Are Keto Diets Good for Us?

Hosted by Michael Greger 15 recommendations extracted ▶ Listen ↗

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What Michael Greger recommended

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Avoids Ketogenic diet practice ▶ 1:00

Greger argues against ketogenic diets for weight loss, citing loss of fat-free mass (including muscle) rather than body fat compared to plant-based low-fat diets.

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there was no significant fat loss on the low-carb diet

Caveats
Scale weight dropped more on keto, but it was water and muscle, not fat.
Certainty
explicit
strong warning

KetoWeight LossBody Composition
Endorses Plant-based low-fat diet practice ▶ 1:15

Greger endorses a plant-based low-fat diet without sugary refined grains for fat loss while preserving muscle mass.

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two pounds of fat were lost on the low-fat diet

Certainty
explicit
strong endorsement

Plant-BasedWeight LossFat Loss
Avoids Ketogenic diet practice ▶ 2:30

Greger argues keto does not truly reverse type 2 diabetes — it masks high blood sugar while worsening underlying carbohydrate intolerance.

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low-carb diets can actually make diabetes worse, worsening insulin resistance

Certainty
explicit
strong warning

KetoType 2 DiabetesInsulin Resistance
Avoids Animal-based low-carb diet practice ▶ 3:50

Greger warns against animal-based low-carb diets, citing increased coronary artery calcium progression and worsened LDL.

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the low-carb group had the highest incidence of coronary artery calcium worsening

Caveats
Effect not seen with plant-based low-carb diets.
Certainty
explicit
strong warning

Heart DiseaseAtherosclerosisLow Carb
Avoids Sugars and refined grains food ▶ 4:40

Greger advises distinguishing harmful carbs (sugars, refined grains) from beneficial carbs (legumes, whole grains) and avoiding the former.

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Carbs that are detrimental to our health, like sugars and refined grains

Certainty
explicit
recommendation

CarbohydratesRefined GrainsSugar
Endorses Legumes food ▶ 5:00

Greger highlights legumes as essential to heart health, foods that low-carb diets restrict.

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foods considered essential to heart health, like legumes and whole grains

Certainty
explicit
recommendation

LegumesHeart Health
Endorses Whole grains food ▶ 5:00

Greger highlights whole grains as essential to heart health, foods that low-carb diets restrict.

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essential to heart health, like legumes and whole grains

Certainty
explicit
recommendation

Whole GrainsHeart Health
Avoids Meat food ▶ 5:15

Greger advises against meat as a high-saturated-fat source strongly discouraged for heart health.

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high-saturated fat sources like meat and dairy, which are both strongly discouraged

Certainty
explicit
recommendation

MeatSaturated FatHeart Health
Avoids Dairy food ▶ 5:15

Greger advises against dairy as a high-saturated-fat source strongly discouraged for heart health.

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high-saturated fat sources like meat and dairy

Certainty
explicit
recommendation

DairySaturated FatHeart Health
Endorses Avoiding fatty meals before diabetes testing practice ▶ 6:20

Avoid eating a high-fat dinner the night before a diabetes test, since a single high-saturated-fat meal can worsen carbohydrate intolerance within 4 hours and skew results.

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having a fatty dinner the night before can adversely affect your results

Dosage
Avoid high-saturated-fat meal the evening before glucose testing
Certainty
explicit
recommendation

Diabetes TestingDietary FatCarbohydrate Intolerance
Endorses High-carbohydrate plant-based diet for diabetes reversal practice ▶ 9:30

Greger endorses a high-carb (>300g/day) plant-based approach as a true diabetes reversal diet, weaning patients off insulin within weeks.

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Diabetics off their insulin within a matter of weeks, eating more than 300 grams of carbs a day

Dosage
More than 300 grams of carbs per day
Certainty
explicit
strong endorsement

Diabetes ReversalPlant-BasedCarbohydrates
Endorses How Not to Die book ▶ 12:15

Greger mentions his book as a resource on evidence-based nutrition.

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my books, How Not to Die, How Not to Diet, How Not to Age

Caveats
Proceeds go to charity.
Certainty
explicit
offhand mention

BooksNutrition
Endorses How Not to Age book ▶ 12:15

Greger mentions his book on aging as a resource.

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How Not to Die, How Not to Diet, How Not to Age

Certainty
explicit
offhand mention

BooksAging
Endorses How Not to Diet book ▶ 12:15

Greger mentions his book on weight loss as a resource.

“
How Not to Die, How Not to Diet, How Not to Age

Certainty
explicit
offhand mention

BooksWeight Loss
Endorses NutritionFacts.org service ▶ 12:50

Greger directs listeners to his nonprofit science-based website for free evidence-based nutrition content.

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NutritionFacts.org is a science-based nonprofit

Certainty
explicit
recommendation

ResourcesNutrition