The Dukan diet is stricter than the keto diet only in its first phases. For ketosis, both can put you there but still, the keto diet gives us more food choices than the Dukan diet which makes it healthier to lose weight.
What is the difference between the Dukan & keto diet?
One thing both diets may have in common is that they are high in protein. But each has its characteristics and principles:
| Dukan Diet | Keto Diet |
| Rapid weight loss | Rapid weight loss |
| Sense of fullness | Bad feelings due to ketosis |
| Requires little cooking | Requires a lot of recipes to cook at home |
| Limited variety of foods in the early stages | The absence of sugar only |
| Difficult to follow in the long term | Can become a way of life. |
| Unpleasant side effects: fatigue, constipation, bad breath | Rarely nausea due to ketosis |
| High risk of deficiencies & Kidney damage +++ | High risk of deficiencies & Kidney damage + |
| It costs between 15 $ per month and( More expensive with regular coaching sessions : up to 30 $ Yo-yo effect | It costs about 5$ for a meal plan ( per day). Yo-yo effect |
1- The Dukan diet
Less severe restriction of carbohydrates
The Dukan diet focuses much more on the quality of carbohydrates than the quantity.
It requires the total removal of carbohydrates in the first phase and a gradual introduction in the next phases, but suppression of bad carbs (refined and sweetened products, etc) during all the diet and why not for life.
Moreover, it is a low carbohydrate and low-fat diet at the same time, but rich in good proteins. You can reintroduce fruits (including sweetened fruits from the third phase as I explained above).
2- The keto diet
This diet focuses much more on carbs, that is to say, there is the removal of up to 99% of carbohydrates from your diet, however, you can consume good fat (prefer monounsaturated fat), and protein.
In the keto diet, the sugar calories removed are replaced by good-quality fat. Proteins will remain as they are!
So to understand the difference between these two diets: The ketogenic diet is a low-sugar diet, while the Dukan diet is a carbs & fat-low diet!
What is the healthiest diet? Dukan VS Keto
Many people think that the Dukan diet is more strict than the keto diet, but the restrictions of the keto diet are also strong! Imagine that you won’t eat most fruits cause they contain sugar!
We must not forget that the Dukan diet is stricter during the first week only! That is to say, as of the second phase the Dukan diet is going to allow vegetables and is going to allow fruits as of the fourth phase (consolidation).
Also, the keto diet does not allow fruits until you reach your goal like losing weight, on the other hand, it allows good fat and proteins.
So from a taste and pleasure side, the keto diet is better, but from a food choice side, both are strict.
Does the Dukan diet Put you on ketosis?
Yes! The first phase of the Dukan diet will put you in a state of ketosis more than the keto diet. Because during this phase, you only eat proteins!
So our body in order to get the energy will have to melt the stored fat, this fat when it breaks down will release fatty acids thus ketosis. However, this state of ketosis won’t start directly from the first day of the diet.
In the beginning, generally on the third day of the diet, you won’t feel the bad sensation of ketosis because your body will use the glucose circulating in your blood.
But the advantage of the Dukan diet is that the state of ketosis doesn’t last very long because the first phase will only last 5 days!
The state of ketosis can continue in the next phases but much less because your body will adapt and there will be a larger choice of food.
Which diet is better? : Dietitian recommendations
Fats certainly have their benefits: they make food tastier, they satiate, they promote the absorption of vitamins, they become a source of fuel, they offer a greater variety of foods, they facilitate compliance with the diet, and they promote the functioning of a healthy body, etc.
The keto diet allows proteins and fat, the Dukan diet allows proteins only. In this case, the most severe diet is the Dukan diet.
The diet that wins here, is the one closest to balance which is the keto diet.
So I recommend the Keto Diet While keeping an eye on the state of your health and ask a nutrition specialist if you need supplements to avoid deficiencies.
We need fat too!
The Dukan diet requires the elimination of fat besides carbs. This can be dangerous if it is done in the long term. Because fat also plays an important role in our body and its functioning.
There is an essential role of fat which plays in weight control! It is the regulation of hormones. Fat is involved in the regulation and proper functioning of certain hormones including cortisol which is responsible for metabolism.
So in some cases the total elimination of fat can be your enemy and cause weight gain instead of losing it, this may be the reason why some people can not lose weight despite the efforts.
What a keto diet meal plan looks like?
Breakfast
- Cucumber juice + parsley & lemon
- 2 eggs
- 80 g of cottage cheese
- 1/2 avocado
Lunch
- endives seasoned with cider vinegar + 1 tablespoon of olive oil
- green beans with beef in sauce
- plain yogurt
Dinner
- snack at 4 pm: Tomato juice
- Green vegetable soup
- Baked schnitzel with tomato
- 1/2 avocado
What a Dukan diet meal plan looks like?
