Can Keto Cure You? 12 Conditions It May Help — and 6 It Won’t
Diet & NutritionKetogenic Diet

Can Keto Cure You? 12 Conditions It May Help — and 6 It Won’t

Can Keto Cure You? 12 Conditions It May Help — and 6 It Won’t
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Updated on September 20, 2026
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The keto diet is a high-fat, moderate-protein, very low-carb diet that can be tough to follow but has shown promising results when it comes to short-term weight management.

“A ketogenic diet alters the metabolic pathway of how your body burns fuel for energy,” says Audrey Fleck, RDN, an integrative and functional nutritionist in Bucks County, Pennsylvania. Severely restricting carbs and eating a high-fat diet sends your body into ketosis, a state in which it’s burning fat instead of glucose (the preferred source of energy for cells) for energy.

Some clinicians may use this diet alongside conventional therapy to manage a limited group of diseases,

 but keto is certainly not the answer for all situations, and the diet can be downright harmful for some people.

Here are conditions that the keto diet may be recommended for and those for which it’s definitely not.

How the Keto Diet Might Treat Health Problems

Keto has been suggested as a possible dietary intervention for several reasons. By shifting your primary energy source from sugar (glucose) to fat (ketones), the ketogenic diet forces your body to run on a cleaner, steadier fuel supply.

This process lowers blood glucose and reduces insulin. At the same time, it may simultaneously calm overactive brain cells. Research has suggested that this combination may benefit people with both metabolic and neurological health problems.

But remember: There are several ways to do a ketogenic diet. Butter and bacon will get you into ketosis, but that doesn’t mean the saturated fat that they provide is the healthiest type of fat for you.

Because a typical keto diet food list is so restrictive, you need to speak with your doctor before trying it. If you get the green light, keto beginners can benefit from working with a registered dietitian knowledgeable about keto who can help you plan a diet that maximizes your nutrient intake while avoiding potential deficiencies and reducing your risk of side effects.

Health Conditions for Which Keto Offers Proven Health Benefits

Keto’s strongest clinical track record is its use as a medical treatment for epilepsy.

Epilepsy in Children

This is what the ketogenic diet has traditionally been used to treat, as it provides more stable fuel for the brain and acts as an anticonvulsant, says Charlotte Hammond, RD, a nutrition expert in Chicago.

According to the Epilepsy Foundation, it can help control seizures in children, especially those who don’t respond to medication alone.

 Research has found that ketosis increases the brain’s ability to use GABA, a chemical that stops the excessive brain activity that can trigger seizures in people with epilepsy. It can also calm specific brain cells that may cause inflammation and makes the brain cells more energy efficient and less likely to fire incorrectly.

Around 1 in 2 children with epilepsy who are on the keto diet cut the number of seizures they experience by at least 50 percent, and around 1 in 10 may even stop having seizures altogether.

The Health Conditions That Preliminary Research Suggests Keto May Help

Early evidence indicates that the keto diet may offer short-term metabolic and weight loss advantages, though long-term clinical proof remains limited.

Type 2 Diabetes

While there’s conflicting research about the best diet for helping those with type 2 diabetes lose weight, some clinicians recommend a keto diet. “The root cause of type 2 is insulin resistance,” says Taylor Moree, RD, a licensed dietitian at the Nutrition Clinic for Digestive Health in Roswell, Georgia. The keto diet lowers carb intake to the point that blood glucose levels drop, she says.

With that, the body produces and uses less insulin, burning fat and potentially improving insulin sensitivity. Based on preliminary research suggesting that keto may be helpful for people with type 2 diabetes, some hospitals, such as Cleveland Clinic, have comprehensive programs dedicated to using the nutritional approach to help treat type 2 diabetes.

That said, definitive scientific evidence is lacking. A meta-analysis conducted a systematic review of 14 relevant studies over the past decade and found no consistent evidence that keto diets positively influenced key diabetes measures, such as blood sugar levels.

The potential effects of the keto diet on blood glucose control and insulin sensitivity might also be down to weight loss, and there are plenty of other ways to achieve that. A more recent study found that with weight loss out of the equation, a ketogenic diet didn’t actually have a significant effect on insulin sensitivity.

