The basis of the ketogenic diet is the elimination of carbohydrates from the daily menu and replacing them with fat. The ketogenic diet is used to treat epilepsy and is recommended primarily for those patients for whom pharmacology does not have the expected effect.
The most important source of energy is carbohydrates, which is why we consume them the most (approximately 50%). Next to them are fats - 35%, in the daily diet - protein (about 15%). When the body gets too few carbohydrates, it needs energy from fats, which form the basis of the ketogenic diet. The fat can be 80 to 90 percent.
While using it quickly yields results, 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 many people's beliefs, the ketogenic diet is not the next "miracle" diet. This special menu is made for a specific purpose. Research shows that limiting carbohydrate intake to fat is ideal for people with refractory epilepsy.
Supportive therapy with fats, diet for autism, Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, some forms of epilepsy and encephalopathy are also considered.
The ketogenic diet - how does it work?
When fats become the body's most important fuel during their breakdown, ketone bodies are formed: acetone, acetoacetate and beta-hydroxybutyric acid. They reach the nervous system, where instead of glucose they feed on nerve cells.
Although metabolic changes in this diet are similar to those found in hungry people, they have a beneficial effect in the case of epilepsy. A high concentration of ketone bodies in the blood blocks the onset of seizures.