Breakfast
- Coffee or tea
- Roast turkey
- 1/2 cup of tofu
Lunch
- Mushroom salad
- Grilled prime rib
- avocado with lemon
- 1 plain yogurt
Dinner
- Fish soup
- Radishes with peanut butter
- Breaded escalope (breading without salt)
- cottage cheese (fresh)
These two different typical menus will allow you to make out that the Dukan diet is mainly based on the consumption of proteins with no sugar at the same time.
On the other hand, the ketogenic diet is based on the absence of sugar only. But both diets require the consumption of good fat (fish, olive oil, white meat, no lamb because it is more fatty than beef, etc).
Keto Vs Dukan diet to lose weight permanently?
The Dukan diet has a stabilization phase that the keto diet does not, and this phase is very important to keep your weight off even after you stop your diet.
Keto Vs Dukan to improve insulin resistance?
Concerning insulin resistance, the two diets Dukan and keto have the same role. They push the body to use fat as a source of energy instead of sugar by almost eliminating it from our diet.
Every diet that induces a state of ketosis can improve insulin resistance like fasting and low-calorie diets.
But between the keto diet and the Dukan diet, I recommend the Dukan diet because it has a stabilization phase where there will be more food choices and therefore more balanced.
Keto Vs Dukan for pregnancy?
If you are pregnant, I recommend the new update of the Dukan diet which is the “staircase method“.
During this method the first phase of the Dukan diet consists in eating only proteins instead of lasting 5 days, it lasts only 2 days.
The next day the pregnant woman will start to reintroduce other foods gradually, so it is more balanced.
This method will allow the pregnant woman to eat healthy while keeping a healthy weight.
A pregnant woman is a sensitive person who must be careful about the type of diet she must follow and eat balanced by introducing complex sugar to her diet cause they’re essential during pregnancy. Hence, the keto diet is not suitable for you.
Keto or Dukan diet for women with PCOS?
A woman who suffers from PCOS and wishes to restore her fertility should not follow either of these diets. Both are low in carbs, fiber, and magnesium. These elements are essential for a woman with PCOS.
Secondly, to relieve PCOS, a woman should eat enough dried fruits, and oleaginous seeds, for which the two diets are not adequate.
To know more visit: Why Dukan diet for women with PCOS is not safe?
Keto or Dukan diet to gain muscle?
Both diets are not suitable for intense physical activity such as bodybuilding, as they lack 3 essential elements for the bodybuilder: Magnesium, potassium, and complex sugars.
Potassium keeps a healthy kidney for the athlete, magnesium maintains the muscles, and complex sugar is the first fuel for the brain and the body to have glycogen for our muscles.
Generally, the complex sugar comes from the same foods rich in magnesium as starchy foods.
During these intense activities, we must provide energy to our brain for concentration and then glycogen to our muscles, this requires a sufficient intake of these 3 essential nutrients that are lacking in both the keto and Dukan diets.
Keto or Dukan diet for kidney health?
Excess protein causes kidney damage. Both the keto and Dukan diets are hyper-protein diets. To preserve kidney health, an adult should not exceed 15% of proteins from their energy expenditure per day.
Keto Vs Dukan diet for elderly?
The elderly need to have a protein intake like a sportsman. It is not because they have the same strength, of course, but because the digestive system of an elderly person makes a lot of losses.
For an elderly person who consumes 50 g of proteins per day, his body will assimilate only 25g. So it is necessary to increase the protein intake so that the digested ratio can be increased.
But protein is not the only factor that is critical in choosing between these two diets.
Antioxidants also play an essential role. Each calorie that they consume must bring a good nutrient, it is also necessary to eat enough fruits and vegetables, the fruits are very missed in both keto and Dukan diets, unfortunately. I do not recommend any of the keto or Dukan diet for the elderly.
When can I start the Dukan diet?
If you are overweight only and not obese, the objective that you must reach must be closed for example 19lbs more, you can lose them according to the Dukan method for 2 months only.
This way, the duration of the diet cannot seriously affect you and the diet is not long-term as long as it is less than 6 months.
Bottom Line
In short, I don’t think many people would continue with the Dukan diet course, and if they did, I would be concerned about their health.
It’s a fat-phobic/low-carb diet that I do not recommend for any extended amount of time. On the other hand, the keto diet is a bit more balanced than the Dukan diet, but the keto diet is also not nearly enough.
I believe that we must give our body all the macro and micronutrients it needs, and we can lose weight easily with a balanced diet, without suffering or starving, and with a wide choice of foods.
