The ketogenic diet has some amazing perks!
Many people report fewer cravings, more weight loss, improved cholesterol numbers, blood sugar control, and so much more! (Read some uh-mazing success stories with the 131 Method).
But, if you’re following a regular ketogenic diet (and not the dietary phasing method we teach in the 131 Method), then you may be at risk for certain nutrient deficiencies.
Either way, it’s important to recognize the vitamins and minerals often lacking in a low-carb or keto diet. This article will review 5 of the most common nutrient deficiencies for keto and what you can do to fix it!
5 Vitamins and Minerals Lacking in a Keto Diet
1. Folate
Folate is an essential B vitamin that is often found in the form of folic acid in fortified foods, like rice, pasta, and cereals. Folic acid is the supplemental form of folate (and is not naturally found in food).
You probably recognize folate as a well-known vitamin due to its ability to prevent neural tube defects! But, it is also required for many different reactions in the body, like methylation and preventing anemia (1). Unfortunately, many people do not eat enough folate while following a low-carb or ketogenic diet.
How Much Folate Do You Need?
The Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA) is the average daily intake of a certain vitamin that meets the nutrient requirements for most healthy people. Some people may need a higher amount of vitamins and minerals depending on their stage in life, medical conditions, and more.
Most women require 400 micrograms (mcg) of folate per day. In pregnancy, you likely need over 600 mcg per day.
Low-Carb Foods Rich in Folate (2)
Beef Liver (3 ounces)
- 54% of the RDA
- 0 gms net carbs
Avocado (1 whole)
- 30% of the RDA
- 3 grams net carbs
Asparagus (4 spears)
- 22% of the RDA
- 1 gram net carbs
Leafy Greens (1 cup)
- Around 30% of the RDA
- <1 gram net carbs
2. Thiamin
Thiamin is another B vitamin commonly lacking in the keto diet (3).
This vitamin is essential for your body to create energy to promote growth, development, and cell function -especially for your brain (4). Like folate, foods such as cereal, pasta, and rice are often fortified with thiamin. Other higher carb foods restricted on a keto diet, like beans or lentils, are naturally rich in thiamin.
How Much Thiamin Do You Need?
Women ages 19-50 years of age require 1.1 mg of thiamin per day. If you’re pregnant or breastfeeding, your body requires over 1.4 mg per day.
Low-Carb Foods Rich in Thiamin (2)
Pork (3 ounces)
- 76% of the RDA
- 0 gms net carbs
Salmon (3 ounces)
- 26% of the RDA
- 0 grams net carbs
Chicken (3 ounces)
- 5% of the RDA
- 0 grams net carbs
Almonds (1 ounce)
- 5% of the RDA
- 3 grams net carbs
3. Calcium
Calcium is a mineral required for optimal muscle, artery, nerve, and hormone function. Nearly 99% of your body’s calcium supply is stored in your bones and teeth (5).
Over time, inadequate calcium intake can cause low bone mass (osteopenia) and increases your risk of osteoporosis and bone fractures. Women are much more likely to develop osteoporosis than men, so we should be extra aware of how much calcium we eat (6).
The main source of calcium in food comes from dairy products. But, many people do not tolerate dairy! If following a dairy-free keto diet, you may be especially at risk for calcium deficiency.
How Much Calcium Do You Need?
Adults ages 19-50 years of age require 1,000 mg of calcium per day. However, women over the age of 51 should eat over 1,200 mg per day.
Low-Carb Foods Rich in Calcium (2)
Full-Fat Plain Yogurt (6 ounces)
- 21% of the RDA
- 8 gms net carbs
Psst! Yogurt is lower in lactose and often better tolerated in people with lactose intolerance than other dairy products!
Sardines in Oil with Bones (3 ounces)
- 33% of the RDA
- 0 grams net carbs
Canned Salmon With Bones (3 ounces)
- 18% of the RDA
- 0 grams net carbs
Kale Cooked (1 cup)
- 17% of the RDA
- 2 grams net carbs
4. Potassium
Water and sodium loss is very common when first starting the keto diet. As you lose sodium from the body, you also may begin to lose higher amounts of potassium.
