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 for the treatment of epilepsy and is recommended primarily for patients for whom the pharmacology does not have the expected effects.
The main source of energy are carbohydrates, which is why we consume them the most (around 50%). Next to them is fat - 35%, in the daily diet - protein (about 15%). When the body receives too few carbohydrates, it needs energy from fat, which is the basis of the ketogenic diet. Fat can be 80 to 90 percent.
Although its use produces results quickly and people who use it after a few days will notice a difference, this change does not last long. They are very often malnourished and lack essential nutrients.
Contrary to appearances, the ketogenic diet is not the next "miracle" diet. This special menu was created for a specific purpose. Research shows that limiting carbohydrate intake to fat is ideal for people with intractable epilepsy.
Supportive therapy with fats, a diet for autism, Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, certain types of epilepsy and encephalopathy are also considered.
The ketogenic diet, how does it work?
When fats become the body's main fuel as they break down, ketone bodies are formed: acetone, acetoacetate, and beta-hydroxybutyric acid. They reach the nervous system, where instead of glucose, they feed nerve cells.
Although the metabolic changes in this diet are similar to those that occur in hungry people, in the case of epilepsy, they have a beneficial effect. A high concentration of ketone bodies in the blood blocks the onset of seizures.