If you’re on medication for diabetes or insulin and are considering the keto diet, you’ll want to work closely with a prescribing doctor, who may need to adjust your medication dosage as you restrict carbohydrates, Moree says. If you have medications working to suppress blood sugar at the same time as you’re on the keto diet (which itself can reduce blood sugar levels), you risk hypoglycemia.

Metabolic Syndrome

Metabolic syndrome includes a cluster of risk factors:

One factor that contributes to metabolic syndrome is insulin resistance, so getting that under control may also reduce your risk of developing this condition, says Moree.

In switching to a very low-carb diet, the short-term benefits are notable. Some research has found that certain ketones (the energy molecules that your body makes from burning fat), namely beta-hydroxybutyrate, can reduce inflammation throughout the body, improve insulin resistance, promote rapid weight loss, and reduce belly fat.

However, maintaining these weight management and blood glucose control benefits long term can be challenging due to the diet’s restrictions. After a year, weight loss outcomes often become nonsignificant compared with more conventional diets when people stop following them. Meanwhile, people in studies have maintained improvements in long-term blood glucose control for at least a year, although evidence showing that ketogenic diets are more effective than standard diets is mixed.

Also, people following a keto diet high in foods with high saturated fat content who see notable increases in LDL (“bad”) cholesterol are at risk of cholesterol imbalances.

Obesity

Insulin resistance is a large component of the metabolic dysfunction in obesity, says Fleck. “Obesity puts you at a higher risk of developing blood sugar issues or type 2 diabetes,” she says.

Obesity management revolves around weight loss, and myriad dietary and lifestyle approaches can support it. But sustainable weight management usually comes from making small, lifestyle-friendly changes over time, eating a nutritionally balanced diet, and getting at least 150 minutes of moderate- to vigorous-intensity aerobic exercise each week, rather than following a drastic eating plan like keto.

 Without planning and despite the often-rapid initial weight loss, your weight loss can plateau, and people often regain at least half of the weight they lose on diets like keto.

Short-term research has found that people with obesity lost significant body weight and body fat while on a keto diet.

However, an analysis of randomized, controlled trials found that, when compared with diets with similar calorie intake, keto diets produced a small additional drop in body weight. But the evidence is mainly short term and drawn from largely unreliable studies, suggesting that the study authors doubt the extent, clinical significance, and durability of the benefits.

The Health Conditions That Need More Research to Recommend Keto

Several conditions are often linked to keto in popular discussion, but more research is needed to support its use.

Gout

One study in rodents suggests that because the ketogenic diet has potential anti-inflammatory properties, it may help prevent gout.

 But this research is very preliminary, and no further human studies have been conducted to confirm its findings.

During a gout flare, Moree doesn’t recommend following a keto diet, as it may make symptoms worse, she says. Talk to your doctor about other ways to manage gout flares.

Certain Cancers

Using the ketogenic diet as one aspect of cancer treatment is certainly gaining traction. “We now know that epileptic syndromes are due to the same genetic mutations in PIK3CA as are seen in some cancers,” says Lewis Cantley, PhD, a professor of cell biology at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston.

Limited studies suggest that ketosis may also enhance chemotherapy effectiveness by activating specific proteins and causing cancers to consume less glucose. But they’re offering a rationale for further research, not providing robust evidence of its effect in humans.

Dr. Cantley says that more well-designed, well-controlled clinical trials are needed to show what role, if any, the keto diet may play in cancer treatment. Talk to your oncologist before any major change to your diet.

“Unfortunately, different oncologists will provide different advice. I know that some physicians recommend low-carbohydrate diets to their cancer patients, but they are in the minority. Until the U.S. Food and Drug Administration weighs in on this based on well-designed clinical trials, there will be widely differing views by physicians,” Cantley says.

Epilepsy in Adults

The Epilepsy Foundation notes that a ketogenic diet is usually not recommended for adult patients because it’s so restrictive.

Instead, the foundation recommends the modified Atkins diet, which is an Atkins diet that severely restricts carbohydrates and encourages fat intake, but (unlike keto) doesn’t restrict protein.

Migraine

There’s growing knowledge about the role that inflammation plays in migraine, and for that reason, a keto diet may be useful in reducing headache days, says Moree.

The Migraine Trust notes that some people following a keto diet or other diets — such as the Mediterranean, dietary approaches to stop hypertension, low-fat, or gluten-free diets — have noticed reductions in migraine frequency, severity, or duration.

