The keto diet is very popular today, but actually has its roots from the earlier part of the twentieth century as a treatment for childhood epilepsy. So, while the keto diet is new sounding it actually has a history that is over a century old. The ketogenic diet, like regular sauna use, attracts a demographic of individuals keen on longevity, healthspan, and possibly bio-hacking protocols. Naturally, there are many questions surrounding the use of a sauna while on a ketogenic diet.
The two practices can work hand in hand to produce excellent health results, but there are some serious precautions that must be taken if an individual plans on participating in both sauna therapy and the keto diet, namely hydration and remineralization.
The ketogenic diet promises many of the same health benefits as regular sauna use, with a few exceptions, on both sides. There are benefits exclusive to the keto diet, and benefits derived only from deliberate heat exposure. If someone wants to engage both protocols, for any reason at all, the two treatments form a natural partnership if handled correctly.
Find out exactly what the ketogenic diet is, why ketosis is important, and what potential threats are posed by combining regular sauna use with the keto diet. Furthermore, find out how to safely combine both modalities for ultimate health and wellness while avoiding the pitfulls sometimes present when regular sauna use is combined with a ketogenic diet.
What is Ketosis?
Many people have heard of the keto diet, or perhaps a friend or family member is following it. Maybe others have heard influencers, nutritionists, and other medical experts talk about ketosis, but are still not exactly sure what it is. It can be easy to get lost in a sea of jargon, as diets fade in and out of style seemingly quite quickly. The ketogenic diet, despite seeming like a fad diet, does have a historical foundation, as well as a scientific one.
According to a publication from UC Davis Health entitled ‘Good Food Is Good Medicine’ (1) the ketogenic diet was first used in the 1920s as an adjunctive treatment for childhood epilepsy.
“The keto diet was first used as a treatment for pediatric drug-resistant epilepsy to reduce seizures in the 1920s. It’s still used to help prevent seizures in the U.S. when medications alone aren’t enough.” (1)
This particular diet, that is most recognized for its use as a weight loss strategy, is actually used as medicine for epilepsy. So, beyond its use for epilepsy and weight loss the goal of its users is to reach a state of ketosis.
In order to reach this state it is necessary to select the food that you eat in a very specific way. Practically this means that the keto diet is very high in fat and very low in carbohydrates. (1) The goal in eating this way is to eventually cause the body to begin to use fat instead of glucose from food to create ketones. The authors from the UC Davis Health describe the process here.
“In ketosis, the body uses fat for fuel, instead of sugar (glucose). This produces acids known as ketones.” (1)
Typically the body creates glucose from the carbohydrates that a person eats, but if no carbohydrates are ingested the body begins to use either fat stores from the body, or consumed fat, such as those eaten during a ketogenic diet.
According to the authors of the Cleveland Clinic article entitled simply ‘Ketosis’ (2), this is the basis of creating a ketogenic state in the body that ultimately produces ketones to fuel the body and brain.
“As your body breaks down fat, it produces a compound called ketones. The ketones, or ketone bodies, become your body and brain’s main source of energy.
The fat your body uses to create ketones may come from your diet (nutritional ketosis), or it may come from your body’s fat stores. Your liver produces a small amount of ketones on its own. But when your glucose level decreases, your insulin level decreases. This causes your liver to ramp up the production of ketones to ensure it can provide enough energy for your brain. Therefore, your blood has high levels of ketones during ketosis.” (2)
The keto diet is very effective as a weight loss tool, and many of its users claim that it helps to create clarity of thought, or a ‘sharper mind’. Still other medical experts claim that it may help to shrink brain tumors, lower the expression of autoimmune disorders, and help in the treatment of diabetes.
According to the same article published by the Cleveland Clinic discussed earlier, the authors elaborate on other health benefits that may be derived from the ketogenic diet.
“Research has shown the keto diet may help improve neurological conditions such as Alzheimer’s disease, autism and brain cancers such as glioblastoma.
- Type 2 Diabetes: The keto diet can help people with Type 2 diabetes lose weight and manage their blood sugar levels.
- Heart Disease: The keto diet may lower your risk of developing cardiovascular disease by lowering your blood pressure, improving your HDL (“good”) cholesterol levels and lowering your triglycerides.
- Metabolic Syndrome: The keto diet may reduce your risk of developing metabolic syndrome, which is associated with your risk of heart disease.
Ketosis has also been shown to increase your focus and energy. The keto diet delivers your body’s energy needs in a way that reduces inflammation.” (2)
So, if the ketogenic diet promises so many benefits why isn’t everyone on it? There are some drawbacks to this diet, particularly if you are an avid sauna user. This does not mean that it is impossible to both sauna regularly and follow the ketogenic diet, it simply means that there are some precautions that must be taken.
As you can see many of the benefits associated with regular sauna use are also attained through the keto diet. So, can these two alternative forms of treatment work hand in hand?
What Precautions Should Be Taken if You Sauna While Following a Keto Diet?
- Hydration
- Remineralization
- Magnesium Deficiency
It is certainly possible to safely use a sauna regularly while on a keto diet. In fact many of the same people who are attracted to this form of eating will also likely be attracted to sauna use. There are, however, some precautions to take, namely hydration and remineralization.
The ketogenic diet does not permit the consumption of carbohydrates, including many vegetables and fruits. The concern is that while much water does come from what a person drinks, a lot of hydration occurs from the food that an individual eats, for example, broccoli, carrots, cauliflower, and beets.
