Today’s blog is going to have some technical moments, some messy moments, and plain common-sense moments. We’re going to address a question that is plaguing both the keto and medical communities. Should you take a fat blocker on keto? On the surface it seems easy enough to scream “NO” from the rooftops, but like anything, it’s more complicated than that.
What Is a Fat Blocker?
What we are looking at today is a very common prescription fat blocker called Orlistat. It’s sold across the world under the brand names Alli and Xenical. Doctors prescribe this medication to people struggling with obesity and blocks certain enzymes in your intestines that absorb the fat you eat. That fat that is not absorbed is passed directly. This falls in line with the traditional thought that the less fat you take in, the more weight you keep off.
Orlistat has been approved in multiple countries and is considered generally safe with a list of common side effects that range from headaches to coughs. It’s effectiveness at weight loss is debated as most science shows it helps initially. That could be due to the change in diet that is often recommended with it. It’s effectiveness at blocking fat however is not debated at all. Orlistat will pass about 25% of the fat you take in directly through the intestines.
The Obvious Problem with a Fat Blocker on Keto
Based on what we just talked about the obvious problem is a keto diet is high in fat. If you are taking a medication that is blocking that fat then you may want to put in a second washroom. I don’t want to be graphic, but purposely taking in extra fat to only turn around and pass 25% of it seems like a messy fool’s errand.
We want our body to get accustomed to burning fat and accepting it as our main fuel source. Pushing most of that out of your system is counter intuitive. A fat blocker is an old school thought to weight loss. We are taking an approach that breaks away from that low fat model. Orlistat is meant for a tradtional low fat diet, not keto.
The Elephant in the Room with a Fat Blocker on Keto
I referenced it earlier, but let’s just say it. If you take a fat blocker on keto, you are going to poop a lot. I mean… A LOT! Any pill that promotes passing unprocessed fat through your system is going to work overtime when you are literally increasing that fat number. Some of the side effects we never talked about were diarrhea and loose stool. Those are caused by passing fat that has not been broken down.
Another side effect that personally scares me is leaky bowel. These are listed side effects when taking Orlistat with the recommended low-fat diet. I can’t say that would become worse if you were taking in a lot of fat. But firsthand stories from people on Reddit who have taken a fat blocker on keto point to anal leakage as a major and embarrassing problem.
Studies Around Taking a Fat Blocker on Keto
Research on the subject is very limited. Most information I could find was firsthand stories of people who have tried it or “experts” acting like medical experts. However both did say it was a bad idea.
There was on study published in the National Library of Medicine that referred to a low-carb diet in conjunction with Orlistat. I only had limited access to the material. The study’s conclusion is that people on this combination showed a decrease overall in blood pressure but theorized there are very little additional benefits to taking a fat blocker with a low-carb diet.
Final Thoughts
Fat is our friend. You wouldn’t go on Facebook and block your best friend so why are you going to block the thing that will help you change your life. Keto is a high fat diet and fat blockers are anti-fat. That should be enough to make you realize this is a bad idea.
There is a school of thought that blocking that fat give you the benefit of feeling full but without the calories. That is a slippery slope my friends. The key is to put in the work and do keto properly with the principals in place we talk about all the time. Why take a medication if you don’t have to?
Bill
