.
- Improvement in the symptoms of PCOS.
- Decreased anxiety and symptoms of depression.
- Reduction of PTSD symptoms.
- Relief of chronic or acute pain.
- Reduction of diabetic complications.
- Neuroprotective effects.
- Reduction in seizures and specific symptoms of epilepsy.
- Potential addiction assistance.
We still need more specific studies on the relationship between ketosis and CBD to confirm the veracity of many of the possible benefits. Nonetheless, besides having several benefits in common, using CBD oil while following a ketogenic diet could have a synergistic effect that goes both ways, simultaneously boosting the effectiveness of both CBD and the ketogenic diet.
Benefits of CBD Oil on the Keto Diet
It is already clear that CBD oil is compatible with the ketogenic diet. But, beyond being compatible, there are some specific aspects of the ketogenic diet that CBD oil could enhance. Among the particular benefits that CBD oil could provide when following a ketogenic diet:
Promotes weight loss
CBD oil could help by promoting ketosis and overall weight loss. Evidence from a 2016 study found that CBD might increase markers associated with fat browning, a process in which unhealthy or "white" fat turns into healthy "brown" fat.
This study also suggests that CBD could speed up the metabolism of lipids or fat cells. Still, we need human studies to corroborate this evidence since, like the discovery of fat browning, this was only observed in vitro studies.
Additionally, the type of CBD oil that we choose to complement our keto diet also influences our keto regime since there are many brands and types of CBD oil, most with different formulations. This is extremely important since, although CBD oil is keto-friendly, some formulations might contain a specific kind of sugar or carrier oil that can break ketosis.
Therefore, to boost weight loss and supplement the keto diet with CBD, it is best to choose one of the best CBD oils for weight loss to be sure that your CBD oil will help you meet your keto goals instead of interrupting them.
Anti-inflammatory Potential
One of the potential effects of CBD that has attracted the attention of researchers for years is its possible immunomodulatory effect. A 2019 study details how CBD oil could decrease inflammation by mediating the immune response.
Additionally, a 2014 study suggests that CBD has an anti-inflammatory effect on human skin cells or sebocytes. Another study found that CBD may provide long-lasting protection against damage induced by MS-related inflammation. There is also preliminary data that points towards the possible anti-inflammatory qualities of the ketogenic diet.
Both the anti-inflammatory potential of the ketogenic diet and the ability of CBD to mediate the immune response need full-scale clinical trials to corroborate them fully.
Stress-Relieving Properties
The ketogenic diet can certainly bring some benefits to people's health, but it also presents some challenges that must be endured or overcome to enjoy these benefits. One of the main conflicts people encounter on a keto diet is stress. In this sense, CBD oil, in addition to establishing a direct synergistic relationship with the ketogenic diet, also brings its own unique benefits to the equation.
The ketogenic diet is a rigorous eating regime that tends to be challenging to maintain as the pressure of sticking to this particular diet can increase over time. The desire to eat some food rich in carbohydrates or sugars can increase the longer we have been depriving ourselves of them. In addition, food is one of the most recurring relief resources when suffering from stress.
But this is exactly where CBD oil could be a helpful tool. Some studies suggest that CBD oil could be an excellent anxiolytic, even relieving some of the symptoms of PTSD and helping to reduce some types of anxiety, such as anticipatory and social anxiety. Nevertheless, more research is needed to thoroughly verify the potential anti-anxiety qualities of CBD.
Anticonvulsant Potential
Another reason CBD oil draws researchers' attention, and one of the benefits in common with the ketogenic diet is the anticonvulsant potential that this cannabinoid could present.
In fact, an analysis of a 2017 research suggests that cannabidiol might improve symptoms of some types of epilepsy, especially Dravet syndrome and Lennox-Gastaut syndrome.
Although these studies are not entirely conclusive as to whether CBD has general anticonvulsant potential, previous clinical results are promising and point to a case-specific potential.
Sleep Improvements
In addition to occasional stress, the ketogenic diet can also cause a change in the production of sleep-regulating hormones in some cases, which could lead to sleep problems. This is where CBD could positively intervene since one of the possible benefits of CBD that scientists are studying is its potential to benefit the sleep-wake cycle.
A 2019 study suggests that CBD could help achieve full and regular sleep. However, the data for this study were collected afterward, so we cannot take it as absolute proof of CBD's potential to improve sleep.
Does CBD Affect Ketosis?
Although we have already made it clear, it bears repeating; Yes, CBD does affect ketosis but in a positive way. If the question is whether CBD or CBD oil can disrupt ketosis, there is nothing to worry about. CBD oil will not get you out of ketosis; on the contrary, its properties could amplify the results of a ketogenic diet.
We just have to be careful about choosing the right CBD product to ensure we have a winning keto + CBD combination to help us meet our goals as some CBD products could contain other ingredients that affect the keto diet.
Are CBD Gummies Keto-Friendly?
Now that we have talked about the perfect match that CBD and the ketogenic diet can make, it is normal for some to wonder if this also applies to CBD gummies. The reality is that it depends since some CBD gummies could be compatible with the keto diet but would have to be keto-friendly from their formulation. This means that it all depends on the ingredients that CBD gummies contain.
Some CBD gummies, in addition to cannabidiol, may contain sugars or corn syrup which translates into carbohydrates and, therefore, would not be compatible with the ketogenic diet.
But, if you are looking for a keto-friendly way to include CBD in your routines to boost ketosis, you could simply use a CBD strain to get the benefits of this cannabinoid. Some CBD strains are great for weight loss and could help you reach some of your keto goals faster.
Where to Buy Keto CBD Online
If you are looking for a CBD product to complement and boost your keto diet, look no further! In our store, you can find different keto-friendly CBD products such as our live resin CBD tincture, CBD strains and pre-rolls from which you can choose the one that best suits your needs and thus boost your ketosis while enjoying a high-quality CBD product.
For example, if you're looking for a CBD pre-roll with energizing effects and luscious tropical flavors, our Sour Hawaiian Haze pre-rolls might be the perfect fit for you.