However, the evidence around managing migraine with a fixed diet is weak, and further research is needed to make firm claims about the effectiveness of cutting out entire food groups. Talk to your doctor if you’re considering a keto diet to manage migraine.

Polyendocrine Metabolic Ovarian Syndrome

Polyendocrine metabolic ovarian syndrome (PMOS) is a metabolic condition in women. Women who have PMOS have an increased risk for insulin resistance, diabetes, and obesity.

Moree says that inflammation is another factor in exacerbating symptoms. “The two main things that keto can help with — inflammation and insulin resistance — play a big role in PMOS. I commonly use the keto diet as a first line of defense in patients with PMOS,” says Moree.

One small study found that the keto diet may have benefits for women with PMOS, supporting significant weight loss, restored menstrual cycles, improved fertility, and better hormone balance. In the study, a keto diet also reduced blood sugar and insulin, and improved cholesterol profiles.

 Still, more long-term, randomized, controlled trials showing that keto is safe and effective for people with PMOS are needed, which means the eating approach is not widely recommended as a first-line treatment for the condition.

Autism

A very limited older study of 15 children found that a modified gluten-free keto diet with supplemental medium-chain triglyceride oil may help improve some behavioral symptoms associated with autism spectrum disorder after three months.

A more recent review of seven studies also found that a keto diet can improve certain behaviors in autism.

Still, more studies are needed to generalize the keto diet as a proven treatment for autism.

Dementia and Alzheimer’s Disease

While it’s not an officially recognized medical term, some people are referring to Alzheimer’s disease as ”type 3 diabetes” because both conditions are associated with insulin resistance, and type 2 diabetes might increase a person’s risk of developing dementia.

Nonetheless, experts say that more research is needed, and that it’s a sweeping generalization to say that a keto diet is appropriate for everyone at risk of Alzheimer’s.

Some, like Richard Isaacson, MD, an adjunct associate professor of neurology at Weill Cornell Medicine in New York City, support low-carb diets to reduce aging’s impact on the brain. “I believe when people are fueling their brain using ketones or calorie or carbohydrate restriction, it’s a cleaner burning fuel, and a better way to delay brain aging,” he says. Still, the evidence isn’t there to say that the keto version of the low-carb diet is always necessary or even helpful.

A review of 12 studies (including eight human studies) concluded that ketogenic diets improved brain metabolism and provided cognitive benefits to Alzheimer’s. However, the reviewers state that like in many other studies of the keto diet, these short interventions led to frequent, minor gastrointestinal side effects.

For others with certain genetics, though, it may be harmful, says Dr. Isaacson. For that reason, there’s no one-size-fits-all recommendation. Isaacson advises anyone going on keto to have their labs taken throughout the process and do the diet in conjunction with their treating physician and a registered dietitian.

Parkinson’s Disease

Up to 80 percent of people with Parkinson’s may go on to develop dementia.

 The ketogenic diet may help preserve cognitive function and memory in people who are at a relatively higher risk for dementia. “For individual patients who have an elevated risk for neurodegeneration, such as Alzheimer’s disease, I’m not shy about suggesting it as an intervention, and typically, I do,” says Robert Krikorian, PhD, a professor emeritus of clinical psychiatry at the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine in Ohio. That said, the keto diet as a therapy “is not widely accepted, but in my mind, there’s enough data to recommend it,” he says.
According to an older study led by Dr. Krikorian, ketosis appears to have multiple effects, including improved brain function and cognition, potentially by enhancing energy production and normalizing insulin levels in the brain.

Low-carb diets like keto may improve cognitive function by reducing insulin secretion, according to research.

 That’s important because research suggests that higher insulin in the circulation correlates with lower levels of insulin in the brain, says Krikorian.

He explains that insulin in the brain is necessary to support memory consolidation. It also correlates with an enzyme that helps clear beta amyloid (the proteins that form Alzheimer’s disease’s brain-function-disrupting plaques) from the brain, he says.

That said, while it’s a promising area of research, more long-term studies need to take place before doctors widely recommend the keto diet for this disease.

The Health Conditions That Keto Isn’t Safe and Effective For

Due to extreme dietary restrictions and potential health risks, keto is generally discouraged or contraindicated for these health concerns.

Type 1 Diabetes

People with type 1 diabetes are insulin dependent because the pancreas can’t make it at all. Some very limited-scale research has found that the keto diet can reduce a person’s need for insulin by causing far fewer blood sugar spikes after eating.

