While the keto diet is extremely popular and has many health benefits, is it right for all ages? Today, I want to talk about keto for seniors, the health risks and the benefits it has for brain health, plus all the other benefits it comes with.
***And as always, before we start this please please, please make sure to check with your doctor or your health care provider before starting any kind of new diet. ***
I am not a doctor or health care practitioner. I’m just a woman over 60 who tries things to see if they work or not. You must do your own testing and trials to see what works for you. I try to give you the best information I can find.
Always do a lot of research before you start anything new.
Before we get into this, I think it’s important to note that we are what we eat. If you eat crap food and have a poor diet, that will manifest poorly in your physical and mental health. Do yourself a favour and be kind to your body and give it good foods!
Now that we got that out of the way, let’s talk keto for seniors and all things keto!
What is the Keto Diet?
Before we begin, it’s important to understand exactly what the keto diet is. I know you’ve heard a lot about it, but maybe you just aren’t sure exactly what it is.
Here is a very brief, and cut and dry, description of what the keto diet really is.
The ketogenic diet is a low-carb diet (high fat) that has incredible health benefits, including:
- weight loss
- blood sugar control
- reduce the risk of heart disease/heart attack
- helps reduce high blood pressure
- help prevent Alzheimer’s disease
- and so much more!
It is very similar to the Atkins diet in that they are both low carbs, but with Atkins, you gradually increase your carb intake.
Please check with your doctor first. Sorry, I just had to reiterate that.
In this article, I’m going to discuss:
- the benefits of keto
- how keto can help prevent memory loss
- some studies done on the keto diet for brain health
- foods you can and can’t eat on keto
How Healthy is the Keto Diet For Women Over 60?
It has been my experience that older women have different health challenges, or conditions if you will. It’s important to know that what works for one woman over 60 might not work for another. Please don’t compare yourself to others, especially when it comes to your health.
To answer the question, is keto healthy for older women, yes it is but you should know, it’s not an entirely easy diet to follow either.
It requires tons of willpower and discipline, both of which I seem to have little of.
As older adults, we have been eating a certain way our entire lives, so changing that up drastically will take a lot of work, but it will be worth it.
You might also really like this recent article on Lion’s Mane Supplements that I started using.
What is the Principle Behind the Ketogenic Diet?
So we already know it’s a low-carb diet, high fat, but what’s the science/principle behind it? Well, by depleting the body of carbs, you force the body to burn fat for fuel, resulting in weight loss.
But there’s more to keto than that. Yes, its primary use is for weight loss, but what about all the other health benefits?
If you remember, I mentioned that it reduces the risk of heart attack, may lower blood pressure, and can help prevent Alzheimer’s – these are all things women over 60 need to worry about.
In my opinion, it’s never too late to start getting healthier, and I think the keto diet is a good start.
The Benefits of Keto for Seniors
Now you understand a little more about the keto diet, is keto for seniors or no? I want to discuss some of the brain health benefits of and the science behind this diet and how it can help prevent Alzheimers/dementia/memory loss.
The relationship between the ketogenic diet and the prevention or treatment of dementia and Alzheimer’s disease is an area of ongoing research. Here’s a summary of what I found:
Potential Mechanisms:
The ketogenic diet induces a state of ketosis, where the body uses ketones, rather than glucose, as its primary fuel source. Some research suggests that this alternative energy source may be beneficial for brain cells, particularly those affected by Alzheimer’s disease, which often exhibit impaired glucose metabolism.
The keto diet may also have anti-inflammatory effects, which could be relevant given that inflammation is believed to play a role in neurodegenerative diseases.
Some studies indicate that ketones can support mitochondrial function, which is important for brain cell health.
Source: National Library of Medicine
And this:
Some studies, including those conducted on animal models, have shown promising results, suggesting that the keto diet may help to delay the onset or slow the progression of Alzheimer’s disease.
Source: Sage Journals
And this decent finding from the UC Davis:
A recent study from the University of California, Davis, has provided findings indicating that the ketogenic diet may play a role in delaying early stages of memory loss. Here’s a breakdown of the key points:
- Focus on Early Memory Decline:
- The research focused on the early stages of Alzheimer’s-related memory loss in mice, which is comparable to mild cognitive impairment in humans.
- Key Molecule: Beta-hydroxybutyrate (BHB):
- The study found that the molecule beta-hydroxybutyrate (BHB), which increases significantly on the ketogenic diet, plays a crucial role in preventing early memory decline.
- BHB was shown to improve the function of synapses, which are essential for nerve cell connections in the brain.
- Study Findings:
- The ketogenic diet led to significant delays in early-stage Alzheimer’s-related memory loss in the mice studied.
- The study showed increases in biochemical pathways related to memory formation.
- It was noted that the keto diet seemed to show more benefits in female mice.