Potassium is an essential mineral (and electrolyte) that helps the body regulate fluid levels, send nerve signals, and control muscle contractions (like your heartbeat – kind of important 😉).
Eating inadequate amounts of potassium may cause constipation, fatigue, and muscle weakness (7). Unfortunately, most Americans do not meet the daily requirements for potassium. Because fruit is a large source of potassium, people on keto diets may eat even less potassium than most Americans!
How Much Potassium Do You Need?
There are varying ranges for optimal potassium intake. But in general, women need about 2,300 – 2,600 mg of potassium per day, while men need about 3,000 – 3,400 mg per day.
Low-Carb Foods Rich in Potassium (2)
Spinach (2 cups raw)
- 10% of the RDA
- <1 gms net carbs
Avocado (1 whole)
- 30% of the RDA
- 3 grams net carbs
Mushrooms (1 cup)
- 13% of the RDA
- 2 grams net carbs
5. Magnesium
Your body requires magnesium for over 300 reactions in the body. So, I guess you could say it’s a pretty big deal!
Magnesium helps prevent constipation, improves blood sugar control, helps calm the body during stressful times, and so much more (8).
Here’s the sad news: more than 50% of people do NOT eat enough magnesium. This can be even higher if following a poorly planned ketogenic diet.
How Much Do You Need?
Women need over 310 mg of magnesium, while men require over 400 mg per day. However, some experts argue that people following a ketogenic diet may require up to 500 mg of magnesium per day!
Low-Carb Foods Rich in Magnesium (2)
Spinach (1/2 cup cooked)
- 26% of the RDA
- 0 gms net carbs
Avocado (1 whole)
- 13% of the RDA
- 3 grams net carbs
Almonds (1 ounce)
- 20% of the RDA
- 3 grams net carbs
Pumpkin Seeds (1/4 cup)
- 14% of the RDA
- 6 grams net carbs
Why We Choose Real Food Over Supplements
Why eat real food when we can just pop a multivitamin, right?
Wrong! Unfortunately, it ain’t that easy!
Studies consistently show that real food trumps multivitamins and supplementation in the long run (9). This is because there is WAY more to food than just vitamins and minerals that cannot be encapsulated into a pill. Wholesome foods have antioxidants, phytochemicals, compounds to support liver detoxification and so much more!
Don’t get us wrong, we definitely aren’t ANTI-supplementation. Sometimes, you may require additional supplementation for certain life stages (like pregnancy) or various medical conditions.
We just believe that everyone should try to use real food as their FIRST option, before automatically turning to supplementation.
A Properly Planned Keto Diet is Possible!
With proper guidance, low-carb keto diets can easily meet your daily vitamin and mineral requirements (10). If you’re familiar with the 131 Method, then you know that we use a proven method called diet phasing.
Diet phasing prevents your metabolism from adapting to only one way of eating. This can help you overcome the frustrating weight loss plateau that is all too common with most diets. The 131 Method provides a ton of weight loss meal plans and intermittent fasting meal plans to help with success!
But, the other perk of diet phasing is that you change your eating pattern every few weeks which increases diet diversity and allows you to eat a wide variety of all types of foods! In fact, our second diet phase, called Nourish, specifically focuses on optimizing vitamin and mineral levels with nutrient-rich foods.
Our 131 Registered Dietitians can help you optimize your diet to make sure you are getting all of the nourishing vitamins and minerals you need!
Learn more about the 131 Method here.
References:
- https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Folate-HealthProfessional/
- https://ndb.nal.usda.gov/ndb/search/list
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5793336/
- https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Thiamin-HealthProfessional/
- https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Calcium-HealthProfessional/
- https://www.nof.org/preventing-fractures/general-facts/what-women-need-to-know/
- https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Potassium-HealthProfessional/
- https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Magnesium-HealthProfessional/
- https://annals.org/aim/article-abstract/2730525/association-among-dietary-supplement-use-nutrient-intake-mortality-among-u
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5829852/