This research tends to consist of older case reports rather than reliable data. There is a risk of diabetic ketoacidosis (a life-threatening condition that results from excess ketones entering the bloodstream and making it more acidic) and dangerous hypoglycemia in those with type 1 diabetes who follow the keto diet.

If you are working very closely with a doctor knowledgeable about diabetes as well as with a dietitian, and they recommend a keto diet, then by all means follow their advice. But the evidence on its safety and efficacy is limited.

But people with this disease should not put themselves on keto, says Moree. “It can be very dangerous for type 1 patients to have low blood sugar,” she says, and this can easily result from taking insulin while severely limiting carbohydrates in the diet.

Eating Disorders

If you have a history of an eating disorder like anorexia or bulimia, or disordered eating, following a restrictive diet may be harmful and can lead to a relapse.

At the moment, scientific consensus supports seeking out a registered dietitian who specializes in eating disorders.”

 They will have the tools to help you address these complex diseases.

Binge-Eating Disorder

Anecdotally, some people have said they’ve “treated” their binge-eating disorder (BED) with keto because the high-fat plan keeps them full, preventing binge episodes. Preliminary research has looked into the feasibility of the keto diet as a possible intervention for BED, with promising results (that the authors made absolutely clear did not establish efficacy as a therapy.

But Sumner Brooks, MPH, RDN, a certified eating disorder registered dietitian in Portland, Oregon, and the founder of Eating Disorder Registered Dietitians and Professionals, maintains, “Binge eating disorder is a severe and problematic eating disorder that cannot be treated with a restrictive diet. A person may temporarily feel that they are better or feel more in control, but sooner or later they will experience compensatory eating, binges, and cravings,” she says. “I've worked with many clients who come to me after losing weight while on keto, suffering with out-of-control feelings around carbohydrates, and blame themselves, when really it is the diet that is the problem.”

Brooks notes that the lack of hunger on the plan is also an issue, as hunger is a normal bodily cue that one shouldn’t work to suppress.

She says that proper treatment of BED is “regular, adequate, satisfying” food intake and possibly psychological therapy to learn coping skills for stress and emotions that trigger BED episodes — not keto.

Gallbladder Removal

If you’ve had your gallbladder removed, your body no longer has a reservoir for bile, a fluid that aids digestion, particularly of fat. While the liver still produces some bile, fat digestion becomes a slog, and high-fat meals can cause uncomfortable symptoms without a gallbladder.

 The keto diet, as a high-fat diet, can be particularly demanding on your digestive system.

While a single case study demonstrated a young boy who was able to eat keto without a gallbladder to treat epilepsy, you’ll need to take great care when starting and managing keto after a gallbladder removal.

If you are on the keto diet without boosting bile flow, which your body can’t do without a gallbladder, you’ll feel awful, says Hammond. If you’re absolutely set on trying keto, talk to a professional before jumping into the diet, she says.

Thyroid Disorders

Tread with caution if you have a thyroid disorder — that includes hyperthyroidism and hypothyroidism — says Fleck.

“There’s some evidence that a keto diet can suppress levels of the thyroid hormone T3, though there are conflicting opinions on this,” she says.

In a small pilot study, participants lost more body mass on a keto diet than those on a high-carb, low-fat diet, and there was also a positive change in thyroid hormone concentrations, which the researchers suggested warrant further investigation.

As always, talk to a doctor who has experience in ketogenic diets and who will monitor your thyroid levels while on one.

Multiple Sclerosis

Because the keto diet is sometimes used for neurodegenerative diseases, some tout it as a possible approach to managing multiple sclerosis (MS). But research on the keto diet for people with MS is severely lacking.

In a study that included 65 people with relapsing MS who followed a keto diet for six months, researchers found improvements in body composition, fatigue, and depression.

Still, the National Multiple Sclerosis Society notes that there are questions about the long-term safety of such diets, and they can exacerbate fatigue (due to the effects of ketones) and constipation (due to low fiber intake) — both common side effects of MS.

EDITORIAL SOURCES
Everyday Health follows strict sourcing guidelines to ensure the accuracy of its content, outlined in our editorial policy. We use only trustworthy sources, including peer-reviewed studies, board-certified medical experts, patients with lived experience, and information from top institutions.
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