According to Heidi Godman, the author of a publication from Harvard Medical School entitled ‘Using food to stay hydrated: Boost the amount of water-rich foods in your diet to supplement your daily fluid intake.’ (3) increasing bodily fluid from food is paramount to overall hydration.
“But the superstars of water-rich foods are fruits and vegetables. “For example, celery, cucumbers, and romaine lettuce are about 95% water,” says Nancy Oliveira, a registered dietitian and manager of the Nutrition and Wellness Service at Harvard-affiliated Brigham and Women’s Hospital. “Other fruits and vegetables, such as green grapes, peaches, and corn, are in the 70% to 90% water range.”” (4)
Later in the same article Godman writes this.
“If staying hydrated is challenging for you, consider increasing the amount of watery foods you eat.” (3)
The main challenge for anyone using a sauna regularly is to maintain levels of hydration. This is also true for someone on a diet that does not include foods that are high in water, such as the keto diet.
What this ultimately means is that if you sauna regularly and are on a ketogenic diet you are at risk for chronic levels of dehydration.
Furthermore, using a sauna regularly means that through sweat, many essential minerals such as magnesium, potassium, and sodium are lost. For anyone using a sauna regularly, magnesium deficiency is a high risk. So, add on to this any kind of highly restrictive diet, and the chance of falling into magnesium deficiency increases dramatically.
According to Dr. Rhonda Patrick, PHD, magnesium deficiency affects nearly everyone, but especially those who sauna frequently. While excessive sweating is not the main reason for magnesium deficiency when compared to alcohol consumption, for example, it still can contribute. Here is what Dr. Patrick writes in her article entitled ‘3 Mechanisms for Magnesium Deficiency’.
“The wide array of diseases and symptoms of magnesium deficiency have to do with the fact that approximately 99% of your body’s magnesium is located in bone, muscles, and soft tissue. The other 1% of magnesium is found in plasma and red blood cells. Needless to say, this is a wide array of tissues for things to go wrong in!”
She goes on to write about which foods are rich in magnesium, and which ones contain very little.
“Example of products and ingredients that contain very little magnesium:
- Meat (very little)
- Milk (very little)
- Soda (virtually none)
- Sugar (virtually none)
- White flour (virtually none)
Conversely, here’s a descending list of the foods that have the most magnesium:
- Oat bran – 96mg in a ½ cup.
- Spinach (chopped) – 78mg in a ½ cup.
- Swiss Chard (chopped) – 75mg in a ½ cup.
- Brown rice – 86mg in a ½ cup.
- Almonds – 78mg in 1 ounce (23 almonds).
- Lima beans – 63mg in a ½ cup.” (4)
In terms of a ketogenic diet, it means that it is likely that those who are participating may be in magnesium deficiency, and adding sauna use to this diet may increase magnesium deficiency.
If an individual chooses to engage in the keto diet and sauna regularly, both activities that are known to promote health, are also two activities known to promote dehydration and essential mineral deficiency, including magnesium deficiency. So, how can these two practices be married in a way that enhances health and wellness and allows the individual to benefit from both?
If you choose to sauna regularly while on a ketogenic diet, it is very important to stay well hydrated through fluid intake at all times, as well as potentially consuming mineral supplements, such as magnesium. Do whatever is necessary to maintain excellent hydration and to ensure that the body is not missing any intrinsic nutrients.
How Sauna Use May Compliment Your Keto Diet?
- Weight Loss
- Increased Insulin Sensitivity
- Heart Health
- Decreased Risk of Metabolic Disease
- Improved Cardiovascular Function
- Decreased Inflammation
Many of the health benefits associated with a ketogenic diet can also be found through regular sauna use. Saunas can also be used alongside a keto diet provided specific measures are taken to maintain hydration and prevent demineralization of the body.
Some of the shared health benefits associated with each treatment respectively include weight loss, increased insulin sensitivity, heart health, decreased risk of metabolic disease, improved cardiovascular function, and decreased chronic inflammation.
While there are many shared benefits between the keto diet and sauna use, there are some benefits associated strictly with sauna use, and vice versa. For example, many of the benefits associated with deliberate heat exposure simply will not be present without the use of a sauna. In a paper published by Science Direct entitled ‘Sauna use as a lifestyle practice to extend healthspan’ (4) the authors write about a few key benefits derived from sauna use exclusively.
“The hormetic effects of heat stress are facilitated by molecular mechanisms that mitigate protein damage and aggregation and activate endogenous antioxidant, repair, and degradation processes…One of the protective adaptive responses to heat stress is the increased expression of heat shock proteins (HSPs).” (4)
In short, for those who are keen enough on their health to engage in the keto diet, it is definitely worthwhile adding sauna therapy into your lifestyle. If you do, please take all of the precautions necessary to ensure that you maintain excellent levels of hydration at all times. Furthermore, you may need to add supplements, such as magnesium and other essential minerals and vitamins to your daily consumption.
The ketogenic diet, and regular sauna use are not for everyone, so please consult with your medical care provider before beginning either.
Citations:
- UC Davis Health: “Good Food Is Good Medicine” https://health.ucdavis.edu/blog/good-food/what-is-the-keto-diet-and-can-it-be-beneficial-for-you/2025/05
- Cleveland Clinic article entitled simple “Ketosis” https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/articles/24003-ketosis
- Dr Rhonda Patrick, PHD “3 Mechanisms for Magnesium Deficiency” https://www.foundmyfitness.com/episodes/3-mechanisms-for-magnesium-deficiency
- Science Direct “Sauna use as a lifestyle practice to extend healthspan” https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0531556521002916