Keto diet regularises your menstrual cycle

Eating a keto diet can normalise an irregular menstrual cycle.

The ketones the diet releases can even kickstart a period that seems to have stalled for good, say researchers.

Women who followed the diet or took ketone supplements—and achieved nutritional ketosis—said they saw their menstrual frequency become more regular or intense, or both.

The high-fat and low-carb keto diet converts fat into ketones, chemicals that are used in the body and brain as an alternative to glucose, or blood sugar, that mainly come from carbohydrates.

Ohio State University researchers were measuring the amount of weight that was lost on a low-fat or ketogenic diet on 19 pre-menopausal women—but discovered the keto diet also regulated periods.

Although the women lost similar amounts of weight on either diet, only those on the keto plan—which included ketone supplements for some of the women—reported improvements in their menstrual cycles.  “There were six women who hadn’t had a period in over a year, and who felt their typical cycles were over”, said Madison Kackley, one of the researchers.

As the release of ketones was the only significant difference between the two approaches, she believes the release of the chemical—either by following the diet or taking supplements—regulates the menstrual cycle.  “One of our participants was 33 years old and had never had a period in her life.  She had her first period for the first time after being in nutritional ketosis for five days,” she said.

Two women who didn’t see any improvements in their periods were taking oral contraceptives, and only those whose cycles regulated were not taking birth control.

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