Is Keto Safe for Seniors? What Science Says

Is keto safe for seniors? The keto diet (aka the ketogenic diet) is a high-fat, medium-protein, and very low-carbohydrate eating plan. 

This diet continues to dominate ‘best weight loss program and diet lists’ due to claims of its incredible weight loss and management effects and claims of other benefits such as the management of type II diabetes, reduced inflammation, and improved brain function (1, 2).

Despite the many claims of benefits of this eating plan, you may be wondering if keto for seniors is a good idea. Should older adults consider this high-fat eating plan or would they be better off choosing another diet plan?

Let’s take a deep dive and find out.

Can a 70-Year-Old Do Keto?

Yes, some of them probably can. Contrary to what you may assume, there really is no keto diet age limit. Studies have suggested that this eating plan can be followed by adults of all ages, older adults (over 65 years) included (3).

According to a study report on older adults with a median age of 70  years, reported benefits of this very low-carb diet for seniors included weight loss and better glucose control, with 30 out of 200 people experiencing adverse events such as dyslipidemia and digestive issues (3).

The keto diet may be safe for many people, but not everyone can or should try it. Speak to your healthcare provider before you make any major dietary changes – even if it’s safe for you, you may require monitoring or medication adjustments.

How Many Carbs Should a 70-Year-Old Consume?

This depends on the type of diet that the 70-year-old is following. According to an article published in the Delaware Journal of Public Health, the recommended macronutrient intake for older adults is as follows (4):

• 45% to 65% of daily calories from carbohydrates (with a 30 g and 21 g intake of fiber for men and women aged 60 years and above, respectively)
• 20% to 35% of daily calories from healthy fats
• 10% to 35% of daily calories from protein

From this, we can see that when following a normal balanced diet, a 70-year-old should have a higher intake of carbohydrates, preferably mostly from complex carbs. However, if the 70-year-old is following a ketogenic diet, the values change. The recommended macronutrient intake for this diet is (1):

• 55% to 65% of daily calorie intake from fats
• 30% to 35% of daily caloric intake from protein
• Just 5% to 10% of their daily calories from carbohydrates – this limits their carb intake to approximately 20 to 50 grams per day

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How Long Can a Senior Stay on Keto?

No specific research has looked at how long an older adult can stay on this diet. However, researchers suggest that the ketogenic diet is a short-term eating plan that is typically followed for a minimum of 2 to 3 weeks and for a maximum of 6 to 12 months (1). 

This is because despite the fact that this diet was introduced in the 1920s, no long-term studies have been done on it. It is suggested that the lack of literature on the long-term effects of keto could be attributed, at least in part, to the fact that it’s quite difficult to adhere to such a restrictive eating pattern for a long time (5).

Read more: 70-Year-Old’s Diet Plan: Here’s How Older Adults Can Meet Their Nutritional Needs

How to Follow the Keto Diet for Women over 50

The ketogenic diet may not be the best long-term eating plan, but that doesn’t mean you can’t make the most of this diet in just 6 to 12 months. If you’re not sure how to go about eating while on keto, here are some tips.

• Focus on Fats

As seen from the section above, this diet is very high in fat. This means that your next grocery list will be filled with high-fat foods that you may have previously avoided. It’s important for heart health to focus mostly on healthy unsaturated fats. Some healthy fat options you should definitely add to your keto-friendly grocery list include:

1. Healthy cooking oils such as olive oil, canola oil, avocado oil, and other vegetable oils.
2. Nuts and seeds such as almonds, chia seeds, macadamia, flax seeds, pecans, hemp seeds, Brazil nuts, sunflower seeds, walnuts, sesame seeds, pine nuts, and hazelnuts.
3. Whole eggs.
4. Fatty fish such as salmon, tuna, herring, mackerel, and trout, in addition to other kinds of seafood such as crab and lobster, which are lower in fat but rich in protein.

• Animal Protein

Protein is the second most important macronutrient on this eating plan. While plant proteins are excellent protein sources for any other diet, they don’t make the best options for this diet as they also tend to be quite high in carbohydrates. You can and should include some plant-based proteins such as tofu, beans, and lentils – just be mindful of how they contribute to your carb allowance.

On the other hand, animal protein is excellent as it has protein, some fat, and virtually zero carbs. Animal proteins that you should be eating when doing keto include lean meats and poultry (it’s better to get your fat from healthier fat sources), fish and other seafood, eggs, and full-fat dairy in moderation.

• Fruits

Generally, fruits aren’t encouraged on this eating plan as they’re high in sugar and carbs – the two things that are strictly limited on the meal plan. 

However, there are some fruits that still make the cut. These include all kinds of berries, limes and lemons, olives, tomatoes, avocados, coconut, and watermelon.

• Leafy Greens and Non-Starchy Vegetables

These are very important on any kind of diet as they’re rich in vitamins and antioxidants, which are good for your health and will help protect against nutritional deficiencies. Leafy greens and non-starchy vegetables also make the keto cut as they’re quite low in calories and most especially, carbohydrates.

