Just to add a little objective data to the forum to help quantify the benefits of keto, I’m submitting some recent optometrist & lab data I received from check-ups of the past month or so.
Since starting Keto in August 2016, I’ve seen some pleasing results. My keto has been imperfect, no “cheating”, but carbs probably creep over 20 gm frequently, generally staying in the <30-50 gm range.
Even so my blood work has improved:
2015 (being generally Paleo):
Triglyceride 160
Cholesterol. 185
HDL 58
LDL (calc) 95
HgA1C 5.9. (Even Paleo helped, as the year before I had been somewhere around 6.3)
Feb 2017 (after 6 mon imperfect Keto):
Triglyceride 115
Cholesterol 215
HDL. 65
LDL (calc) 127
HgA1C. 5.3 (! Yay!)
My favorite improvement is in regards to my vision. I’ve had glasses since 8 yrs old, past 20 yrs would be “coke bottle” glasses if it weren’t for the optician tricks they can do to make lenses look more normal for us “vain” folks. I noticed over the past 6 months, I’ve had to tip my glasses or move them to the end of my nose when reading or using the computer; it was gradual at first, but really bugging me the past 2 months, so I finally made an appt with my optician. I was delighted to discover it was because my vision had IMPROVED, not gotten worse as I had feared. I’m not an optical expert, so I don’t know all the details re: the numbers & how big of an improvement it is, but I do know this is the first time EVER my prescription has gotten better & not worse. My glasses RX are noted below:
Previous: Right: sphere -6.25. Cyl. -2.05. Axis 015
Left: -6.75. -2.50. 170
New: Right: -6.00. -150. 15
Left: -6.25. -225. 166
Hope this gives some hope & encouragement to other folks out there. I’m looking forward to see what other improvements may happen as I improve my keto, & include fasting here & there. KCKO!