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Blood Results after going on LCHF

JohnnyLowCarb
JohnnyLowCarb Posts: 418 Member
edited November 16 in Social Groups
Can anyone share what happens to their biometrics after going on LCHF, results from blood testing. I had (before going LCHF) mine done last month and everything was perfect. I wonder if after going on LCHF if my glucose will plummet. Plus I see on the report that Ketones is measured, does LCHF mean that now Ketones will spike and my doctor will address it? or the body regulates itself even on a LCHF diet and the biometrics will not become an issue? Only one way to find out for me, I know that, and may get one done in a month or so to see my results, but was wondering if anyone has experiences to share.

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  • T1DCarnivoreRunner
    T1DCarnivoreRunner Posts: 11,502 Member
    I'm not sure glucose will exactly plummet. Depending on if/what diabetes issues you have, they may improve quite a bit or may not change a whole lot. You will likely be eating more animal products, so cholesterol may increase. Ketones are normal for those eating low carb... especially if you are keeping very low carb and are new (i.e. not yet fat adapted). If the dr. is aware of your dietary change, then s/he will expect that.

    Don't forget to make sure you are taking in enough sodium and magnesium.
  • BedsideTableKangaroo
    BedsideTableKangaroo Posts: 736 Member

    i'm curious about this myself. i'll be doing blood work in the next couple weeks so i can compare to last year's check-up. so if it's anything interesting, i'll post here.
  • Scochrane86
    Scochrane86 Posts: 374 Member
    I had bloodwork done a few weeks ago, 1 month after starting Keto and it was the healthiest results I have had in ages. my Cholesterol (good and bad) were amazing! my weightloss clinic couldn't believe how healthy my results looked.
    If looking at my results and not knowing me, you would think I was in perfect shape.
  • cedarsidefarm
    cedarsidefarm Posts: 163 Member
    I had been on LCHF for about 4 weeks when I had blood work done for my annual physical.

    My cholesterol went up. My doctor asked if I wanted to go on medication. I told her no way. I told her we could wait a year and see what happens. I was borderline high cholesterol before I started LCHF. She also noted ketones and protein in my urine. She said I was dehydrated and needed to drink more water and salt. She also noted that when I am dehydrated my blood pressure goes up not down like with most people so I should keep an eye on it regularly. She also said my vitamin D deficiency had gone away. I had had a vitamin D problem for 2 years before going LCHF. So it was a mixed bag.

    I'm curious to see my lab results in April for my physical this year and see if there are any changes after being on LCHF for most of a year.
  • stacicali
    stacicali Posts: 137 Member
    Just a heads up: If your fasting blood glucose was in the high normal range (upper 90s), you may actually read artificially high and even prediabetic now (but you're not if your A1c is ok.). I freaked out about this at first since it happened to me, but then I tested 2-3 hours after meals and was in the normal range as was my A1C. Low carb makes you more carb sensitive, and it sometimes shows up in fasting blood glucose readings. Chris Kresser explains it here: "One caveat here is that very low-carb diets will produce elevated fasting blood glucose levels. Why? Because low-carb diets induce insulin resistance. Restricting carbohydrates produces a natural drop in insulin levels, which in turn activates hormone sensitive lipase. Fat tissue is then broken down, and non-esterified fatty acids (a.k.a. “free fatty acids” or NEFA) are released into the bloodstream. These NEFA are taken up by the muscles, which use them as fuel. And since the muscle’s needs for fuel has been met, it decreases sensitivity to insulin. You can read more about this at Hyperlipid.

    So, if you eat a low-carb diet and have borderline high FBG (i.e. 90-105), it may not be cause for concern. Your post-meal blood sugars and A1c levels are more important."

    Full link here: https://chriskresser.com/when-your-“normal”-blood-sugar-isn’t-normal-part-2/
  • Dragonwolf
    Dragonwolf Posts: 5,600 Member
    cedarsidefarm wrote: »
    I had been on LCHF for about 4 weeks when I had blood work done for my annual physical.

    My cholesterol went up. My doctor asked if I wanted to go on medication. I told her no way. I told her we could wait a year and see what happens. I was borderline high cholesterol before I started LCHF. She also noted ketones and protein in my urine. She said I was dehydrated and needed to drink more water and salt. She also noted that when I am dehydrated my blood pressure goes up not down like with most people so I should keep an eye on it regularly. She also said my vitamin D deficiency had gone away. I had had a vitamin D problem for 2 years before going LCHF. So it was a mixed bag.

    I'm curious to see my lab results in April for my physical this year and see if there are any changes after being on LCHF for most of a year.

    LDL will go up due to particle size increase. Be sure to get more than the basic lipid test before even entertaining the idea of meds.

    Blood pressure increasing because of dehydration isn't surprising, actually. Less water means less blood volume and thicker blood, both of which need more pressure to pump.

    Urine ketones at 4 weeks isn't surprising, either. Your body hasn't fully adapted, so it's not at peak efficiency yet, and some will be wasted. Some people always seem to register ketones in their urine. Where it becomes a problem is if your blood sugar is way high (like 150+ and especially in the multi hundreds), which is indicative of ketoacidosis. However, if your pancreas works, then it's next to impossible to get that.
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