The basis of the ketogenic diet is the elimination of carbohydrates from the daily menu and their replacement with fats. The ketogenic diet is used to treat epilepsy and is recommended primarily for those patients in whom pharmacology does not have the expected effects.
The main source of energy is carbohydrates, which is why we consume the most (about 50%). Next to them are fats - 35%, in the daily diet - proteins (about 15%). When the body receives too few carbohydrates, it needs energy from the fats that underlie the ketogenic diet. Fat can be from 80 to 90 percent.
While using it gives results quickly and people who use it in a few days will notice a difference, this change does not last long. They are often malnourished and lack essential nutrients.
Contrary to appearance, the ketogenic diet is not the next "miracle" diet. This special menu is designed for a specific purpose. Studies show that limiting carbohydrate intake to fat is ideal for people with refractory epilepsy.
Fat maintenance therapy, diet for autism, Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, some types of epilepsy and encephalopathy are also being considered.
Ketogenic diet - how does it work?
When fats become the main fuel of the body during their decomposition, ketone bodies are formed: acetone, acetoacetate and beta-hydroxybutyric acid. They reach the nervous system, where they feed on nerve cells instead of glucose.
Although the metabolic changes in this diet are similar to those that occur in people who are hungry, in the case of epilepsy they have a beneficial effect. The high concentration of ketone bodies in the blood blocks the onset of seizures.