Keto While Pregnant: Is It Safe Or Are There Risks?

Pregnancy is a sensitive time for the expectant mother. Both she and the healthcare system are often heightened in their focus on maternal health and well-being. It is also an important period when a pregnant woman’s diet needs to be health-focused. 

Pregnant women have increased nutritional needs, particularly for carbohydrates, which are important for fetal development and preventing complications. The ketogenic diet is currently popular for its potential health benefits, and you might have heard it can help manage your weight gain.

Pregnant women often have concerns about the safety and long-term effects of adopting the keto diet. Below, we examine the safety of several ketogenic practices and look at the foundations of the ketogenic diet, as well as any possible drawbacks.

What Is a Keto Diet?

The keto diet, also referred to as the ketogenic diet, is a diet plan that focuses on limiting carbohydrates and opting for high-fat food so the body enters a state of ketosis. Ketosis is when fat replaces carbohydrates as the body’s main fuel.

This diet’s key principles are:

• Low carbohydrates: Consuming only 20-50 grams of carbohydrates per day.
• High fat: About 70-80% of daily calories come from fats.
• Moderate protein: Protein intake is moderate, making up about 20-25% of daily calories.

When carbohydrate intake is significantly reduced, the body depletes its stored glucose (glycogen) and starts breaking down fat into ketones in the liver to use as the primary energy source.

Risks Of Keto During Pregnancy

Nutrient Deficiencies

Pregnant women need many nutrients to have a healthy pregnancy. However, because the keto diet is restrictive, they may not get adequate nutrients, like omega-3 fatty acids, vitamin D, folate, calcium, iron, fiber, and magnesium.

Folate deficiency, for instance, increases the risk of neural tube defects, while inadequate calcium and vitamin D can impact fetal bone development and maternal bone health.

Constipation

On a keto diet, fruit, vegetable, and whole grain consumption is lower, so there is a lower fiber intake. This can affect stool bulk and lead to constipation. It can be very uncomfortable and even cause complications during pregnancy.

Additionally, the keto diet can cause something called keto flu. It causes a range of symptoms that result from the body’s adaptation to a new energy source: ketones instead of glucose. For pregnant women, these symptoms can pose additional concerns. They can increase pregnancy-related nausea and fatigue.

Ketoacidosis

For some pregnant women, the reason for starting a keto diet is to manage weight. However, extended fasting paired with a ketogenic diet has been linked to the development of ketoacidosis, a severe medical condition. Ketoacidosis is a medical condition characterized by high levels of ketones in the blood, which makes it more acidic. Pregnant women are more vulnerable to this complication because of their heightened likelihood of entering ketosis and experiencing dehydration.

Are Keto Diets Safe During Pregnancy?

The keto diet can pose risks during pregnancy. The purpose of using the keto diet is to lose weight, and one does not want to lose weight during pregnancy.

For one, carbohydrates provide glucose, a primary energy source for the developing fetus, especially for brain development. When this is reduced significantly, there might be concerns about proper development. An old animal study showed that pregnant mice fed a keto diet gave birth to baby mice with smaller brains than typical.

Several studies on mice suggest that ketone exposure, through a ketogenic diet or other means, can lead to alterations in embryo development. However, further research is needed to determine the relevance of these findings to human pregnancy. At present, there is simply not enough data.

Potential Benefit of The Keto Diet

Nonetheless, there are some points on the bright side:

Managing Epilepsy

A study in 2017 suggested that the keto diet might help control epileptic symptoms in pregnant women. Having uncontrolled seizures while pregnant can cause injury, pre-term labor, and developmental issues, so this potential benefit would be significant. But it may also be worth noting that the baby in the study had congenital deformities of the ears.

Treating Diabetes

Another potential benefit of the keto diet is in the event of diabetes. A 2014 study demonstrated that a ketogenic diet can help manage or prevent certain types of diabetes. However, during pregnancy, you don’t need to adopt a keto diet to reduce your risk of gestational diabetes. 

Anxiety And Depression

A study discovered that when mice offspring were fed a keto diet, their sociability improved and their depression-like symptoms decreased. This means, potentially, keto exposure is positive for neurodevelopment. However, it’s also important to remember that this study was conducted on mice.

Conclusion

Before going keto while pregnant, be sure to reach out to a healthcare professional. They can help you decide if keto is right for you and also let you about the risks involved. Research shows there might be a chance of nutrient deficiencies, birth defects, or anxiety and depression.

Instead of going straight on a diet, it is better to simply eat a healthy diet filled with carbs, rich in healthy fats, proteins, fiber, fresh fruits, and vegetables, which is a safer and more balanced approach. Going keto while pregnant might seem fantastic, but to know if it is truly appropriate, you should reach out to a healthcare professional.