1. Leafy green examples include spinach, kale, collard greens, lettuce, baby spinach, arugula, bok choy, Swiss Chard, and cabbage
2. Non-starchy vegetables include peppers, mushrooms, cucumbers, green beans, eggplant, cauliflower, asparagus, okra, turnips, and radishes

To see how you can turn these ingredients into delicious meals, check out our 7-day weight loss low carb diet article.

What Are the Downsides of the Keto Diet?

Despite all the above-mentioned claimed benefits of this eating plan, it also comes with some potential adverse effects. These include:

1. Keto Flu

This is the most common effect that is experienced by almost everyone when they start this eating plan. Symptoms of keto flu include nausea, vomiting, headache, fatigue, dizziness, insomnia, heartbeat alterations, reduced exercise tolerance, and brain fog. Thankfully, this ‘flu’ usually goes away after a few days to a few weeks of this diet, but if it persists or interferes with your daily life, you should stop the diet immediately and talk to your healthcare provider (6).

2. Nutritional Deficiencies

Unlike other weight loss diets, the ketogenic diet cuts out an entire food group – i.e. carbohydrates. While you can still eat a few carbs, you’re only able to have a very minimal amount as leafy greens and non-starchy vegetables still contain some carbs which take over the very small carb allowance that you have for the day. 

Cutting out an entire food group from your diet will likely lead to an inadequate intake of essential vitamins, minerals, and phytochemicals. This can lower your immunity and lead to illness.

To avoid the risk of these deficiencies, researchers have suggested that those who follow this eating plan should consider supplementing their diet with nutrients such as potassium, sodium, magnesium, calcium, omega-3 fatty acids, psyllium fiber, and vitamins B, C, and E (7, 8). Talk to your healthcare provider about whether you may benefit from supplements, and which ones.

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3. Kidney Stones

Ketosis can make your blood and urine more acidic, which leads to an increased secretion of calcium in your urine (9, 10) – this can form kidney stones.

4. Digestive Issues

Due to the low-carb nature of this eating plan, it’s quite difficult for you to meet your daily fiber needs. Fiber is essential for digestive and overall gut health and without it, you may experience issues such as constipation, diarrhea, and bloating (1).

Who Is Not a Candidate for Keto?

Those who should avoid the ketogenic diet include but are not limited to (11)

1. People with liver problems
2. Anyone who is suffering from kidney disease
3. Anyone who lives with type 1 diabetes
4. People who have recently suffered a stroke or heart attack
5. People who are suffering from cardiac arrhythmias, aka irregular heartbeat
6. Anyone who is suffering from bone problems such as sarcopenia or osteoporosis
7. Persons with a history of disordered eating

This isn’t an exhaustive list and some conditions or medications may require monitoring or adjustments while on a keto diet. It’s important for anyone who is interested in trying a keto diet to talk to their healthcare provider first. There are safer options than keto that will help you make healthier eating choices and even lose any excess weight.

Read more: Intermittent Fasting for Seniors over 70: Is it Safe?

What Is the Best Diet for Those over 70?

The best diet for seniors is simply a balanced diet. Such an eating plan calls for (12):

• The consumption of a variety of foods from each food group, i.e. vegetables, fruits, whole grains, protein, healthy fats, and dairy (or dairy alternatives)
• Limited intake of added sugar, saturated fats, and sodium
• Adequate protein to help with muscle maintenance and growth
• A serving of fruits or vegetables included in every meal and at snack times
• A lot of water throughout the day
• A healthy amount of calories – don’t overeat or undereat

Frequently Asked Questions

• Is a low-carb diet good for seniors?

It’s not for everyone. As seen above, a low-carb diet such as the ketogenic diet is claimed to have positive benefits for older adults (3), especially regarding weight loss. However, such a diet shouldn’t be followed long-term as it may lead to undesired side effects and it isn’t safe for everyone. Talk to your healthcare provider to get individualized advice.

• Does keto work after menopause?

There is no scientific evidence that suggests the keto diet stops being effective once a woman hits menopause. However, whether any specific diet is effective or not is highly individual and influenced by factors such as sustainability, personal preferences, and flexibility. 

• Does keto slow aging?

There is no scientific research that has linked the keto diet to aging, so we can’t say for certain if or how it affects aging.

• Will keto get rid of belly fat?

Yes, this diet can help with belly fat, as can any diet that produces a calorie deficit and leads to weight loss. Some studies have linked the ketogenic diet to reduced belly and overall body fat (13, 14).

The Bottom Line

From the evidence shown above, this high-fat, low-carb diet may be safe for some seniors and may be used in the short term by older adults who want to lose weight. However, that being said, if any seniors suffer from any of the illnesses mentioned above, they should avoid keto by all means and find another safer diet to follow in order to meet their goals. Everyone should speak to their healthcare provider for individualized advice before they make any major dietary changes.