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KenDBerryMD - 💩 Keto and Constipation: 3 things to know

Thumbnail of the video “KenDBerryMD - 💩 Keto and Constipation: 3 things to know”
Community upload. AI output has not been independently verified.
Author: KenDBerryMD
Categories: Nutrition
Tags: nutrition
Views: 2 · Last viewed: 2026-10-17 00:45 UTC

Short Summary

Main recommendation: If constipation appears on a ketogenic diet, the video suggests first recognizing that eating less plant fiber may simply mean fewer bowel movements, then adding magnesium citrate and eating more low-carb vegetables. Dr. Berry frames these as three tips for managing keto-related constipation, noting that he rarely sees it in his own practice.

Key Points

  • The three tips promised by the title are: (1) understand that less poop on a meat-heavy diet may not be constipation, (2) take magnesium citrate, and (3) eat more low-carb vegetables.
  • Dr. Berry says animal products are very well absorbed in the intestines, so a meat-heavy diet produces less stool volume than a vegetable- or grain-heavy diet (based on his observations of ostomy bag patients).
  • Many people in the Western world are already magnesium deficient before starting keto, and keto can uncover that hidden deficiency.
  • Low-carb vegetables contain fiber that the body cannot break down or absorb, which increases stool volume.
  • Salt intake can help with keto flu symptoms and may loosen the bowels, which Dr. Berry calls a bonus tip rather than one of the three.

Details Worth Noting

  • Concrete instructions: If constipated, start with a small daily amount of magnesium citrate, increase the dose gradually until you have the bowel movement you want each day, then keep that amount steady. Taking it close to bedtime is suggested, especially if nighttime muscle cramps occur. Eat more low-carb vegetables, avoid high-carb vegetables and grains as fiber sources, and do not rely on grains for fiber.
  • If you want magnesium without stimulating bowel movements, the video suggests magnesium glycinate or another form less likely to increase bowel motility.
  • Dr. Berry notes that keto flu or Atkins flu (achy tiredness) often improves when salt intake is increased.
  • He notes that the belief that meat putrefies in the intestines is contrary to what he has observed in patients with ostomy bags, where meat is not seen passing undigested while vegetable matter often is.
  • He emphasizes that the ketogenic diet itself does not cause magnesium deficiency, though it may reveal one.

Bottom Line

Constipation on keto may reflect lower stool volume rather than a true problem, but if it persists, magnesium citrate and more low-carb vegetables are the video's suggested fixes.