Growing trends among individuals looking for alternative methods to health and well-being are the usage of cannabis and the ketogenic diet (keto). Cannabis is well known for its potential benefits in controlling pain, anxiety, and appetite control. In contrast, the keto diet concentrates on lowering carbs and raising good fats to increase fat burning.

The combination of these two may confuse the impact of cannabis on ketosis, a metabolic state that is essential to the efficacy of the ketogenic diet. Examining how cannabis and keto interact can offer new ideas on how to maximize health while adhering to a high-fat, low-carb lifestyle.

What is the Keto Diet?

Common to both the Atkins and low-carb diets is the ketogenic diet, which is an extremely low-carb and high-fat diet. It is consuming fat in place of a significant reduction in carbohydrates. Your body enters ketosis, a metabolic state brought on by this carbohydrate decrease. Your body becomes exceptionally adept at burning fat for energy while this takes place. The liver also converts fat into ketones, providing the brain with energy. Blood sugar and insulin levels can drop significantly when following a ketogenic diet. This has several health advantages in addition to the higher ketones.

Different Types of Keto Diets

Various Keto diets are available, and you can select one based on your objectives and the features of your body and mind.

1. The Targeted Keto Diet

For athletes or those who engage in high-intensity exercise routines like swimming, running, or bodybuilding, the Targeted Keto Diet (TKD) is an excellent choice. This diet permits adherents to supplement the Standard Keto Diet with roughly 25 grams of carbohydrates to fuel their bodies before exercise.

2. The Standard Keto Diet

One of the most well-liked variations of the ketogenic diet is the Standard Keto Diet (or STD), which calls for consuming zero percent of calories from carbohydrates, 20 percent from moderate protein, and 75 percent of calories from fat. Be aware that there may be small variations in the ratio based on the dietitian's recommendations.

3. The Cyclical Keto Diet

Due to its alternating high- and low-carb intake stages, the Cyclical Keto diet is easier to follow over the long run. A five- to six-day diet is typically combined with one or two days off for cyclical keto. Should you worry that you will miss your favorite ice cream too much, this is the ketogenic diet to follow.

What's the Link Between Keto Diets and Cannabis?

The conditions that are frequently treated with a ketogenic diet and those that are treated with medicinal marijuana have a lot in common. Many people are unaware, nevertheless, that the initial purpose of the keto diet was to address seizures in kids with epilepsy who were not responding to medication. Reducing seizures is another well-known benefit of cannabis. Cannabis and keto assist in regulating insulin, blood sugar, and energy levels. Both of these are linked to reduced levels of inflammation. The endocannabinoid system (ECS), a regulatory mechanism present in all mammals that helps in maintaining homeostasis throughout the body's systems, is significantly impacted by both keto and cannabis.

Pros and Cons of the Keto Diet

The high-fat, low-carb ketogenic diet has become well-known due to its potential advantages for improving general health and weight loss. Like every diet, there are benefits and drawbacks to this one.

Pros

Seizures: The ability of the keto diet to lessen seizures in epileptic patients is its most well-known benefit. It continues to be utilized today, having been used to treat refractory epilepsy since the 1920s. Although the exact method by which the ketogenic diet reduced seizures is yet unknown, changes to some endocannabinoid system components have been noted throughout the ketogenic diet.
Weight loss: Over the past few years, the ketogenic diet has gained popularity due to its capacity to accelerate weight loss. There is a noticeable diuresis in the early stages of starting a ketogenic diet (loss of water). When starting a ketogenic diet, this water weight is eliminated quickly; some people report losing over 10 pounds in the first few weeks. Anyone attempting to lose weight may find great motivation from this kickstart.

Cons

Long-term effects: Concerns regarding the ketogenic diet's long-term tolerability are the root of one of the main issues with it. Not only is it difficult to imagine avoiding the mouth-watering sweets we come into contact with daily, but there are also worries over excess cholesterol and nutrient deficits. Consuming only fat for energy increases animal fats and protein, which have long been associated with health risks and high cholesterol levels.

Keto Tips for Cannabis Users

There are a few useful things to bear in mind for people who use cannabis and are thinking about following a ketogenic diet:

Opt for CBD: Select CBD products that serve as natural appetite suppressants and can help with weight control if you want to avoid the increased appetite that THC is known to contribute to.

Select Edibles Wisely: High carbohydrate content in many cannabis edibles can prevent ketosis. By carefully reading the labels, ensure the products have less than 5–10% carbs.

Plan for the Munchies: Prepare yourself with keto-friendly foods like nuts, avocados, and full-fat cheeses, so you won't have to break your diet when hunger hits.

Conclusion

In short, adding cannabis to a ketogenic diet may have some advantages, especially in terms of reducing stress, discomfort, and inflammation, all of which can improve general health. However, it is crucial to select the appropriate cannabis strains and products because some can have higher carb counts, which may cause problems with ketosis. Furthermore, monitoring dosage and using cannabis responsibly are essential to ensuring that it enhances rather than takes away from the ketogenic lifestyle. As usual, it's crucial to speak with a medical expert to find out if adding cannabis to your keto journey is suitable.

FAQ's

Q1. Does cannabis use affect ketosis?

By changing hunger and dietary preferences, cannabis usage may have an indirect impact on ketosis by increasing the risk of greater carbohydrate intake, which can upset ketosis. Cannabis' "munchies" impact usually makes people crave foods high in carbohydrates.

Q2. What is keto?

The low-carb, high-fat ketogenic diet, sometimes called the "keto diet," attempts to promote better metabolic health and help in weight loss.

Q3. Can you smoke while on keto?

following a ketogenic diet, cannabis consumption is legal. Some studies point to potential connections between cannabis usage and ketosis, regardless of the lack of available data. You should, however, be aware of the cannabis products you choose and how they may affect the amount of carbohydrates you eat.

Q4. Does CBD kick you out of ketosis?

Not only is CBD not detrimental to a ketogenic diet, but it also works well in conjunction with it due to its beneficial fat content. Research indicates that there may be synergistic benefits between keto and CBD, suggesting that one can improve the other.

Q5. What cancels out carbs on keto?

Since fiber and sugar alcohols don't elevate blood sugar like traditional carbohydrates do, they are referred to as "non-impact" carbohydrates on the ketogenic diet. Net carbohydrates (carbs that influence ketosis) are calculated by deducting fibre and specific sugar alcohols (erythritol, allulose) from total carbohydrate content. This contributes to reduced carbohydrate consumption, which is necessary to sustain ketosis.

All About Cannabis on Keto: A Guide to Benefits and Tips