The ketogenic diet, the ketogenic diet, or the keto diet is a high-fat, moderate-protein, low-carb diet. This system was used in medicine primarily to treat difficult-to-control epilepsy in children. This diet forces the body to burn fats instead of carbohydrates.
Normally, carbohydrates in food are converted into glucose, which is then transported to all parts of the body which is especially important in providing energy to the brain, as the brain (brain) depends on glucose for energy. However,
if there are too few carbohydrates in the diet, the liver converts fats into fatty acids and ketone bodies to provide the body with energy and produce ATP in the cells of the body. But brain cells as well as kidneys and nerves need glucose.
In that case, when glucose is reduced, the brain can function with 40% glucose and 60% ketone bodies.
An elevated level of ketone bodies in the blood, a condition known as ketoacidosis, leads to a decrease in the frequency of epileptic seizures. Almost half of the children and young adults with epilepsy who tried some form of this
diet saw the number of seizures drop by at least half, and the effect persisted even after stopping the diet. The most common adverse effect of this diet is constipation, affecting about 30% of patients - this is due to a reduction in
fluid volume, which was previously a feature of this diet, but this has led to an increased risk of kidney stones, and is no longer considered beneficial.
The original CDI provides enough protein for the body to grow and repair, and enough calories to maintain a healthy weight for age and height. The traditional ketogenic diet was developed to treat childhood epilepsy in the 1920s and
was widely used for the next decade, but its popularity waned with the introduction of effective medications for epilepsy. This ketogenic diet has a 4:1 ratio by weight of fats to proteins and carbohydrates. This is achieved by excluding
foods rich in carbohydrates such as fruits and vegetables, starches such as bread and pasta, cereals and sugar, while increasing the consumption of foods rich in fats such as nuts, cream and butter.
In the mid-1990s, a Hollywood producer (Jim Abrahams) promoted the ketogenic diet, which was invented by the Charlie Foundation, as his son had severe epilepsy which was effectively controlled by the diet. Publicity included an appearance
on an NBC show and a TV movie starring Meryl Streep. The Foundation sponsored a multicenter research study, the results of which - announced in 1996 - marked the beginning of renewed scientific interest in this diet.
The potential therapeutic uses of the ketogenic diet have been studied for various neurological disorders in addition to epilepsy such as: Alzheimer's disease (AD), amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), autism, brain cancer, headaches,
Parkinson's disease (PD), and sleep disorders.