How to Relieve Keto Headaches?
In recent years, more and more people have started to use the keto diet to lose weight. Although its effect is obvious, most people will experience various discomforts when they first start eating keto meals, commonly known as “keto flu”, and keto headaches are one of the most common symptoms.
The “keto flu” is not caused by a virus, but is a very normal physiological reaction. When you go from a normal high-carb diet to a very low-carb diet, your body will change from a glucose-based energy source to a fat-based source.
These symptoms are temporary, and once your body has fully adapted to the new diet, they will disappear and you will truly experience the benefits of the ketogenic diet.
Today we’ll talk more about why the ketogenic diet can cause headaches and how to prevent and relieve them.
What Happens to Your Body When You Begin Keto
When you consume large amounts of carbohydrates for long periods, the organs, tissues, cells, and brain in your body become accustomed to using glucose as the primary source of energy.
Once you change the structure of your diet and your body is unable to get enough carbohydrates, the metabolism will be disrupted. This metabolic disruption puts your body in an “induction phase,” or adaptation period.
During this phase, you may experience the “keto flu,” which manifests itself differently for each person, but headaches, brain fog, and insomnia are the most common, as your brain suddenly loses its main fuel – glucose.
The brain is suddenly deprived of its “prime mover”, and naturally you will experience headaches and irritability. This process can last from a few days to a few weeks until your body is completely in ketosis and your brain begins to adapt to using ketone bodies as fuel. To shorten the ketogenic discomfort period and speed up fat burning and weight loss, you need to find a way to enter ketosis as soon as possible.
Causes Of Keto Headaches
Headaches caused by the ketogenic diet are a dull ache, and in severe cases, blurred vision and even migraines can cause the symptoms for the following reasons
1. Low blood sugar
When you start eating a ketogenic diet, the intake of carbohydrates is drastically reduced, resulting in a drop in blood sugar levels. This can briefly increase stress on your brain and nervous system as your body has not fully adapted to this new low-glycemic state.
Studies have shown that glucose imbalance may lead to vasoconstriction in the brain, which reduces oxygen supply to the brain and causes pain. Once glucose levels become stable through nutritional ketosis, the headache will subside.
In cases of hypoglycemia, where circulating blood glucose is too low to meet the body’s energy needs, hormone levels change and they, in turn, cause changes within the brain, for example, vasoconstriction leading to pain and discomfort.
2. Dehydration
If you’ve started a ketogenic diet, one thing you’ve likely noticed is that you lose weight very quickly in the first few days. And this is caused by water loss.
When you’re in the transition phase of ketosis and have exhausted your body’s glucose stores, your body will excrete excess water This is because every gram of glycogen is tied up with three grams of water for storage and release. So when your body uses up all of its glucose reserves, it also eliminates a lot of water at the same time. If you don’t drink plenty of water regularly to rehydrate, then you will become dehydrated and you will also experience the headaches that come with dehydration.
3. Electrolyte Imbalance
When you reduce your intake of carbohydrates, your body produces less insulin. Since insulin’s job is to control glucose in the blood, when you stop supplying your body with carbohydrates, your blood sugar levels will decrease and you won’t need to secrete as much insulin.
As insulin decreases, the kidneys excrete more sodium, an electrolyte that regulates hydration. With the excretion of sodium, the body may also lose other essential electrolytes such as potassium and magnesium. This electrolyte imbalance is one of the main causes of keto flu.
How Long Do Keto Headaches Last?
Headaches caused by the ketogenic diet are temporary and the duration depends on the individual. A small number of people may have almost no symptoms, while others may have them for several days. On average, they last about 2 to 5 days, and some people may have them for up to 2 weeks.
Generally speaking, the severity of the headache depends on your previous diet If you’ve been eating a high-carb diet, the keto flu symptoms, including headaches, experienced after changing to a ketogenic diet will be more severe. If you were previously eating a lower-carb diet, then switching to a ketogenic diet will be easier, and the corresponding discomfort will be less or not at all.
How to Relieve or Prevent Keto Headaches
At the beginning of the ketogenic diet, physical discomfort is hard to avoid, especially headaches, but there are still ways you can try to relieve the symptoms.
- Drink More Water: Your body will lose water in the early stages of ketogenic, so hydration is the priority to prevent and relieve headaches, and you should make sure to drink at least 2 liters of water every day.
- Replenish Electrolytes: Electrolyte imbalance is one of the main causes of keto flu, so eating more electrolyte-rich foods or even a glass of light salt water can effectively relieve ketogenic discomfort, including headache and brain fog.
- Gradually Reduce Carbohydrates: If you have been accustomed to eating a high-carb diet, it is recommended to slowly reduce your carbohydrate intake, rather than cutting it out in one step, which can give your body plenty of time to adapt to the new diet and also alleviate ketogenic discomfort.
- Avoid Strenuous Exercise: In the early stages of ketogenesis, your body is under a lot of stress trying to overdo it to the new way of metabolism. If you engage in strenuous exercise during this time, it will increase the stress on your body and brain and lead to more severe headaches.
- Ensure Adequate And High-quality Sleep: In fact, insomnia is one of the ketogenic discomforts, and poor sleep can aggravate headaches. Try to ensure regular work and rest, create a comfortable and restful sleep environment for yourself, and take melatonin to help you sleep if necessary.
Conclusion
When your body has not fully adapted to the new way of eating, your brain will experience temporary headaches, brain zero, and irritability due to the lack of glucose as a source of energy. At this point, you just need to continue to stick to the ketogenic diet and be careful to hydrate, eat more electrolyte-rich foods, and get sleep to avoid strenuous exercise. Do this and your keto flu symptoms will be greatly relieved.