Does Eating So Much Protein Inhibit Ketosis?

Protein can inhibit ketosis at a certain level, but I don’t think it’s because the protein itself is sending some kind of signal to say ‘let’s make more sugar.’ It’s not directly causing gluconeogenesis, I think what’s happening is that when you eat protein, you have an insulin response, the only thing you don’t really have much of an insulin response to is fat, protein is going to have some and carbs a lot more. But insulin and the insulin to glucagon ratio is one of the primary regulators of whether or not you’re in ketosis.

So if your insulin level becomes quite high because of a lot of protein then that could slow down your ketogenesis, and then if you don’t have as many ketones, your body still needs energy and so it’s going to demand more glucose from your liver, and so in that way, yes you might be burning more glucose in response to a higher protein diet than a lower protein diet.

But I don’t see it as interfering really with weight loss, in fact if you follow Ted Naemen, he’s been quite adamant about finding and showing studies where higher protein levels up to say 30% over 15% show superior weight loss.

It’s very controversial and I don’t want to side too heavily on the protein wars, but I do think that protein levels are not as much as something we should fear.

Source: Ohearn, Amber, guest. “The Carnivore Diet for Women (Success Story) – Amber O’Hearn” Biohackers Lab, 16 Feb. 2018. https://www.biohackerslab.com/ep37-amber-ohearn/