Keto Diet Plus Weekly Injection Improves Blood Sugar Control

What Was Studied and Why It Matters

Managing type 2 diabetes with medication alone often isn't enough. Millions of people still struggle to keep their blood sugar and cholesterol in healthy ranges even while taking their prescribed drugs. Researchers in this 2025 study wanted to know whether adding a specific eating plan — the ketogenic diet — to an already-effective diabetes medication could produce even better results.

The medication studied was dulaglutide (brand name Trulicity), a once-weekly injectable drug in the GLP-1 class that helps the body release insulin and lower blood sugar. The ketogenic diet is a very low-carbohydrate, high-fat eating pattern that forces the body to burn fat for fuel instead of sugar.

What the Researchers Did

104 adults with type 2 diabetes were split into two groups. One group took dulaglutide only. The other group took dulaglutide and followed a ketogenic diet at the same time. Researchers tracked both groups for six months, measuring blood sugar levels, cholesterol and triglycerides, insulin resistance, and overall quality of life — including sleep quality.

What They Found

• Better blood sugar control: The combination group had significantly lower blood glucose levels compared to the medication-only group.
• Improved cholesterol and triglycerides: Blood fat levels dropped more in the group following the ketogenic diet alongside their medication.
• Less insulin resistance: The body became more sensitive to insulin, meaning it worked more efficiently to move sugar out of the bloodstream.
• Better sleep and quality of life: At the six-month follow-up, patients in the combination group reported sleeping better and feeling a greater overall sense of well-being.

What This Means for Real Patients

If you're already using an injectable GLP-1 medication like dulaglutide, this research suggests that pairing it with a ketogenic or very low-carb eating plan could meaningfully improve your results — beyond what the medication alone can achieve. The benefits weren't just numbers on a lab report either; patients actually felt better day to day.

That said, the ketogenic diet is a significant change from normal eating habits and isn't right for everyone. People with kidney disease, a history of disordered eating, or certain other conditions should speak with their doctor before making major dietary changes. Any shift in carbohydrate intake can also affect how much insulin or other medication you need — so monitoring your blood sugar closely is essential during any dietary transition. Having reliable supplies on hand matters. MDS Diabetes offers a wide range of glucose monitoring and insulin delivery supplies to help you stay on top of your numbers safely during any lifestyle change.

Bottom Line

Combining a ketogenic diet with the weekly GLP-1 injection dulaglutide produced better blood sugar control, improved cholesterol levels, reduced insulin resistance, and better quality of life compared to medication alone — based on a six-month study of 104 type 2 diabetes patients. Talk to your healthcare provider about whether this combination approach could work for your diabetes management plan.