Keto Diet & Joint Pain: Benefits, Risks & Considerations

Keto vs Paleo Diet: Which is Better for Fighting Inflammation?

Inflammation is at the root of many chronic health conditions. Both the paleo and keto diets claim to help reduce inflammation through avoiding certain foods. But they follow very different approaches.

Keep reading to learn how paleo and keto compare for fighting inflammation so you can decide which one is the best fit.

What Causes Inflammation?

Inflammation gets triggered by external and internal factors like:

• Pathogens
• Injuries
• Toxins
• High stress
• Processed foods
• Nutrient deficiencies
• Leaky gut issues

This defensive response is meant to be short-term in healthy individuals. But ongoing low-grade inflammation contributes to joint pain, heart disease, autoimmunity, fatigue, skin conditions, and more.

Anti-Inflammatory Diet Overview

Certain dietary approaches help cool inflammation from the inside. Typically an anti-inflammatory diet involves:

• Lots of veggies, fruits, herbs
• High antioxidant foods
• Healthy fats like omega-3s
• Lean, clean protein sources
• Probiotic and fermented options
• Avoiding common triggers like sugar, refined carbs, industrial seed oils, additives etc.

The Paleo Diet

The paleo diet aims to mimic what our ancient hunter-gatherer ancestors ate during the Paleolithic era spanning 2.6 million years. It focuses on whole, minimally processed foods like:

• Lean meat
• Fish
• Eggs
• Veggies
• Fruits
• Nuts
• Seeds
• Healthy fats

Foods strictly excluded from paleo are grains, dairy, legumes, refined sugars, processed oils, and sodium. Reason being, human genes havent adapted fast enough to properly digest these newer foods.

Benefits of Paleo for Inflammation

Multiple aspects of the paleo diet reduce inflammatory markers like:

• High produce intake floods the body with antioxidants.
• Omega-3s from seafood and nuts combat inflammation.
• Pastured meat provides more anti-inflammatory omega-3s versus conventional.
• No grains means avoiding inflammation triggers like gluten.
• Legume elimination helps some with autoimmune conditions.
• No dairy removes a common allergen for many people.

Potential Pitfalls

That said, there are some considerations with paleo:

• Nutrient deficiencies may occur long-term without careful planning.
• Certain restrictive food groups like legumes and dairy offer health benefits too.
• Higher meat intake may promote inflammation if not properly balanced.

The Ketogenic Diet

Whereas paleo focuses on food quality, keto zeroes in on macronutrients - specifically high fat. Keto requires getting around 70-80% of calories from fat. This shifts the body into ketosis where ketones, rather than glucose from carbs, become the main fuel source.

To achieve this fat-adapted state, keto guidelines look like:

• 60-75% calories from fat
• 15-30% calories from protein
• Only 5-10% calories from net carbs

Keto staples include meat, fish, eggs, oils, low carb veggies, nuts, seeds and moderate dairy. Grains, starchier produce, sweets and beans are excluded.

How Keto Combats Inflammation

Ketosis switches cells metabolism to dampen inflammation through:

• Converting to fat-burning mode and using ketones for fuel.
• Lowering blood sugar and insulin resistance.
• Increasing glutathione antioxidant levels.
• Suppressing inflammatory pathways on a gene level.

Cautions With Keto

Potential inflammation-related cons with keto include:

• Micronutrient deficiencies without enough veggie diversity.
• Imbalances from overemphasizing fat and protein.
• Increased oxidative stress and inflammation if protein intake is too high.
• Gut microbiome disruption from lack of prebiotic fibers.

Head-to-Head Comparison

Now lets directly compare some key points between these diets for inflammation:

Allowed Foods

Paleo - Lots of meat, seafood, eggs, produce, healthy fats, nuts, seeds. No grains, dairy, legumes or processed foods.

Keto - High fat meat, fish, eggs, low carb vegetables, dairy, plant oils. Very low in grains, starchier produce, sweets.

Macronutrient Ratios

Paleo - No set ratios but typically gets around 30% protein, 30% fat, 40% carbs from whole food sources.

Keto - Aims for 60-75% fat, 15-30% protein, 5-10% net carbs to induce ketosis.

Inflammation Fighting Strategies

Paleo - Removes common inflammatory food triggers like grains, refined carbs, industrial oils, additives. Emphasizes antioxidant and phytonutrient-rich foods.

Keto - Shifts metabolism to fat-burning mode for using ketones over glucose as fuel. Also lowers blood sugar, insulin, and boosts glutathione antioxidant levels through ketosis.

Gut Health Support

Paleo - No dairy minimizes gut irritation. Higher carb intake better supports microbiome diversity.

Keto - Very low carb intake negatively impacts healthy gut flora. But including fermented foods helps counteract.

Nutrient Considerations

Paleo - Risk for B-vitamin, calcium, vitamin D and fiber deficiencies without mindful meal planning.

Keto - Potential for low fiber, magnesium, potassium and micronutrient inadequacies without enough veggies.

Sustainability Factors

Paleo - Meat-centric approach promotes unsustainable factory farming. But also emphasizes local and grass-fed.

Keto - Very meat and dairy heavy diet. Choosing sustainable proteins and making room for plant foods helps.

The Verdict: Which Diet Wins?

While both paleo and keto take different paths, they share the same end goal of reducing inflammation through food choices.

Those with autoimmune conditions, leaky gut issues, or food sensitivities may benefit slightly more from the paleo approach. Removing trigger foods and grains while still allowing starchier vegetable carbs and legumes supports better gut health.

On the other hand, ketos ultra low carb, high fat approach more directly targets metabolic factors driving inflammation. This makes it excellent for blood

Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Always consult with a healthcare professional before starting any new treatment regimen.