Every year millions of people are affected by stomach ulcers. Some of them following the keto diet. Well, that does not mean keto causes stomach ulcers directly.
Stomach ulcers are mainly caused by Helicobacter pylori bacteria or non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs(NSAID)(1).
Our stomach creates acid to digest food. Helicobacter bacteria and NSAIDs can break the stomach lining. Due to this the acid damages stomach and stomach ulcers occur.
However, obesity is another minor reason behind stomach ulcers (2). It is well known that improper calorie management can result in obesity. In that case, keto may cause stomach ulcers indirectly.
Can keto cause stomach ulcers?
Yes, keto can cause stomach ulcers. Uncontrolled intake of high fat keto diet without proper physical activity causes calorie imbalance.
The unused calories are stored in the body as fat which leads to obesity. And obesity is a cause of stomach ulcers. So, it’s true that keto cause stomach ulcers.
If you have stomach ulcers, you should avoid keto bread. Keto bread can cause gas in stomach ulcer patients.
Is keto good for stomach ulcers?
There is no evidence that keto is harmful to stomach ulcers. However excess consumptions of ketogenic foods are not beneficial for stomach ulcers.
To make keto good for stomach ulcers you need to avoid dirty keto. Processed foods are a common reason behind obesity and dirty keto allows processed foods.
Reasons behind keto stomach ulcers
Millions of people around the world are following keto for a decade. The main reason behind it is that low carb keto diet keeps them healthy.
However, some people start overdoing keto. Actually, they do this to get faster health benefits, but it creates adverse effects on their bodies.
One such harmful outcome is stomach ulcers. There are multiple reasons which trigger stomach ulcers. But here we will show only the reasons which cause stomach ulcers during keto.
- Excessive intake of the high fat keto diet
- Drinking a lot of keto fruit juices
- Exceeding the daily calorie intake limit of the keto diet
- Consuming alcohol with the keto diet
- Lack of exercise
Precaution to prevent keto stomach ulcers
Although the keto diet triggers stomach ulcers, they can easily be avoided. If you love the ketogenic diet and also want to prevent keto stomach ulcers then you should follow these rules:-
- Keep your daily calorie intake to 2000-2300 cal max.
- Stop smoking & alcoholic beverages.
- If you are unable to resist alcohol, then limit your daily consumption of alcohol to 2 units.
- Eat small meals instead of large portions of meals.
- Do aerobic exercises to burn excess calories.
- Avoid sugars and use allulose(a low carb sweetener).
- Limit your daily fruit juice to 1 cup max.
- Follow clean keto and avoid dirty keto by cutting down on processed foods.
- Add more high fiber keto foods like cauliflower, nuts, and seeds with your keto meal.
Final Thoughts About Can Keto Cause Stomach Ulcers
The low carb keto diet has many health benefits. However unplanned keto diet can cause some serious disorders like obesity.
Although obesity is not a major cause of stomach ulcers, it is still a cause. You need to follow solid planning to avoid such a situation.
If people follow the healthy rule of keto then they will never get stomach ulcers. Maintaining calorie intake and physical activity will keep keto stomach ulcers at bay.
FAQ of Can Keto Cause Stomach Ulcers
Can keto mess up your digestive system?
Yes, there is a chance that keto may mess up your digestive system in case of caloric imbalance. Keto may cause gas, stomach pain, diarrhea, and stomach ulcers for critical cases.
But you should not be worried about it. This is a minor side effect of keto and can easily be handled. Maintaining proper protein, fiber, and water consumption during the keto diet will save your day.
Also, you should follow regular physical exercise levels with keto. If you continue these rules keto will never mess up your digestive system.
Does a keto diet cause inflammation?
Most of the keto diet does not cause inflammation. However, a few keto foods can trigger inflammation. These are red meat and peanut.
Red meat contains trans fat which is a major reason behind inflammation. Also, several people have peanut allergies. Peanut causes inflammation in these cases.
Why does my stomach hurt on keto?
“Can the keto diet cause stomach problems” and “why does my stomach hurt on keto” are the two most commonly asked questions by keto beginners.
Actually, stomach cramps and pain are the common symptoms of the first week of keto. In that case, your stomach hurt on keto.
Actually, there are multiple reasons behind this stomach discomfort.
Firstly the Keto diet contains high fat foods. Our digestive system takes time to absorb a large number of fats which causes stomach pain.
Secondly, the keto diet dehydrates our body, it’s another common reason for stomach pain.
Thirdly, some people have bowel disorder problems. A Keto diet causes mild stomach pain for this type of person.
Due to these reasons, some people feel upper stomach pain on keto. For a limited group of people, keto pain in the right side was also observed.