The ketogenic diet has been getting a lot of press as of late.  Some say this style of eating is detrimental towards long term health and is a recipe for disaster.  Others claim this diet gives them endless energy and helps correct mental health disorders such as anxiety and depression.

However, there is ongoing research and talk that this diet can be excellent for those with digestive disorders such irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD).  Both of these conditions can wreak havoc on a individuals overall quality life and often these conditions become worse overtime.  As a result, many suffering from such conditions are looking for natural strategies such as the ketogenic diet in order to correct their digestive disorder.

Luckily, despite what the naysayers may say, the ketogenic diet can be a powerful and extremely helpful tool for those suffering from chronic digestive problems.  In fact, the ketogenic diet is not a diet at all, but rather a natural way of eating.

Hopefully, by the end of this post, you too will realize all the positive benefits a ketogenic diet can have on your chronic digestive disorder.

What is a Ketogenic Diet?

If you’ve landed on this page, it’s safe to say that you’re already familiar with what a ketogenic diet is.  However, for those unaware, a ketogenic diet simply means that the base of all your calories comes from fats.  Carbohydrates are severely limited and kept anywhere between 100 to 50 grams a day depending on the individual. 

Also, a high emphasis is put on fatty cuts of meats and foods naturally high in fat and low in both carbohydrates and sugars.  This allows the body to stay in a state of ketosis which simple means we are burning ketones (or fat) for fuel instead of carbohydrates.  Many will argue that ketones are the preferred fuel source of the body and that using carbohydrates (sugar) for fuel can have dire health consequences on the body when followed long term.

What the Ketogenic Diet is Not

When individuals first hear about the ketogenic diet, they almost immediately think of the Atkins diet.  However, the ketogenic diet is much more than just Atkins.  In fact, ketogenic diets do not encourage eating bacon at every single meal just because you can.

Rather, ketogenic diets promote using high quality animal products for your main source of fuel.  These animal products should be rotated frequently so that variety is achieved in the diet.  Also, plant fats such as avocadoes, nuts, seeds, coconut, and olive are also recommended in small amounts on the ketogenic diet.

However, the idea of consuming bacon and eggs every meal should be removed from your mind.  In fact, most suffering from digestive disorders such as IBS often have issues with eggs and are typically best avoided until the gut has fully healed.

How a Ketogenic Diet can Help IBS

As mentioned before, the majority of calories obtained on a ketogenic diet come from fat.  Fat is extremely nourishing to the gut and can help significantly reduce intestinal inflammation.  For those unaware, conditions such as IBS are chiefly caused by chronic intestinal inflammation in the gut.  Reducing this intestinal inflammation should be the number one goal of anyone dealing with digestive disorders such as IBS.

Furthermore, ketogenic diets are typically low in plant foods and fiber which contain high amounts anti-nutrients.  These anti-nutrients present in plant foods can contribute to intestinal inflammation and play a significant role in the development of digestive disorders.  In fact, research has shown that phytic acid (anti-nutrient) present in wheat can contribute to both intestinal inflammation and the binding of key minerals in the body (1).

Also, animal foods provide all the building block necessary in order to repair and heal the body from both external and internal damage.  Gelatinous cuts of meat are perfect for repairing the mucosal lining in the intestines which is often damaged in those with IBS.  It should be mentioned that animal foods do not contain anti-nutrients.  As a result, they lack the ability to cause intestinal inflammation like most plant foods.

With that said, many find some benefit from adding small amounts of fiber into their ketogenic diet.  However, this can be highly individualized and should be adjusted based on individual needs.  It should be mentioned that fat naturally helps lubricate the intestines and can actually combat conditions such as constipation.

Try a Ketogenic Diet for Better Gut Health

If you suffer from chronic IBS and have not yet tried a ketogenic style of eating, it’s highly recommended that you give this diet a try.  In fact, although we’ve never called our IBS diet “keto,” our IBS diet protocol found on our Diet Protocol Page can be classified as a ketogenic diet.  On this page you will find detailed information on the best foods to eat for IBS and what foods you should avoid.

Also, it can be extremely beneficial if you begin to include the following foods into your diet.  These foods have amazing gut healing properties and can be perfect for those suffering from high amounts of intestinal inflammation.

• Bone Broth
• Gelatinous Cuts of Meat
• Organ Meats (heart, kidney, liver)
• Grass-Fed Beef
• Pasture Raised Fowl
• Wild Caught Fish
• Fermented Vegetables

These foods can make great additions to a gut healing diet and provide everything the body needs for repair and healing.  Keep in mind, these foods should always be organically raised without the use of anti-biotics and steroids. 

For those struggling to find high quality foods such as the ones listed above, Grassland Beef is an excellent resource to utilize.  They will ship high quality frozen animal products right to your door!  You can visit them by clicking the link below.

US Wellness Meats sells quality grassland meat products – Visit us Online!

Try Our Cook Book

Our Intestinal Health Cookbook can be great for those with IBS and who are following a ketogenic style of eating.  There are over 20 amazing mouthwatering recipes in this cookbook that can help in the repair and healing of the gut.  Our cookbook is extremely ketogenic friendly and is naturally low carb.

We do in fact use “safe starches,” or carbohydrates that will not aggravate IBS in some of our recipes.  However, these safe starches can easily be taken out and replaced with a fat or protein source in order to adhere to a strict ketogenic style of eating.

Luckily, our recipes are easily modifiable which allows individuals to add their own creative touch to each meal!

Coconut Oil Vs. Animal Fat

When searching for ketogenic friendly foods, it’s highly likely that you will come across the amazing benefits of coconut oil.  In fact, coconut oil is typically a staple in the diet of those following a ketogenic style of eating.  However, we highly recommend you expand upon the fat sources in your diet.

Don’t get us wrong, coconut oil is great, but, high quality animal fats should be consumed as well.  Duck fat, tallow, ghee, chicken fat, fatty fish, and gelatinous cuts of meat are all great sources of fat.  Animal fats contain amazing gut healing properties and always come bound with a wide array of vitamins, minerals, and amino acids.  In fact, animal fat is by far the most healing food to the intestines and can be a god send for those with IBS.

It’s important to understand that consuming copious amounts of coconut oil is extremely unnatural.  If you were living in nature, do you think you would be able to create an endless supply of coconut oil?  Also, it must be remembered that coconuts are the part of the plant kingdom.  As a result, they will naturally contain anti-nutrients which can cause intestinal problems.

Interestingly, a small percentage find that they react poorly after consuming a few tablespoons of coconut oil.  Symptoms such as brain fog, nausea, and hyperactivity are common symptoms in individuals who react poorly to coconut oil.  Further investigation shows that coconut oil is fairly high in salicylates (anti-nutrient) which gives some individuals a negative reaction.

As always, animal foods contain no anti-nutrients which is why they are so beneficial for overall good intestinal health.

Go Easy on Nuts and Seeds

Although technically “keto friendly,” nuts and seeds are a rich source of anti-nutrients in the form of lectins.  In small amounts, lectins typically do not cause any problems.  However, when an individual is obtaining most of his/her fat from nuts and seeds, serious digestive problems can arise.

Certain preparation methods can reduce the amount anti-nutrients present in nuts and seeds such as cooking, fermenting, soaking, boiling, and roasting.  However, it would be in the best interest for those suffering from IBS to keep nuts and seeds to only a small portion each day.