Since the low-carb diet craze began in the 1970s with the Atkins diet (a very low-carb, high-protein diet that was commercially successful), this diet has received considerable attention as a potential weight loss strategy. Today, other low-carb diets, including the Paleolithic Diet, the South Beach Diet, and the Dukan Diet, are rich in protein but moderate in fat, whereas ketogenic diet, in contrast, is extremely unique as they are extremely high in fat, typically 70 to 80 percent, but consume only moderate amounts of protein. 

The ketogenic diet is a diet that contains high fat, sufficient protein, and a very low-carbohydrate(In general, popular ketogenic resources recommend an average of 70-80% fat, 5-10% carbohydrates, and 10-20% protein in total daily calories). Consuming this diet which severely lacks carbohydrates, forces our body to burn fat instead of carbohydrates, thereby forcing our body to produce ketone bodies.

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Normally, carbohydrates in food are converted to glucose which is an important source of energy for the brain; however, if there is only a small amount of carbohydrates in our body, the liver will convert fats to fatty acids and ketone bodies, which will replace the function of glucose as a source of energy. This will lead to an increase in the concentration of ketone bodies in the blood, and the process is called ketosis which will decrease the frequency of seizures.

Ketogenic diet has been found to cause positive metabolic alterations in the short term. Along with weight reduction, health markers linked with being overweight have improved, including insulin resistance, high blood pressure, and raised cholesterol and triglycerides. For example, the history of the ketogenic diet can be traced back to the 1910s-1930s, and it was the mainstay of dietary therapy, developed to reproduce the successful treatment of epilepsy and to eliminate the non-mainstream and limited efficacy fasting therapy. 

Even though there are lots of benefits of ketogenic diets, it doesn’t suit everyone. This is because a high-lipid diet may be difficult to maintain, and extreme carbohydrate restriction can have negative effects which can range from a few days to a few weeks including hunger, tiredness, irritability, constipation, headaches etc. Although these unpleasant sensations may subside, being satisfied with a limited selection of foods and restricting consumption of other delectable goods such as fried rice or creamy sweet potatoes may provide further challenges.

Furthermore, excess ketone bodies cause harmful and deadly amounts of acid in the blood, a condition known as ketoacidosis. During ketoacidosis, the kidneys begin to expel ketone bodies and water from the body via urine, resulting in fluid-related weight loss. People with type 1 diabetes are more likely to develop ketoacidosis because they do not generate insulin, a hormone that controls excessive ketone body formation. However, in rare situations, ketoacidosis has been recorded in nondiabetic persons following a protracted extremely low-carbohydrate diet.

 

Works Cited

“Diet Review: Ketogenic Diet for Weight Loss | The Nutrition Source | Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.” Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/healthy-weight/diet-reviews/ketogenic-diet/. Accessed 4 May 2024.
“Ketogenic diet.” Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ketogenic_diet. Accessed 5 May 2024.
Sheikh, Zilpah. “Keto Diet: What is a Ketogenic Diet?” WebMD, 28 August 2023, https://www.webmd.com/diet/ss/slideshow-ketogenic-diet. Accessed 4 May 2024.