The Study
A KETOGENIC DIET REDUCES TISSUE SODIUM CONTENT: AN EXPLORATORY STUDY
This study just looked at three people who ate a special low-carb diet for six weeks and measured their skin and muscle salt levels. It didn't compare them to anyone else or test if the diet caused the change. So all we know is what happened in those three people — nothing more.
Analysis score
Maximum 44 for a cross-sectional study.
Where the score came from
When people eat very few carbs, their body starts flushing out salt through urine, which might also pull salt out of their skin and muscles.
Where does this study sit?
Reviews of RCTs (Meta-analyses)
Max 100Randomized Trials
Max 90Reviews of Cohort Studies
Max 85Cohort Studies
Max 72Reviews of Case-Control Studies
Max 63Case-Control Studies
Max 58Cross-Sectional & Case Series
Max 50Expert Opinion
Max 532 / 100
Quality score
Snapshots of a population at a single point in time, or descriptions of small groups. Can identify correlations and prevalence, but cannot determine cause and effect.
Key takeaways
Summary
Based on the study abstract and findings.
- 1Yes — losing too much salt can cause headaches and cramps, which explains why some people feel bad when starting keto.
- 2Skin salt dropped from 16.6 to 12.6 units; leg muscle salt dropped from 20.5 to 16.7 units.
Score breakdown, methodology, conflicts of interest, evidence analysis & raw study data
Publication
Journal
Journal of Hypertension
Year
2023
Authors
T. Shoumariyeh, S. Trattnig, O. Zaric, Christopher W. McIntyre, R. Oberbauer, J. Kovarik
Related Content
Claims (2)
In three healthy people, following a ketogenic diet for six weeks was linked to lower sodium levels in the skin and calf muscle, as measured by a specialized MRI scan.
When carbohydrate intake is reduced quickly, the kidneys excrete more sodium, which causes electrolyte deficiency and results in headaches, fatigue, and muscle cramps.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional before making health decisions.