- Important Considerations:
- It’s important to understand that this research was conducted on mice, and further studies are needed to determine the full extent of these effects in humans.
- The researchers emphasized that the ketogenic diet does not eliminate Alzheimer’s disease, but it may delay its early stages.
- Source: UCDavis
In essence, the study provides evidence that the ketogenic diet, particularly through the action of BHB, could have a protective effect against early memory decline.
So you can see there’s been a ton of research on this topic and this fad diet.
What Can You Eat and Not Eat on the Keto Diet?
It’s important to know that your carb intake for the day is fairly restricted, so you need to make sure you are eating the right carbs.
Here’s a little checklist of the good carbs you can eat on the ketogenic diet.
Veggies (the number beside is the amount of carbs per 3.5 oz serving)
- Asparagus 2
- Cabbage 3
- Cauliflower 3
- Cucumbers 3
- Broccoli 4
- Avocado 2
- Green Beans 4
- Lettuce 2
- Olives 3
- Tomatoes 3
- Brussel Sprouts 5
- Zucchini 3
- Spinach 1
- Leafy Greens
Fruits (also 3.5 oz serving)
Unfortunately, the fruits you are allowed to eat are significantly fewer than veggies, and that’s because fruits are very high in simple carbs, which happen to contain a ton of sugar. While we want to believe eating lots of fruit and veggies is good for us, such is not the case.
Here’s a tiny list of fruits that are safe to eat on a low-carb diet. Don’t cry.
- Blackberries
- Strawberries
- Raspberries
The end. I know. I told ya it was a teeny list. You can add Cantaloupe (7), Watermelon (7), and Peach (8) but in moderation.
FYI bananas are the highest at 20 (I’m crying so hard because I love bananas so much).
Food You Must Avoid
Get the tissues. Here is what you absolutely positively should not eat on a ketogenic diet.
- Bread
- Pasta
- Potatoes (chips/sweet/mashed/whatever/no)
- Pizza
- Cookies/pies/cakes/sugar
- Any type of grains
- Syrups/careful of sauces and dips/honey/juices/sweetened anything
- Ice cream
So you can see that willpower and discipline are super important here if you want to succeed on the keto diet.
Sugar should be completely eliminated from your diet, and remember alcohol contains sugar-sorry!
By the way, dairy is allowed on keto. Yay. That means cheese, milk, and yogurt (if you really love those items), and the fuller fat, the better. Make sure there is no added sugar in yogurt. Natural is best with a sprinkling of berries.
Yum!
Also all animal products are also safe to eat on keto, as well as all healthy fats like olive oil, butter, avocadoes, and nuts (pecans, macadamias, walnuts).
More Health Benefits of Keto For Women Over 60
I want to touch upon some of the health benefits of keto for women over 60, like the ones I mentioned above.
Let’s talk about that muffin top and the weird weight gain we have to deal with, shall we?
The mayoclinic.org has this really great article that talks about that silly belly fat, how to take it off and keep it off. You’ll see diet and exercise are part of that.
But I just want to add my two cents here, though. If you eat sugar, bad carbs, drink wine, and all those other bad things, well, you’re gonna gain weight, and it’s no secret women gain it all around their belly.
If you stick to the keto diet and exercise, you’ll be able to lose weight and control this!
Everyone knows that sugar is bad for you, but it’s really bad for your skin, in case you didn’t know that. And let’s not forget that as we age, our skin already starts getting wrinkles and sags. Sugar just adds to that.
So cutting out sugar is def not a bad thing!
But let’s talk a bit about how it can prevent Alzheimer’s disease because, let’s face it, who the heck wants?? My mom had it, and I wouldn’t wish that on my worst enemy.
According to the site Frontiers in Nutrition:
It seems that a diet based on high-fat and low-carbohydrate content induces the body to a ketosis state similar to the effect of fasting, generating a neuroprotective action on aging brain cells, reducing brain inflammation, and improving mitochondrial function.
Source: frontiersin.org
And here’s more from aarp.org
The newest science suggests that a ketogenic diet — heavy on fat and very light on carbohydrates — could improve thinking in people with Alzheimer’s disease, and that it may even help reduce the risk of the deadly brain disorder in the first place.
Source: aarp.org
Studies continue to roll in for keto for women over 60, and it only shows that it certainly can make aging easier and healthier.
Final Thoughts on the Keto for seniors
Check with your doctor!!!! I seriously want to shout this off the rooftop because it’s just that important.
At this stage of our lives, it’s so important to take better care of ourselves and be hyper-aware of what you eat, how often you exercise, etc. And it’s not too late to make changes either. I quit smoking at 62 years old and feel like a million bucks.
It’s big changes, little changes, they all add up!
Remember, you are in control of your life and your health. If you want to be healthy and have a good quality of life in your golden years, it’s up to you to do that.
I hope you enjoyed this blog and please share!
ox iva xo
