The ketogenic diet is a very low-carb, high-fat diet that shares many similarities with the Atkins and low-carb diets. It is sometimes called a ketogenic or ketogenic diet. Unlike other low-carb diets, which focus on protein, a ketogenic plan focuses on fats, which provide up to 90% of daily calories. The idea is to get more calories from proteins and fats and less from carbohydrates.
You cut down on most carbohydrates that are easy to digest, such as sugar, soda, pastries, and white bread. In the world of weight-loss diets, low-carb and high-protein eating plans often attract attention. Paleo, South Beach, and Atkins diets fall into that category. But a true ketogenic diet is different.
Researchers have examined the effects of the ketogenic diet to help prevent or even treat certain types of cancer. Talk to your doctor about your eating plan and goals to decide if a ketogenic eating plan is right for you. About 20% of children on a ketogenic diet manage to get rid of seizures, and many are able to reduce the use of anticonvulsant drugs or eliminate them altogether. Long-term use of the ketogenic diet in children increases the risk of growth retardation or retardation, bone fractures, and kidney stones.
Ketone bodies are possibly anticonvulsants; in animal models, acetoacetate and acetone protect against seizures. The liver can use long-chain fatty acids to synthesize the three ketone bodies: β-hydroxybutyrate, acetoacetate, and acetone. A small study in women with type 2 diabetes also found that following a ketogenic diet for 90 days significantly reduced hemoglobin A1C levels, which is a measure of long-term blood sugar control (2). The ketogenic diet reduces seizure frequency by more than 50% in half of patients who try it and by more than 90% in one-third of patients.
When following a ketogenic diet, the idea is to eat too few carbs, a moderate amount of protein, and as much fat as you need to feel full, rather than full. Russell Morse Wilder, of the Mayo Clinic, drew on this research and coined the term ketogenic diet to describe a diet that produced a high level of ketone bodies in the blood (ketonemia) through excess fat and lack of carbohydrates. After a week on the ketogenic diet, the mice began to accumulate fat and develop obesity and type 2 diabetes. Increased ketone production is a sure sign of ketosis and can be controlled through breath, blood, and urine tests.
Blood, urine, and breath tests are available which can help determine if you've gone into ketosis by measuring the amount of ketones produced by your body.
